You hear it all the time, a lot of the time from me, slow down on your easy runs.

One of the biggest mistakes I see runners make is running too hard, too often.  Click here to read a previous post on the benefits of easy running.

One powerful tool I’ve learned in recent months is just how effective Elastic Energy can be in helping us run more efficient and faster.

England Athletics claim we can get between 30-50% of the energy we need to run, from the elasticity in out tendons and muscles.

So whilst the advice is often “slow down”, that may be a tad misleading. We don’t want to slow down to the extent our running form is compromised.

To utilize that free energy we need to run with a tall posture and be light on our feet with an efficient cadence.

So on an “easy run”, we are looking to combine the following. Maintaining an effort level of around 3/10 or 4/10, but at the same time running with good technique and using that free energy our muscles and tendons can provide us.

Now it’s easier said than done, some of us might not have very good elasticity due to poor running form, or general poor posture. This could be a cause of working long hours on our computers or too much time driving.

So we can include running drills that will improve our elasticity and make running easier. For more information, please check out my coaching page and the services I currently offer.

When you next head out for an easy run, you should be able to find a pace which is perfect for you, which both allows you to run with good form and keep the effort level down.

Just as a quick example I headed out for my 60 minute recovery run this week and was running close to 2 minutes per kilometer slower than my 5km pace. It felt tough. The reason being I was being lazy with my form. Once I started to run tall and lighter on my feet, my pace improved and my effort level dropped. I found my flow! It felt amazing. Give it a try next time you head out for an easy run.