Hot take: I thought 'easy runs' were a waste of time until I actually tried them consistently

I was convinced every run had to be hard to count, pushing pace until I was miserable. What flipped the script was a minor shin splint scare that forced me to dial it back for two weeks. I learned that these truly easy, conversational-paced runs build endurance WITHOUT burnout and make the hard days feel more achievable. Now, scheduling three gentle jogs a week has kept me injury-free and weirdly MORE excited to lace up.

3 comments

3 Comments

anthony3013h ago

My coach back in college forced us to log 20-mile weeks at a snail's pace. Hated it then, but now I see the method to his madness.

sarah_smith643h ago

Even popular apps like Strava push for PRs every run, missing the point of base building. Your shift to easy runs highlights how stepping off the hamster wheel can actually improve performance!

ellis.jesse1h ago

Totally burned myself out a few years back chasing segments (relate hard to @anthony301's coach story now). Forced myself into a month of nothing but easy zone 2 runs, which felt maddening, but my times dropped when I finally added speed back.