Running at the right mix of paces and intensities leads to a better development of all round fitness and reduces the risks of illness and injury.

These are the paces we tend to recommend:

Easy - also called recovery running. This is done at a pace where you can speak fairly easily. It is often done between harder sessions.

Steady - this is also sometimes referred to as recovery running. At this pace you can speak in a sentence or two at a time. It is 'bread and butter' work for a distance runner. Runners at all levels (including elite) will do a lot of their training at a steady pace. If you are tired you may do an easy run instead of a steady run

Pace runs - also often called tempo, lactate threshold or threshold training. These runs are at a pace where you can only comfortably say a short sentence or a few words at a time. This training is done in runs that tend to be shorter and faster than steady runs. It may also be done in a session where there is blocks of running with recovery between. These runs are NOT flat out. They are run at a fast but controlled pace. Running at this pace should be done after a warm up and followed with a warm down.

Speed - also called lactate tolerance training. This training is fast and you would really rather not have to say anything while running at this pace! This training is almost always normally done in a session of short blocks of fast running with recovery in between - often called interval or repetition training. A good warm up and warm down before and after this training is needed.