The advice to "run slow to run fast" is crucial but often misunderstood, leading some runners to run slow without improving. This approach is not one-size-fits-all and its applicability depends on individual training context and experience.
Origin and Benefits of "Run Slow to Run Fast" #
- Definition: Primarily means taking easy runs at a genuinely easy (slow) pace relative to interval or threshold workouts.
- Polarized Training Model: Stems from this well-researched model used across endurance sports.
- 80/20 Rule: Roughly 80% of training volume is easy, 20% is hard/fast work.
- "Slow": Low intensity (Zone 1-2).
- "Fast": High intensity (intervals, sprints, threshold, fartlek, progression runs).
- Why it Works:
- Aerobic Capacity Development: Improves the body's ability to use oxygen and deliver it to muscles (endurance engine).
- Mitochondrial Biogenesis: Builds more mitochondria in cells, increasing energy production with less effort.
- Fat Oxidation Enhancement: Encourages the body to use fat as fuel, preserving glycogen/carb stores for high-intensity efforts and long races.
- Optimal Recovery: Spacing out hard sessions with easy runs allows for better recovery, leading to improved fitness, reduced injury risk, illness, and overtraining.
Limitations and Misunderstandings of the Advice #
- Assumes Higher Mileage: Applicable to runners doing 4-5+ days/week, 30+ miles/week (50km).
- This is the level where daily hard runs make recovery physically impossible.
- Assumes Consistency and Aerobic Foundation: For runners with established fitness accustomed to regular, structured training.
- Assumes Need to Preserve Energy: For those with hard interval or threshold sessions in their weekly plan, requiring freshness for quality workouts.
- Not for Beginners: People just starting out or running 2-3 times a week may not need to strictly adhere to polarized training.
- They often have sufficient rest days.
- Strict adherence (e.g., staying in Zone 2) might mean mostly walking, hindering actual running improvement.
- Beginners benefit more from simply "just running" and building consistency, occasionally pushing the pace if they feel good and recover well.
Personal Experience: Pushing Easy Runs Too Hard #
- Past Behavior: As an elite runner (pre-GB vest and after), the speaker pushed easy runs too hard (e.g., 6-minute miles instead of 8-minute miles).
- Consequences:
- Frequent injuries (every 6-8 weeks).
- Tiredness before workouts.
- Frequent illness (overtraining signs).
- Current Practice: Runs slower now than ever before for easy runs (e.g., 8-minute miles average), despite being objectively faster in races.
- Turning Point: Coaching change in 2020 led to respecting easy runs; initial inconsistencies, then a significant period of injury-free, consistent training and improved workout quality.
Daniel's Example: Evolution of Training Need #
- Beginner Phase: As a running novice, strict "run slow" advice would have meant fast walking, not running.
- Initially focused on run/walks to build endurance, then continuous running.
- Goal was to run and get fitter, necessitating actual running.
- Advanced Beginner/Intermediate Phase: Now runs 4-5 days/week with a long run and one session.
- Polarized training now applies: easy days are truly easy to recover for hard sessions.
- Can occasionally push easy run pace if feeling very recovered, but still needs to feel easy, not tempo.
The "Gray Zone" Problem #
- Risk for Fitter Runners: As fitness improves, easy run pace can unintentionally creep up.
- "Calculated Easy Pace" Criticism: Not a fan of strictly calculating easy pace from race performances as it doesn't account for individual physiological state or external factors.
- Compounding Effect: Pushing easy runs slightly faster consistently turns easy runs into steady runs, and steady runs into tempos.
- Overtraining/Under-training: Leads to a "gray zone" plan that is:
- Not fast enough for significant fitness stimulus.
- Not slow enough for adequate recovery.
- Consequences: Injury, sickness, fatigue for workouts, plateaus, burnout.
How to Ensure Easy Runs are Truly Easy (Coaching Corner Tips) #
- Holistic Approach: Consider weekly volume, sleep, stress, terrain, time of day, weather, proximity to workouts, and menstrual cycle phase (for females).
- The Talk Test:
- Can you speak in full sentences without gasping? If not, too hard.
- Should be able to hold a conversation.
- No shame in walking uphill; pause watch if needed.
- Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE):
- Subjective scale 1-10 (1=walk, 10=max effort).
- Easy runs: 3-4 out of 10.
- Should feel like holding something back.
- Heart Rate (if used):
- Zone 2 (roughly 60-70% of max heart rate).
- Wrist-based HR is often inaccurate; chest or arm strap preferred. Don't be a slave to the watch.
- Recovery Cues:
- Shouldn't feel wiped after an easy run; should feel like you could have kept going.
- Sluggish/heavy legs in workouts indicate easy runs weren't easy enough.
- Unexplained small injuries can signal overdoing easy runs/lack of recovery.
- Mental Cues:
- Should generally feel better after an easy run than before.
- Induces endorphins without being a full workout.
- Should feel like you could have gone faster but chose not to.
- Develop self-awareness of what "easy" feels like over time.
- Data and Splits (with caution):
- Pace range can be a starting point, but holistic cues are better.
- Work backward from threshold pace (pace sustainable for ~1 hour, usually between 10k-15k race effort).
- Easy pace should be at least 90 seconds slower per mile (55-60 seconds slower per km) than threshold.
- Even slower on tired days or in challenging conditions.
- Watch for "pace creeps" – easy runs getting too close to threshold pace are a red flag.
Conclusion #
- Individuality: Easy is relative and impacted by many factors.
- Smarter Training: Focus on training smarter, not just harder.
- Purposeful Runs: Understand the specific objective of each run in your week (knowing when to slow down and when to push).
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