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You Need to Run SLOWER | Your Comprehensive Guide to Easy Runs

Steve Magness

220,284 views

Mastering Easy Runs: The Science and History Behind Optimal Endurance Training

In this episode, we unravel the complexities of 'easy training' for endurance athletes by exploring the science, history, and practical takeaways. Discover the purpose of easy runs, the debate over training zones, and how to effectively build your aerobic foundation. Learn from historical figures like Arthur Lydiard and modern proponents like Renado Canova on the best practices for long-term aerobic development. Whether you're an amateur or a seasoned athlete, this video provides insights into balancing easy runs with higher-intensity training to achieve optimal performance. Tune in for a comprehensive guide on how to structure your easy runs for maximum benefit.

FREE GUIDE on Easy runs!!! By popular demand, I put together a guide for easy, recovery and distance runs. It's about how to apply the concepts in this video for your training. Get your copy here: https://thegrowtheq.kit.com/ef012c84b8

-Steve

00:00 Introduction to Easy Training Confusion
00:26 Purpose of Easy Runs: Recovery vs. Development
01:30 Zone Training Simplified
03:44 Historical Perspectives on Endurance Training
06:55 Modern Science and Training Adaptations
12:39 Practical Guidelines for Easy Running
19:12 Balancing Volume, Intensity, and Recovery
21:05 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

20 Comments

@SteveMagness Creator 9 months ago Pinned

To help you out.... I put together a guide for easy, recovery and distance runs. It's about how to apply the concepts in this video for your training. I go deep on it in the guide. Get your copy here: https://thegrowtheq.kit.com/ef012c84b8

@arribalaschivas91 9 months ago

Talking about how people’s easy runs are 8 minute miles while that’s my hard run pace 😂

@theprimalwisdom4929 9 months ago

This guy knows his physiology, anatomy, biochemistry AND running history.

What a treasure trove.

Just found a new fav channel.

@cheenangng4050 2 months ago

do not dis regard the long walk thing, i read it somewhere that the japanese marathon team started preparing for one of the olympics by doing lots of hiking for the first year, and these are established marathon runners, some of the very best from Japan.

@cameronfair7225 3 months ago

This is helpful because others make it seem like if you slip up into a more steady run or low moderate effort, you’ve just ruined the aerobic benefit.

@BrianMoloneyMr 9 months ago

Here to brag I just ran a half marathon in less than an hour and a half. I am 55 and it was my first race. I started running this year. Love your videos.

@bricemenaugh4828 7 months ago

The old Japanese distance runners used to run their base runs 8-9 min miles which is really slow for a 2:08 marathoner.

@chrisginoc 9 months ago (edited)

Your videos feel like majoring in Running or sitting in a lecture. Extremely helpful and priceless. Can you make a video on hill sprints or if you already have one can you point me in the right direction?

@Beeeeezm 10 days ago

Love your content. No frills, info packed. Thank you 👌

@vondutchman 9 months ago

Great in depth breakdown, and as an ex elite runner and 61 I can identify with building the aerobic base. I rarely jog now and all of my easy runs are more zone 2 but comfortable and relaxed. 100k a week, 1 threshold session, 1 5k pace session, 4 easy to moderate paced runs

@joelouden6592 8 months ago

I've never had an aerobic base over my 49 years of running. I have no idea what it's like to run without gasping for air. I see runners pass me in the park while easily taking to each other and it looks like a magic trick to me.

@benrusher581 9 months ago (edited)

In my experience its a challenge to develop the mechanical resilience. If I try to do a bit of higher intensity too early, without enough easy miles in my legs, I just start to breakdown. Finding the right level of progression over what time scales seems to be key. I now am building very gradually with a week of increasing followed by a week of maintaining then a down week. Meanwhile doing two sessions of resistance training, especially hip flexor, glutes, calfs and hams. I do HRV readings to tell me if I can train and have to be flexible if it sugeests I need a down day. Can be frustrating but better than getting injured. Consistency is the holy grail for me and everything else needs to be adjusted to help me remain healthy and consistent.

@Essentialoils4u-72 9 months ago

I’ve struggled with my running improvement for many years! It wasn’t until I started paying attention to my recovery data from Garmin that I realized I was doing too much volume and not recovering enough. When I first started this in December of 2024 I was running 2 days a week for about 6 months. I started improving a lot! I live in New England, land of rolling hills. I can finally consistently run most hills while training for a 1/2 marathon. I’m now up to running 3 days a week and my training times have gone up by 2 minutes. I just ran a hilly 5 mile race and ran the whole time. Last year I would have needed to take walk breaks on the hills.

@abhinavdhakal4424 9 months ago

This is the best running channel if you really want to understand the running science in depth!!

@geoffreymccann2841 9 months ago

Another down to earth commonsense video. I'm just pleased I started running before the internet was even thought of 😂. You didn't even really think about what or how you just went and ran . If you were going to train for say a marathon you just slowly increased your long run that's about as high tech as it was , no heart monitors no GPS watches no lactate thresholds to even worry about.

@lawdecnetwork 9 months ago

I agree all of what you said.. I spend more time running in Zone 2 which is my easy run or base run. And the magic happens on race day, beast mode is present. I can attest that on my personal record.

@fredia7131 9 months ago (edited)

Great as always! I really like the history stuff. Sports science can be very dry because it boils down mostly to numbers and percentages. But the ideas come to life when I have a face and name to connect them to. Also, it puts the social media hype around certain workouts into perspective - there's nothing new under the sun.