Easy Recovery Run with Strides

Session Overview

This 30-minute easy recovery run with strides is ideal for active recovery days. The main run keeps intensity genuinely low to promote blood flow and recovery, while four short strides at the end remind your neuromuscular system of fast running without creating additional fatigue. Perfect for beginner triathletes on rest days or the day after a hard session.

What You’ll Need

• Running shoes
• GPS watch (optional — run by feel if preferred)
• Comfortable kit appropriate for the weather

Warm-Up (3 minutes)

Walk for 2 minutes, then jog gently for 1 minute at very easy pace. No drills needed — this session starts slowly by design.

Main Set

22 minutes of continuous easy running at Zone 1 (below 65% max HR). Your pace should feel genuinely comfortable — you could hold a full conversation or even sing. Do not let it drift into Zone 2.

• 4 x strides after the easy run: accelerate gradually over 20 seconds from easy jog to 80% max speed, hold briefly, then decelerate back to a jog. Take 60 seconds easy jog recovery between strides

Cool-Down (5 minutes)

Walk back towards home or your start point. Perform light static stretches: quad stretch, hip flexor lunge, and standing calf stretch.

Coaching Notes

• Strides are not sprints — think of them as smooth, flowing accelerations that feel fast but not forced
• If your heart rate rises above Zone 2 during the easy run, slow to a walk for 30 seconds before continuing
• Beginners: drop the strides entirely if legs feel very heavy. A 25-minute easy run alone is perfectly valid
• This session works best 24 hours after a threshold run, brick workout, or race
• RPE for the easy run: 3-4. Strides: 6-7 for 10 seconds