Finding it tougher to run slower

[ScottJB]

I’ve just completed Week 8 Run 2 and the end is in sight, but found the last 2 runs tough going when I’ve deliberately ran at a slower pace.

I decided to run week 8 at a slower pace as my watch was telling me I’d been over doing it. Looking at a few different sites they all had similar calculators to work out your target paces for race, tempo, recovery, intervals etc.

So I’ve used this to set a slower target pace than I usually do, but found it mentally and physically harder to do. The watch will beep letting me know when I’m out of the target pace range and I have managed to stick to it, but found it harder work.

I thought it would be easier, has anyone else had similar problems?

Thanks

Scott

[ButtercupKid Graduate]

Your watch says no but your body says yes ? I’d go with your body every time. Keep listening to it: if it needs to slow down, it’ll let you know.

[ScottJB Graduate in reply to ButtercupKid]

Yes I’ve been feeling fine but decided to give it a go at slowing down but found it harder work, just didn’t seem natural. I’ll go with what my body is telling me instead. Thanks

[Centurions Graduate in reply to ButtercupKid]

Completely agree with those who say listen to your body. I’m on week six and I listen very closely to what my body says. I’d dump the watch if I were you!

[ButtercupKid Graduate in reply to Centurions]

One of the best things I took from C25k was the connection with my body. Somehow we’d never understood each other before ! 😄

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate]

That's quite a good idea, but you are constantly looking at your watch all the time while running. I installed a metronome app recently, you can set it at anything from 1 to 300 steps a minute, for us runners anything from 150 to 180 steps is good, 150 steps would roughly cover a 5K in around the 45/50 minute range, it does also depend on your stride as well, whereas 180 steps a minute would probably be sub 30 minute 5K pace, so an average of 165 steps a minute would be around about 35 minute 5k.

[ScottJB Graduate in reply to AlMorr]

Yes found it a distraction trying to maintain a slower pace, worrying about whether I was in range just didn’t seem natural. I’ll go back to just running by feel. Thanks.

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate in reply to ScottJB]

👍 🏃