Endurance sessions for runners
Easy running makes up most of your volume: runs at a gentle pace, around 65–72% of your vVO₂max, where you can hold a conversation. An easy run needs no structure: run at that pace and that's it. The session on this page adds what an easy run on its own never does: the easy run with 6 strides finishes with six 20-second strides, fast but relaxed, to keep in touch with speed without tiring yourself.
Paces are a % of your vVO₂max: without a recent measurement, start with a fitness test. The page gives the exact structure, the paces for a vVO₂max of 14, 16 or 18 km/h, how to run it and what the sources say.
2Z2 · Base endurance
How to choose
You mostly do easy runs
swap one or two plain easy runs for the easy run with 6 strides, after a few weeks of regular running.
You want more speed
hill sprints, the natural follow-on from strides, on the speed page.
You want your first sustained-pace session
the tempo run, on the threshold page.
You want a long run with some work in it
the long run with a 30-minute marathon-pace finish, on the marathon pace page, once 90-minute runs feel familiar.
The sessions
Frequently asked questions
What pace should easy runs be?
Around 65–72% of your vVO₂max: slow enough to hold a conversation, often slower than you think. Without a recent vVO₂max, being able to talk is guide enough. Running easy runs too fast is a common mistake: fatigue builds up and weighs on your quality sessions.
How much of my running should be easy?
Most of it, as a rule: most plans keep the bulk of the runs easy, with one or two quality sessions a week. These are common training guidelines to fit around your volume, not rules drawn from studies.
Should I add strides to my easy runs?
It's a very widespread coaching practice, one to three times a week in place of a plain easy run: it keeps your stride and springiness sharp at very little cost. No study has looked at strides specifically; their value rests on practice.
Other types of running sessions
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