Sunset Run
Trail 5k
After one week off from running due to getting my house ready to list for sale, I hit the trails while my daughter attended a student function.
Last week, I was able to keep up with my strength and mobility training every other day, but driving out to the trails was just too much time to ask of my wife. We were so busy.
Don’t ask about my diet last week. The kitchen was out of commission from the remodel, and fast food was the choice of the handyman. I hadn’t had McDonald’s in ages. It was tasty but made me feel lethargic and gross. I hate that I crave it from time to time.
Back to the run. It went well, and I kept my heart rate in the mid-130s to mid-140s. My ankles felt just fine, but a week off of cardio does have an impact. Not a lot, but ten seconds per mile slower at the same heart rate isn’t nothing.
As I ran, I thought a lot about what I’ve studied about the metabolic and aerobic benefits of running. Metabolic function is how my body burns fat and glucose as I run, and the aerobic side is how my body responds to the fuel it’s taking in. Running slower than you think has a substantial positive impact on building your endurance. The other benefit is that you can recover from your workouts to get more weekly volume. Simply stated, you won’t be wiped out, and your body will be ready to run again quickly. Add to that the fact that your chance of injury is significantly reduced.
The best thing I’ve learned and now trust entirely is that slower running preps me for longer, faster running. I no longer race past workouts. Instead, I run at a conversational pace, where it’s easy to breathe and talk to others while running, able to complete entire sentences.
I tested this out again last Sunday in a 5k race where, even at the slower than usual pace I raced, way below what I could have done as I recovered from a tendon injury, I still finished 4th in my age group and 46 out of nearly 700 runners. I’m telling you, slowing down to run fast is real.
I also thought about how I would onboard a person who wants to run but is coming from a sedentary lifestyle. I’d coach them to start training for the upcoming training. I’d get them walking for hours each week at a nice clip, and they’d do run-specific strength training for about 35 minutes two times a week. If they cared about their upper body, they’d do a third 30-minute strength session.
Only after the person could walk for about seven hours a week would we begin to introduce some run-walk intervals. Injury prevention and tendon and muscle strengthening are crucial.
Sure, a person could jump into a couch to 5k app, but taking a multi-month and even multi-year approach is much more sustainable, will prevent injury, and will be much more fun in the long run. Just imagine hitting the road or trail and exploring for as long as you want.
It’s possible, and I’d love to help you out!
