Making Slow Faster

I had accepted that my recovery run could be run anywhere below 85% of LTHR. I was running at 60%LTHR to 65%LTHR, jogging through, passing time. I suppose this is not necessarily a bad thing; however, is running slow the best way to recover and still promote the goal of running improvement?

I considered the following:

1. Do I run enough to warrant an easy recovery run?
2. Do I need to be totally recovered before my next hard run?

After some thought I decided to increase my recovery runs to 75%LTHR.

What I discovered:

1. The pace allows me to maintain good running form.
2. The pace is still low enough for me to recover.
3. The pace allows me to gain some additional mileage.

Three weeks of experimentation with the change-up, I am feeling very good. The quicker pace keeps me focused on the run. There is no negative impact to the workouts following the recovery runs. In fact I may have a bit more spring in my legs.