Summary Why Running Slow Makes You Faster (Youtube) www.youtube.com
1,272 words - YouTube video - View YouTube video
n/a Would you like to get faster? Well, then as a secret, run slower. Bear with me. Don't leave. If you stick around, then I'm gonna talk you through how ultimately running slowly was a secret to how I managed to compete at the Olympics.
n/a So we better get running slowly. For a little bit of context, when I was competing, I'd have started some of my slower runs outside or slower than 8 minute missing. And whilst that might not sound all that slow, ultimately I was racing at sub 4 minute missing. So that's the massive difference between my slowest faster runs. Now there's a reason that recovery runs are designed to be run slowly.
n/a It helps you to recover in terms of your muscles on your joints efficiently and safely without increasing your risk of injury. As well as reducing the risk of injury directly, regular slower and recovery runs can actually reduced the impact and intensity of DONGs by increasing blood circulation and clearing out the lactate in your system. You might have heard the phrase no pain no gain, but definitely don't pay that any heed. There's really good evidence now that going back to back with intense exercise, not giving yourself time to adapt and recover has a massively increased risk of you getting injured. So we're not saying throw speed work out the window, we're just saying intersperse it with those slow runs because they're the secret.
n/a Variety is the spice of life. I've spoken to so many runners who are stuck in a rut just trying to shave even a few seconds off their 5 k PB. And invariably, when I've spoken to them, that's been because they're doing the same workouts, the same runs again and again and again. And it's not just a physical barrier to progress, it's a mental barrier too. Ultimately, demotivating and boring.
n/a So you need variety because your body responds better and adapts more, and you'll make more progress through changes in stimulus. So highs and lows. That's interval training, cross training, and yes, those slower runs to allow your body to quite literally think on its feet. The other benefit is that you're always working in your aerobic 6 o, which means your body's able to take on enough oxygen to meet the requirements of those working muscles. Now over time, your body begins to adapt, which means it becomes more efficient at converting the energy that your muscles need, and ultimately, that leads to you running further and faster.
n/a So you should feel more comfortable on those prolonged runs, but an added side benefit provided that your slower runs are part of a varied training plan is you should see an increase to your VO 2 max score. If If you'd like to know more about VO2 max, then check out our video here all about that. Slower runs are also going to allow you to push through the fatigue, which isn't always a good idea, but sometimes you have to as part of your training plan, and doing it on a recovery run is a much smarter sleigh compared to running faster to avoid the potential injury associated with pushing through that fatigue, but it's a really important thing to be able to do mentally and physically. Now if you are running slowly, it's pretty likely that you have a relatively low heart rate, potentially sound about zone 2 as a consequence of running slowly depending on how you've got your heart rate set up. But there's actually a training philosophy called the math method, which was developed by a guy called doctor Phil math for tone using your math, your maf which is your maximum aerobic function to dictate how fast you should do all of your runs.
n/a So to calculate your maf, you take 180, subtract your age and then make some small adjustments based on your running history and your medical history, then that's your maximum aerobic heart rate. So that means that ultimately you should run all of your runs below that heart rate to ensure that they're aerobic. Now obviously, doctor Phil Maffetone swears by this method, but so do a lot of other people. And I think we we’re make an entire video all about the math method. If you're interested in that, let me know in the comments.
n/a This. Maybe we should take it on, see what impact that has on our fitness. Let us know and we'll make it happen. Now let's talk about deload weeks. Now what these are the single weeks with lower volume and intensity that come after a prolonged block maybe of 3, 4, 5 weeks of hard running, and they appear in a lot of different training plans.
n/a And these weeks are so important because they allow you to make the adaptations at a cellular and muscular level which leads to the spig leaps forward in progress and times. I use them as a professional athlete. Lots of training plans use them because they make a massive difference. Now if you're not focused purely on speed then that's an opportunity to focus on something else. So you’re running form for example.
n/a On your slower runs choose the time to focus on your cadence. The way you're carrying your arms, your posture, your foot strike, your stride length, all of those things because that teaches you the muscle memory to use when you're fatigued, when you're running faster in training or in races, so you don't have to think about it. Now it's not just a performance thing, it can also reduce your risk of injury. So if you do wanna find how you could improve your running form, then check out this video. And whilst you're not focused on running fast, think about the different paces that you're running at.
n/a Tune your body in to feel what it feels like because that's going to benefit you both in training and at any races that you do. A now if you're not worried about the pace of your runs, that's the perfect opportunity to involve more people, so friends and family. Because not only will you release mood lifting sing endorphins, but you also have the chance to unwind from a tough day by chatting with friends. Now if you're running alongside somebody and not making eye contact like you might like going for a coffee or a drink in the pub. It actually does allow you to talk about more meaningful deeper things which ultimately benefits your mental health without potentially feeling awkward.
n/a A in fact, a 2020 study from Edinburgh University found that runners that participated in social running events like parkrun and dedicated running groups we’re less likely to develop depression and had lower stress levels than people who ran on their own. And I know from experience that if you're happier then you'll run better too. Don't forget to take in your surroundings. You can run to some really beautiful places, so don't miss them because you're concentrating on checking your watch every 10 seconds or worried about running a PB pace. Ultimately, you want to give your body and mind proper permission to switch off.
n/a So now the only question, is when are you going to do your next slow run? Let me know in the comments. And if you're looking for something to do next, then check this video out here. We're always talking about variety. A check it out because it's a hill workout that could help you take your running to the next level.