Beginners Guide To Running Paces

Even if you are new to running, you may well have noticed that when it comes to pace it is not as simple as fast or slow. There are many different paces, each with their own characteristics and purposes. It can be confusing, even to an experienced runner. The following is a brief guide to the most commonly used paces.

Recovery Pace

This is a very easy (and not long) run, to aid muscle recovery. Performed 1 or 2 days after a hard workout. your legs should feel better after the recovery run. If they don’t, then you probably ran too fast or too far. Which means you didn’t actually run a recovery run at all. There is no such thing as running a recovery run too slowly.

Endurance Pace

(or Easy Run, or Long Slow Run or Base Run)

Whatever you call it, you are running at a pace you can maintain for a long time and are able to hold a conversation without gasping for air every sentence. As the various names suggest it is a slow pace, for a long time, and it builds up your endurance by changing your body’s physiology so that you are better adapted to running.

Aerobic Threshold Pace

This is a step up from endurance pace. You should still be able to hold a conversation, but your sentences might be a bit shorter. The increased stress on your body builds leg strength as well as endurance. With experience this can become your marathon pace.

Anaerobic Threshold Pace

(or Tempo Run, or Lactate Threshold Pace)

Without getting into too much biochemistry, this is the pace that pushes your body to the point where the lactate produced by hard running is not being cleared as quickly as it is being produced. This will lead to fatigue. So, this is a faster pace that can’t be maintained for long periods of time, but it also not a sprint. Conversation may be limited but possible. You will probably be able to get a few words out, like “this is hard”.

You are training the body to both tolerate higher lactate levels and to be more efficient at processing lactate. This results in an improvement in your ability to maintain your 5K-10K pace. The lactate and anaerobic thresholds are technically different but in practical terms there isn’t much difference in their paces. Anaerobic threshold pace is slightly quicker than lactate threshold pace, meaning that anaerobic threshold pace will improve your speed and endurance, whereas lactate threshold pace will improve your endurance and speed.

VO2 Max Pace

(or speedwork)

This is a very hard run, with a fast pace, that is longer than a sprint. Typically, 1 or 2 minutes. It improves your lung capacity, strengthens your heart and activates your fast twitch muscles. All of which means you will improve your 1-5K pace, and your ability to kick for home down the final straight.

Sprint

Flat out running. Which means it will be very short. Typically, only 20s. With benefit similar to the speed work above.

Pace	Effort	Duration	Time to see benefits	Benefit / Purpose
Recovery	Very light	10-20mins	After the run	Increases circulation, helping to repair muscles
Endurance	Light	45mins -anything	4-6wks	Improve resiliency and endurance. Builds mitochondria count and increases metabolic efficiency.
Aerobic	Light -Moderate	30mins-3hrs	3wks	As above. Improves endurance and leg strength.
Lactate Threshold	Moderate – hard	10-90mins	1-2wks	Improves ability to process lactate. Improves general aerobic capacity resulting in improvements in endurance and speed
Anaerobic Threshold	Hard	5-50mins	2wks	Improves speed and endurance as well as mental strength.
VO2 Max	Very hard	1-10mins	1-2wks	Improves lung capacity, heart strength, neurological pathways, running form, and engages fast twitch muscles.
Sprint	Maximal	5-60s	3-5days	As above, plus improvements to max sprint speed