The Week of Slow...!🏃‍♀️🤷‍♀️🙂

[Sandraj39]

Just picked up my copy of Matt Fitzgerald’s ‘80/20 Running’. I have to say, that flicking through, I am not convinced it’s for me, but so many people here and on Marathon have spoken so positively about it that I think I need to explore it a little more.

Chapter One suggests starting off by just having a ‘slow’ week (yes - permission to go slow!🙂), so that is what I have been doing this week. Certainly on Monday, I think I found my ‘slow’ 🐢and really didn’t want to stop at just 5K - gently jogging on to a lovely 7k. Yesterday, for some reason, I found it harder to keep my pace down and struggled not to run at what a I think is a default pace for me!!

Looking forward to tomorrow’s run, possibly the last for a few days as I have my second jab on Saturday. Hoping any side effects resolve quickly however, as next week of course is the Virtual Vitality 10000!

Happy running everyone!🙂

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

It will be interesting to see how you get on Sandra. How to you judge your slow pace? Is is a percentage of your race pace?

[Sandraj39 Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

Ah, haven’t got to that bit of the book Dexy!😂 😂

As, I say - not sure it’s for me but am thinking a little more slow running might help next time I build up distance for a HM? I do tend to just run by how I feel on the day!😬 This is just to experiment how I feel when I really bring my pace down and is a suggestion made in the first chapter, prior to detailing the science behind it all.🙂

[Cmoi Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

What boggles my mind is how on earth you're supposed to know your race pace! I've never run a race and my pace varies wildly depending on where I'm running and how long for.

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to Cmoi]

I always consider my best time at 5k as my race pace. Do not fear - races and parkrun are coming back . 😃

[Cmoi Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

That's sweet of you Dexy5 , but I'm in France and my nearest parkrun is well over 300km and 4 hours' drive away! Tbh I'm not really attracted to the idea of races either; my October trail marathon is simply to see if I can complete it, there's no way I can or want to race it.

My best time at 5k was a fluke and bears little resemblance to what I mostly do, so I suspect it would would kill me as a race pace. 😳 🤣

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to Cmoi]

300km would take a lot of dedication Cmoi! I tend to think of a race as a race against my own time rather than others, but I do love running with others.

I understand that in France you have to get a certificate from your doctor to enter a race, which is a bit of a palaver.

[Cmoi Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

You're absolutely right re the doctor's certificate Dexy5 . I got mine the other day, so I could send it in early and have time to sort it out if there are any problems. I may well need a Covid pass as well, so it's just as well I had my first jab yesterday.

I've only been running just over a year and have never run with anyone else. I'm generally quite sociable, but I work as an EFL teacher, trainer and examiner, so one of the things I love about running is having a break from communicating with others!

[David_G]

Thanks Sandraj39 I’d be interested to hear how you get on with it. I really think I’ve got a ‘standard’ pace that I’m conditioned to run at. I don’t know whether that’s in my head or whether it’s just what feels comfortable to me 🤔 It might be the reason I’m injured at the moment though, so maybe when I restart I should concentrate much more on running really slowly. It’s food for thought anyway so I might well invest in the book in the meantime. At least I’ve got the chance to read up on the theory behind it all at the moment!😏 Good luck! 🙂

[Sandraj39 Graduate10 in reply to David_G]

Yep, I tend to just have a default pace too, David! Looking ahead in the book, the plans all seem to be aimed at people who run far more frequently than me, so am curious how others who’ve used it manage. I think that maybe, I will end up just trying to make sure that some of my longer runs are slower - and that this may help keep niggles at bay. We will see....🙂

[Hidden]

Hello I think I'm a slow runner but I seem to be able to just keep on going for a lot longer than if I was running at a hard pace, I enjoy a long slow run, you'll be surprised at how much further you can go. I agree miles are miles and all are good 👍

[backintime Graduate10]

Not sure I could go much slower at the moment, slow is my happy place

[Curlygurly2 Graduate10]

I didn't like it, although that was compounded by my watch developing a fault. You are meant to know how to set your heart rate zones, then stay in zone 2. The watch will beep if you start going too fast. You are meant to be able to run increasingly faster while staying in zone, that didn't happen for me, and in fact I had to run slower and slower to stay in zone. 11 mins per KM by the end, that's slower than walking pace. Even though I did the recommended speed work, after a few months I had no "top end" at all - my fast pace was now slower than my slow pace had been at the beginning.

As I say, my watch wasn't working properly, but the end result is that even nearly three months after jettisoning the plan I still haven't got any speed back. I did it for about 8 months, so nit like I didn't give it a fair crack.

You will find lots of runners here who swear by this method, and say I didn't set my zones properly, but I tried all the methods to set them that everyone advised, for me it was not much better than a disaster.

[Sandraj39 Graduate10 in reply to Curlygurly2]

Thanks for your comments - they are really helpful. the more I read the more I doubt whether this is really the approach for me! I am not normally one to get too caught up in the numbers. Perhaps I will keep on doing what has worked until now - lots of different terrain, distances, different paces and a few hills!!🙂😬

[skysue16 Graduate10 in reply to Sandraj39]

All sounds a bit complicated for me and I don’t like numbers!! Or a watch which gives my heart rate 😕

[Cmoi Graduate10]

Happy reading and happy running Sandraj39 ! The more I hear about all the stuff I'm supposed to do, the more stressed I get and the less I want to do it, as per my whinges on the Marathon forum. I hope you find what works for you 😀

[Sandraj39 Graduate10 in reply to Cmoi]

😂I think I am starting to feel the same! (See my answer above to Curlygurly)🙂

[Maz1103 Graduate10]

I've been trying this slow running too, but haven't read the book. My first run was very slow and included 4 walks to keep my heart rate down. After 2 weeks, still slow but better by 20seconds per k, no walks and average heart rate 5 bpm lower than first attempt. I'm enjoying it.

[Comfortnotspeed Graduate10]

Hope you feel ok after second jab 🌸😊🌸

[Cowladyrunning Graduate10]

That's interesting. I really struggle to slow my pace! Or judge what pace I'm running at!!! I decided I'll just strengthen up so when I accidentally go too fast it doesn't hurt so much after!