Running on - Two Sides of a Coin...
'They' say you should run slow. 'They' say that running slow will eventually make you fast. 'They' may or may not know what they're talking about...
Case #1 - my friend Brenda started out running a couple of years ago with the intention of making it stick (she is very much like me and had fallen off the running wagon a few times, always starting over and suffering frustration at losing all that she had gained). She utilized the Slow and Steady program. Log the miles at a pace that was comfortable, sustainable, doable. Within those two years, she went from a 10k time of well over an hour to a 10k time of under an hour. That's a great improvement and gives a nod to that whole Slow and Steady reasoning.
Case #2 - my nephew David has been running for quite a few years. A good runner, he, too, followed 'them' and structured his workouts based on that infamous Long/Slow weekend run. BUT, he got frustrated at never getting faster. So, he changed it up - worked hard at speeding up in his workouts, running speed drills, pushing his pace. Last weekend, he placed 13th Overall in a half marathon race (4th in his age category). That's great improvement and gives a nod to ignoring the whole Slow and Steady reasoning.
So, here I am at the crossroads having seen both sides of the coin. Today, I made the decision to follow both of those inspirational runners. I will work on speed for 2 (or 3, depending on how many runs I do in the week) and one run will be dedicated to Slow and Steady. But not too slow. Today was that day and I set a goal of running within the 12 to 12:30m/M pace. It was supposed to be 2 miles non-stop, but by 1.6 miles I had to walk for a bit. No worries, my 2 miles were done in 24:10 - and I met my goal.
J
Case #1 - my friend Brenda started out running a couple of years ago with the intention of making it stick (she is very much like me and had fallen off the running wagon a few times, always starting over and suffering frustration at losing all that she had gained). She utilized the Slow and Steady program. Log the miles at a pace that was comfortable, sustainable, doable. Within those two years, she went from a 10k time of well over an hour to a 10k time of under an hour. That's a great improvement and gives a nod to that whole Slow and Steady reasoning.
Case #2 - my nephew David has been running for quite a few years. A good runner, he, too, followed 'them' and structured his workouts based on that infamous Long/Slow weekend run. BUT, he got frustrated at never getting faster. So, he changed it up - worked hard at speeding up in his workouts, running speed drills, pushing his pace. Last weekend, he placed 13th Overall in a half marathon race (4th in his age category). That's great improvement and gives a nod to ignoring the whole Slow and Steady reasoning.
So, here I am at the crossroads having seen both sides of the coin. Today, I made the decision to follow both of those inspirational runners. I will work on speed for 2 (or 3, depending on how many runs I do in the week) and one run will be dedicated to Slow and Steady. But not too slow. Today was that day and I set a goal of running within the 12 to 12:30m/M pace. It was supposed to be 2 miles non-stop, but by 1.6 miles I had to walk for a bit. No worries, my 2 miles were done in 24:10 - and I met my goal.
J
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