Easy Runs, Weird Workouts, and Racing During Marathon Training

If there’s one thing runners love to do, it’s overthink easy runs. In this episode of the Three Fell Swoops, a Mind Your Miles Podcast, Nick, Will, and Danny break down what easy days are actually for, why watch metrics cause so much unnecessary stress, and how to teach runners to trust effort instead of chasing numbers.

We talk about:

• Why easy runs aren’t about pace, they’re about feel

• How to stop obsessing over heart rate and splits

• Teaching athletes to run by effort

• Real-world examples from our own training and coaching

Then we get into speed development and fast workouts, including:

• A 300-200-200-100 session and how much speed work is enough

• Why less is usually more with fast reps

• How speed is a skill, not just fitness

• Injury risk and quality control

We also share some “weird” workouts we actually love:

• The Marathon Michigan

• 4-1-1 and bridge sessions

• Flush workouts and short tempo/stride combos

• 5-2-2 pacing sets

Finally, we break down racing during a marathon build:

• When a half marathon helps vs. hurts

• Using 5Ks and 10Ks as tune-ups

• Practicing fueling and race-day routines

• How to interpret race results without spiraling

If you’re training for a marathon, coaching runners, or just tired of letting your watch run your life, this episode will give you practical tools and honest perspective.

Follow the podcast and find show notes:📍 ⁠https://mindyourmilespodcast.substack.com/⁠📍 ⁠www.runbaldwin.com⁠

Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next time.