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An introduction to how I define Base Running – the pace at which you’ll spend the great majority of your running time. And a few extra thoughts on how to approach your Base runs

Base running – often referred to as “easy” pace – is probably the most important element of any endurance runner’s program. You’ll want to spend the great majority of your time at Base. The key to Base is to ensure that you are NOT running at a faster-than-necessary pace. Too often runners complete Base runs too quickly. Unfortunately the additional benefits of doing Base runs faster are slim to none.

Coaches and runners have known for a long time that Base runs tend to be too quick. Coaches imposed low RPE scores, HR limits, and specific pace targets based on a percent of your race times on their runners during Base run to keep the pace slow. These tactics have been successful in many circumstances. 

I find that RPE scores are hard to interpret. Running with an HR limit is annoying since HR depends so much on conditions like temperature and terrain changes and staring at a watch or slowing down when you hear a beep disconnects you from your internal running sensations. Having a pace target makes Base runs feel too much like a specific workout and many strive to go faster than the pace targets thinking, wrongly, that it will increase the benefits. So relying solely on these means may be problematic.

I suggest a simpler method in this program:

Base running is a pace that you can run comfortably breathing only out of your nose. 

Nasal breathing is a self-limiting factor in this context. RPE, HR, Pace, they are all suggestions. You can ignore them if you want. None of them force you to slow down. But you can’t ignore breathing – or, more accurately – your inability to breathe. 

During a Base run:

• If you have to breathe out of your mouth you’re going too fast. Stop and walk until you regain nose breathing and then start running again but slower
• If you’re running and you feel the urge to breathe out of your mouth you’re going too fast. Slow down.
• If you feel lightheaded or a slight headache you’re going too fast. Slow down.
• If at any point you think to yourself that your breathing feels “really uncomfortable” – slow down!

If you have never run using only your nose, you may find your Base pace to be very slow at first. That’s fine. You’ll see that you’ll adapt quickly and your pace will settle into a reasonable speed. 

Your exact Base pace doesn’t Matter

Turn off auto-lap, remove pace information from your data screen and run comfortably at Base

I tend to recommend regular training at paces much faster than Base. These include “Fast but not Hard” drills and pace specific runs among other things. It is during these runs and drills that you’ll develop your speed. Some runners that run exclusively at Base pace feel the only way to track improvement is to track Base pace increases over time. The runner feels pressure to go faster during Base runs. Instead, I urge you to confidently enjoy the slower speed of Base pace knowing that with the combo of Base plus the faster running you’ll be doing you’ll see the improvements you are looking for.

Another element that I feel is very important to Base running for those with GPS watches is to turn off your 1km auto-lap and remove all pace information from the display. It really does not matter how fast you are running. And seeing your 1km split or current pace often messes with your head:

• If you feel your split/pace is “too slow”, you’ll start to go faster. This misses the idea that the exact pace is not as important as the feeling
• If you feel your split/pace is “too fast”, you’ll likely force yourself to hold the faster pace. The Base run may become uncomfortable. But slowing down leads to worse psychological discomfort.

Both scenarios end up with you running faster. Not good. Forgot about the pace of your Base runs.

Vary the terrain your Base Run

Explore your environment to develop your potential as a runner. But this only becomes an option when you free yourself from your average pace

Once you free your mind and body from the shackles of running with a conscious or unconscious focus on your pace, a world of opportunity opens for your base runs. You are free to take advantage of whatever environmental conditions you have around you. 

The greater the number of surfaces you can run on the better. There is a run I do near my house. It starts on a paved road for about 1km. Then I reach a 15min loop that has compact dirt, loose dirt (often mud), gravel, grass, and even wood chips that feel like running on a marshmallow. There are two short steep uphills and two short steep downhills. Several corners. And several slanted surfaces to run on – but only for a very short duration.

On some runs, you’ll want to stick to the same level road/dirt/gravel surface for the duration. This is a good idea if the Base run is a recovery run after having run faster the day before. Or if you are including surges into your Base run which will be discussed later. But other runs mix it up.

But beware. If you are used to road running, your pace will drop quite a bit on the different surfaces. Plus if you run under forest coverage, you may lose the GPS signal. It’ll seem your pace came to a halt! Until you free yourself of the need to run your Base runs at a specific pace, running on the different surfaces will likely mess with your head. You’ll struggle to hold old pace targets over challenging terrains like grass or uphills.

When you run with this level of variety though, you’re doing so much more than developing just your general endurance. You’re developing:

• Your coordination when taking corners and switching onto different surfaces. The “feel” of road vs gravel vs dirt vs grass is very different.
• The adaptability of your tissues, both muscle and tendon, to different conditions. Not to mention your brain’s ability to adjust to the different conditions. 
• A more balanced strength throughout your running muscles due to the changing surfaces that strengthen the muscles of the foot, ankle, lower leg and deep hip stabilizers.

Run Loops

Loops provide pace feedback over longer durations and are neutral when it comes to elevation change and wind. And loop splits they are independent of the quality of your GPS signal!

Create some 10-20min loops around where you run. Press Lap at the start/end of loop and use this information to observe your pacing. You can practice completing the loop in exactly the same duration or going a few seconds faster but without increasing the effort – remember, comfortable nasal breathing is the requirement. You can do so by better managing any corners, uphills, downhills. Or you can improve your ability to change running style based on the surface – for example, on the pavement, you can let the elastic recoil get you up to speed whereas if you are on loose gravel mud you’ll have to run above the ground to avoid slipping or leaking energy every stride.

Plus, with a loop, you get all the wind directions within a short time span. The feel of doing a 60min run with a 30min tailwind and a 30min headwind is very different than doing 3 x 20min loop in which the direction changes every roughly 5min. Same goes for elevation change. You’ll have the same elevation gain and loss with a loop. So if you repeat it and your time is similar, faster or slower you know it’s not because you ended up on an extended uphill or downhill.

Ditch the Tunes

Run without listening to music to get in touch with your body and surrondings. This is called “associating” to your running rather than disassociating by focusing on your playlist

I tend to get a lot of flack for this one, but I highly suggest that you run without listening to music. I understand if you are used to long road runs without much variation you need something to distract yourself. And sure, every now and then load up some tunes for a run for a change. But I urge you to make your default mode of operation music-free.

If you follow the suggestions above like varying the terrain, running loops and focussing on comfortable nasal breathing there is a lot going on during a run. So it is far less likely that you’ll need the distraction. These are all elements that force you to concentrate and “associate” – narrow your focus more acutely to what you are doing. Listening to music is called “disassociating” – creating a detachment from your immediate surroundings or activities.

If you find your Base runs boring, put more imagination into the courses you run. Or your running program, in general, may need more variability built-in.

Also, many runners need to learn what to focus on. The beauty of running is that all the strides you take are so similar to one another. This is boring for some people. But when you change the way you look at it and internalize your focus so much can be practiced and learned every run: your breathing (now that you can actually hear it!), posture, arm carriage, the feel of your pace, adapting to different surfaces, changing your position for uphills and downhills, altering your cadence, staying loose and relaxed… the list can go on! Every stride becomes an opportunity to experiment and obtain immediate feedback from your body and then adjust.

Just like breathing from your nose, this takes some getting used to. But as you learn what to focus on while running loops on interesting variable courses breathing through your nose at a comfortable pace you’ll come to view music as a big distraction.

This is the first part of a series of articles. Stay tuned for the next part.