As a follow up to my last post, I had to go out again yesterday and try out "super slow" running. My previous attempt was successful but still too fast, so yesterday I was going to totally put the brakes on. Bear in mind I've been running for a year now and my fitness levels are pretty damned good, I've lost a stone and a half (now 12 stone) and inches off my waist, I'm male and 5'10 and incredibly enthusiastic!
Suffice to say I covered 8K in 50 minutes NON STOP jogging. Totally comfortable, relaxed breathing and I could definitely have held a conversation the entire way around the route. This is the longest time I've ran non stop so there must be something in the "different gears" of running. The last K I did speed up, just to see if I had anything left in the tank and I was pleased to say I had!
So come my first 10K official run on June 8th, I now know how I'm going to do it. TurboTortoise reported on this very forum she'd run 10K NON STOP quite recently and this is what I would LOVE to do.
So there you have it. Experiment will now be taken into Thursdays 10K practice run I'm planning to do. I've planned a new route along the Thames to Kew then back home through Brentford and past Syon Park.
Bang!
Dan
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danzargo
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Fantastic Dan! Well done! I think that's a great strategy and exactly what I planned when I did the Bristol 10k.
You might find though, that with all the other runners around you, you run faster than you think you are anyway. I genuinely thought I was running very steadily in mine the other week and was stunned to find that all but 3 kms were under 6:00 mins! I even managed to increase my pace over the last 1k or so. And I 'sprinted'* the final 200m! I couldn't do that running on my own.
I know you'll do really well.
*when I say 'sprinted'....well, I sped up quite a bit......still got overtaken by Captain America though...
Wow! That's great to hear dottiemay. Yes I can totally "get" the 'tow effect' when running with a group. I suppose the main thing is to concentrate on your own pace and make sure it feels do'able over 10 kilometres, though this is gonna be my first "official" event so it'll be interesting to see what happens. I am so looking forward to it though, especially now I have my new strategy!
I'm not sure I can actually go any slower as I think that I'll begin running backwards! I have read / heard that the slower you run, the further you go, the further you run, the faster you can run at shorter distances or something to that extent! Also I've heard if you can run 8k non stop, you can run 10k! This I have read, I cannot confirm or have put into practise yet! Good luck for the 8th, you can do it! Go Dan, Go!
cheers CK. I think the key is aerobic fitness first and then you can sustain long periods at slow speeds. Sort of makes sense anyway. But thanks for your reply!
Well done Dan, glad you found that almost-super-slow-for-you gear. Sounds like a great run, and I'm sure you'll be able to do 10k without stopping if you go at the same speed.
It's still not SUPER SLOW rnb, but definitely slower than the first time i tried. The real gas about it all is the continuous time one can run for. I'm still amazed at this running lark. It seems there are always plenty of things to keep you interested!
Well done Dan, it's really hard isn't it to get the pacing right but it does seem to make a real difference to the distance. I'm sure you'll manage the 10k non stop, if you can manage to stay in control of the speed. Good luck and enjoy!
Yes agreed, pacing is hard to get right. I don't listen to music when I run which must help. I only have to react to the world around me without some stonking rock band giving me four on the floor back beat with a heavy guitar riff!!
You can totally do it, Dan. I only have a bit of a thing about running non-stop because I'm afraid I won't be able to get started again - there is nothing wrong with walk breaks! I believe there are theories (Galloway method that Bazza talks about?) that say it can actually make you faster. But in my experience it’s true, if you can run 8 non-stop then you can run 10.
Also, is your race on a fairly flat course? If so I think you may surprise yourself. You've got used to doing built-in hill training on long runs in Richmond Park, and as we know there are some dinky little inclines there to keep us entertained. It makes a big difference - when I did a 10k in dead-flat Victoria Park, I found a comfortable pace almost immediately, and stuck with it all the way (even speeded up at the end). Plus the race atmosphere is a real boost and the time seems to flash by, so you may not need to go as ‘slow’ as you think.
But talking of super-slow running, I am further exploring this on Sunday – I got talking to some parkrun volunteers last Sat and they invited me on an easy, conversational 7-miler around Richmond Park with their little group. This will be the longest distance I've ever run! I'm sure they'd have asked you too had you not WIMPED OUT of the parkrun
Hahah! I did wimp out! Good luck on that 7 miler though TT. I'll be interested to see how you get on with it.
The course is flat - starting in Twickenham, crossing the river and running along the river to Richmond Bridge, then back along the other side to Marble Hill house. I've run half of this course regularly so will be fine. Gonna try a 10 tomorrow, which reminds me - it's gone 5.30pm! Gin O'clock!!!
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Run of Colours: Check! (first official 5k run)
I thought I would increase my distance a little 👀
40 mins non stop Week 8 run 2 
Japanese slow jogging in honour of Prof Tanaka (& my longest+furthest run to date)
10k… wait; what?!
