The Dastardly Implications of Running Too Slow

Last week I posted a blog article called The Dastardly Implications of Running Too Fast. The post was mostly concerned with ensuring your easy and recovery runs remain easy and recovery runs. These duel articles are meant to address two of the biggest pacing issues in running: running too fast on slow runs and running too slow on fast runs.

It can be confusing to know how fast to run when you’re just getting into running. Even experienced runners question whether they are running too slow, or if their pace is correct for their workout, and unless you’ve been paying conscious attention, you are probably running either too fast or too slow on your runs. While it is important to understand the differences in specific fast workouts and specific slow workouts, both articles focus on fast and slow more generally. Stay tuned in the future for more targeted posts about specific workout categories.

The obvious goal of running fast is to be able to run faster over time. But this can get complicated when distances become longer and when pacing becomes more important. A 6:50 minute pace isn’t necessarily that fast for a single mile, but if you can hold it for twenty-six of them then you’ll earn your ticket to Boston. It’s important to understand the difference between going out for a good run and specifically running fast to get faster.

There are a few different kinds of fast workouts, but two of the most basic are intervals and tempo runs. Intervals – as you probably already know – consist of a period of intense exercise followed by a longer period of rest. This can be a walking or a slow jog, like in this great half-marathon workout. Tempo runs, on the other hand, are usually a 4-8 mile run at a pace ~30-45 seconds slower than your 5K pace.

By the way, a lot of workouts are prescribed relative to your 5K pace so it’s usually a good idea to run the distance at max effort every now and then.

The problem a lot of people have with these types of faster workouts is that they too often run too slow. There are usually several reasons for this, the first of which has to do with discipline. It takes a lot of discipline to maintain a fast pace over a significant span of time. Often it gets extremely difficult to maintain a consistent effort on every interval. The same is true of tempo workouts. It’s easy to maintain slower-than-5K pace for the first 3.1 miles. It’s when you get up to the fourth or fifth mile that it becomes a workout and a mental game.

Sometimes runners think they’re on-pace, but they really are just missing a piece of information. It’s important to understand the pace at which you’re supposed to be running, whether it’s 100% effort on a sprint or 10 seconds over 5K pace. This means reading and understanding the workout as much as knowing your own body. It’s important to keep your time trials relatively up to date so you can make informed decisions about your pace. This can vary person to person but depending on your levels of training anywhere from every few weeks to every few months is ideal.

At the end of the day, it’s important to run fast on fast days and to run slow on slow days. While the first step in making running a habit is just to get out there and run. to take your fitness to the next level it’s imperative that you understand what a workout is targeting and how fast you need to run to achieve that goal.

Have you been running too slow on your fast days? How about too fast on your slow days? Leave a comment down below to let us know how you keep running fast at the end of a hard workout!

If you liked this article, check out: Crafting Good Goals as a Performance Multiplier in Running.