So during these runs, your body has to constantly replenish the oxygen reserves it’s using to continue to produce energy,” he says. “Long, slow distance runs are easier to sustain. The reason for this? Fat oxidation requires oxygen-and it’s very hard to run long distances at an all-out fast pace. Slower aerobic runs, on the other hand, use approximately 50 percent fat for energy while the remaining 50 percent is a combination of glucose and protein for energy.” “Faster anaerobic runs upwards of two hours mainly deplete stored muscle glycogen from carbohydrates. “This process is known as the fat adaptation effect,” he explains. That couldn’t be more off-base because easy (or sexy pace) running comes with a laundry list of benefits.įirst of all, as your body becomes more adapted to aerobic, slow runs, it’s going to use fat more efficiently, Ghazarians says. “The most common mistake most runners make is that they think if they’re running easily, then they’re not getting much benefit,” says Brian Rosetti, a running coach in New York City and founder of the Run SMART Project. Here’s Why You Should Slow Down for a Recovery Run Then add your resting heart rate of 50 to 84.5 the result, 134.5, is about the heart rate to aim for on an easy, recovery run. Then calculate 65 percent of 130 to get 84.5. Then add back in your resting heart rate to get your target heart rate for these runs.įor example, if your maximum heart rate is 180 and your resting heart rate is 50, subtract 50 from 180 to get 130. To find your heart rate reserve, subtract your resting heart rate from your maximum heart rate for easy runs, calculate 65 percent of that number. You can find an estimate of your max by using the Tanaka method, which is recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine. Then, determine your maximum heart rate (MHR). First, you’ll need your resting heart rate (that’s the number of pulse beats you feel in 10 seconds, times six). To calculate that, you’ll need to do a little math. How to Use Heart Rate Training to Get Faster “It’s when you can hold a conversation while running,” she says-and not just with one-word responses. What that really means is that you’re running at a pace that doesn’t tax your body. Sign up for Runner's World+ for more exclusive training tips! “Instead, we’ll call it a recovery run or sexy pace.” “I actually don’t like to use that word when I coach, because I think it gives people a negative connotation, and then that’s why they don’t want to do it,” says Jessie Zapotechne, a coach with Adidas Runners in New York City and the founder of Girls Run NYC. How slow is slow? Well, slow is a relative term. But what about when a slower friend asks you to join a run? It’s easy to want to shy away from that-you want to feel like you got in a hard workout after all-but occasionally, slowing down and doing a recovery run can actually make you run faster in the long term. There’s an obvious benefit to running with someone who’s faster than you: The natural competition encourages you to pick up the pace, and over time, you’ll get faster.