To make lasting progress in running and avoid injuries, you should run the majority of your sessions at a slow and comfortable pace (base endurance), which can be simply measured by the ability to hold a conversation without getting out of breath.

noli's read

The idea that running slowly improves overall performance is based on very solid physical principles. The work of researcher Stephen Seiler (via observational analyses of athletes) has popularized polarized training, demonstrating that spending 80% of one's time at low intensity optimizes the body's energy efficiency. Furthermore, a randomized controlled trial by Muñoz et al. (2014) confirms that this low-intensity distribution outperforms consistently intensive training in recreational runners. Regarding injury prevention, the IOC scientific consensus (Soligard et al., 2016) maintains that a sudden increase in workload and intensity is the primary cause of overuse injuries. Finally, the use of the "talk test" suggested by the creator is scientifically validated by the study by Foster et al. (2008) as a reliable benchmark for staying in the correct effort zone without equipment.

the sources

1. 1Rosenblat MA, Perrotta AS, Vicenzino B 2019
2. 2Silva Oliveira P, Boppre G, Fonseca H 2024
3. 3Menshikova EV, Ritov VB, Ferrell RE, et al. 2007