Explaining: Why Your Easy Runs Should Feel Embarrassingly Slow

Most runners are sabotaging their progress without realizing it by running their easy runs too fast. If you feel constantly fatigued, stuck in a cycle of bad workouts, struggling to hit your paces, or plateauing in your race performances, your easy day pace is likely the problem. There has been a lot of conversation in the running community (and specifically the comment section of my videos haha) regarding Easy Runs, so I wanted to approach the topic again from a different angle than I have in past videos and break down why your easy runs should feel EMBARRASSINGLY slow, how running too hard on recovery days limits aerobic development, and why this mistake is one of the biggest reasons runners fail to improve in the 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon. I hope I can clarify for you how elite runners approach easy runs (hint: I can almost guarantee it's slower than yours), why Zone 2 training and low intensity running are critical for endurance performance, and how slowing down improves consistency, reduces injury risk, and allows you to accumulate more weekly mileage without burnout. ⸻Relevant Links🚨 FREE TOOLS I CREATED RUNNERS 🚨 https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools⚠️ TAKE THE MARATHON READINESS QUIZ NOW ⚠️ https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.comGet coached by Brant Stachelhttps://teamrunrun.com/coach/brant-stachel-kingston-ontario-running-coach/Mental Performance Coaching with Brant Stachel: https://calendly.com/cepadminteam/15-minute-intake-call-clone?month=2026-01Get my Book, "Fast and Free":https://a.co/d/00twBZ6dLearn More about Team RunRun: https://teamrunrun.com/Fuel Your Training (Affiliate Link): https://fuelgoods.com/?ref=Brant⸻Follow Brant Stachel Fast & Free Performance Coachinghttps://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQhttps://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoachinghttps://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachelhttps://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637https://www.facebook.com/FastandFreeWithBranthttps://www.twitter.com/BrantStachelhttps://www.LinkedIn.com/Brant-StachelVisit Our Website: http://runfastandfree.com