Too many runners run too fast too much of the time. I have always said that approximately 80-90% of your running should be at a comfortable ‘talking pace’. That pace is, of course, different for everyone. If you are struggling to breathe on recovery runs, you are going too fast. There is no reason to push so hard – your muscles need to recover and allow themselves to repair after hard workouts and races. Plus, we are not all Olympians – just because they are genetically strong enough to be able to handle a particular set of workouts does not mean we all can.
http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/train-at-the-right-intensity-ratio?adbid=551362387261935616&adbpl=tw&adbpr=16031688&cid=socTP_20150103_38176397
Nickolas Joannidis
I have been running for over 35 years, having done practically every possible racing event or distance from the 100 meters through the marathon. I competed in varsity high school cross country and track at Saddle Brook High School in the mid-1980's, varsity cross country and track at Division II Pace University and finished well over 200 road races since then, including 20 marathons with a lifetime best of 3:14:50.
I was the president of the Hoffmann LaRoche corporate running team for 7 years, growing the team from 25 to over 90 during his tenure. I coached many of these runners to achieve their goals, whether they were beginners or advanced.
In 2011 I was an assistant coach for the Fair Lawn Recreation track team, helping the 10 to 14 year old group. I am currently personally coaching dozens of runners, from beginner levels to advanced levels and getting them to be prepared to meet their goals.