Good Week of Running

[dindy]

This week was a good week for running. Managed as I mentioned in previous posts to run 5k (3.1 miles old money) once a week on a Friday which allowed me 2 days for legs to get over it.

Once graduated the norm seems to be I can run for 30 mines now I want to run further & faster. How many times have we read on the forum Slow Down! According to the web the “new fast is slow”!! One marathon runner was starting to have problems with distance so his coach told him to slow down his pace, for beginners & experienced runners this seems a step backwards. The pace his coach wanted him to train at was about 50% slower than his walking brisk pace!! He did this and his distance increased.

My normal pace is about 4mph , 6.4 kph but was really struggling to get to 5 k as I was tired and calves felt like they were going to explode round about 4k so I started my new training plan. I have cut my pace down to about 3.5 mph and even slightly slower. It just did not feel right slowing right down but boy does it work. Within a very short time I got to 5k fairly easy them I did a 5.5 k. Now I have started doing a slow slow 5k on a Monday ,come Wednesday I just do a 30 min run at my normal pace and some interval/tempo running thrown in the mix listening to Joan Baez & Kenny G. Friday is if I feel up to it my long run day and today I done 4.11 miles ,6.6K . There is no way on earth I could of done that trying to slog away at my normal pace trying to get to 5k or even further. My legs do not hurt so much, my breathing & heart rate has also come down.

When I get to the point that 5k is not so much of a strain then I shall increase my pace just a tad and so on. Anyone who like me were still running at the same pace as when they graduated and trying to increase mileage just give it a go for a couple of weeks. I now many of the more experienced runners on the forum have been saying this for ages but it fell on deaf ears as far as I was concerned.

I have not tried the post c25k podcasts of stepping stone, speed & stamina but this does seem to be opposite to what I have been reading & trying, run slow to get fast & further??

[Bluebirdrunner Graduate]

Thats really great news Dindy! Well done on managing your pace and on all the improvement it has made.😊

I have found running slowly at a comfortable pace has helped me increase my distance. Running greater distances has improved my stamina. Now running faster than I used to with no extra effort, if that makes sense.

Try the c25k +podcasts. They are not quick, but give you tips on form and short light steps. Stepping Stones is my favourite, speed is short but tiring and stamina builds and delivers 35 mins of steady running.. All are good training.

Happy running 😊 xx

[Millsie-J Graduate]

Great post dindy .

I run slow but to run further I still have to slow further.

As Bluebirdrunner says, try the 5k+ podcasts, maybe just one each week. They don’t take the place of running slow, but work together with slow runs to enhance and give some variation to your training programme. I like speed as it’s intervals but short, so if you are struggling for time it’s a good workout.