Slow, slower and slowest...
Honestly, I'm not 100% sure. Right now, I'm just concentrating on getting the runs in mostly because I live in a very hilly area. If I were to worry about my times, I'd either kill my legs pushing it to much or I'd just burn myself out completely. So, I'm just getting the distance in while ignoring the time.
But, when I run on a flatter surface, it all depends upon the length of the run or the logic behind the run. There are many different types of runs: intervals, hills, slow and easy, recovery, goal pace runs, compound sets, progressive runs, tempo, fartlek's and so on.
I generally keep to: intervals, slow and easy, hills, tempo, progressive runs, recovery or goal pace runs.
My favorite to do on a treadmill is the progressive run. You start out at a nice and easy pace while slowly speeding up as the run goes along.
However, right now I'm running pretty much hill runs in the mornings and a combination of slow and easy and progressive during the day.
As for my pace..when I actually time myself, I usually will run the progressive runs starting out at about 6.5mph and work my way up to 8 mph. My progressive runs are usually 5+ miles. But right now, my middle of the day run is 3 miles and it's a combination of slow and easy/progressive. With my hill run in the morning, I don't want to push it too much during the day. I'm mostly just running in the day to get to my goal weight quicker and because it breaks up the day at the office for me.
And by the way.. no one will recommend doing what I'm doing. I'm not sure that I would recommend it either. I just had a few lab results come back from the doctor that was too close to the top end of the normal range.. .so, I'm kicking it up a notch and I need to drop a few pounds.
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