I talk a lot in these blogs about running by effort and in particular, running in Zone 2.  The majority of my runs are done in Zone 2, which is a relatively easy effort run.  When running in Zone 2, your breathing should be totally under control, and you should be able to easily have a conversation with fellow runners.

Zone 2 running is about effort and not pace.  My run today, was a great example of why pace is irrelevant.  When I ran at the park, late this afternoon, it was extremely windy.  Average wind speed was about 25mph and there gusts that were well over 40mph.  The wind speed and direction had a major impact on my run.

When running with the wind, my pace increased dramatically.  Conversely, when running against the wind, my pace dropped to well below my average Zone 2 pace (a pace that I would typically expect to see, when running Zone 2 in calm conditions on a flat course).

At the end of my run today, my average pace for the 6 miles that I covered was right around a typical Zone 2 pace for me.  The difference in pace while running with the wind however, as opposed to against it, was more than two and half minutes per mile.  Think about that; it’s a huge difference in pace, just based on wind speed.  You can see how varied my pace was in today’s photo.  Red sections are fast while dark blue sections are slow.

Now imagine if I had decided to run today at a set pace.  I am thinking that I would have been cruising along with a Zone 1 effort, when going with the wind.  Against the wind, I would likely have been somewhere in Zone 4, maybe even Zone 5.  If I had run like that, it would have totally ruined the intended goal of my run. 

So please remember, while training and running easy effort miles, forget your pace.  Don’t look at your watch.  Instead, listen to your body.