My Easy Pace Is Too Slow for My Plan
Season 2 of Running to the Castle Podcast w/ Dr. Ali Marty
Episode 154 How Fast Should My Easy Pace Be runDisney Races
In this episode of Running to the Castle, Dr. Ali answers a common question: “What if my easy pace feels too fast for me?”
She explains why relying on apps that calculate training paces from a 5K PR can be misleading, since factors like distance, heat, stress, sleep, fueling, and hydration all impact heart rate and effort.
Easy runs should feel truly easy—conversational and sustainable—not like a struggle to hit a number.
Dr. Ali shares why slowing down, even to a pace that feels “too slow,” is critical for building fitness, preventing burnout, and saving energy for harder workouts and race day.
She emphasizes that race day adrenaline, carb loading, and training efficiency often result in runners averaging 60–90 seconds per mile faster than their training paces, proving that running slower in practice ultimately leads to stronger, faster results at runDisney races.
