Slowing down
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docsharon
Posts: 55 Member
Most of the runners I know want to speed up. But I am struggling with the long runs and think I need to slow down. Any suggestions on how to do this? Finding it difficult to find the right pace. Advice greatly appreciated.
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I have trouble too unless I am on a treadmill. Do you have access to one? it's soooo much easier to control on a treadmill to at least get used to the slower speed and then eventually you can go back out on the road.0
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I will try that, thank you. Once I do it I'm sure I'll develop some confidence but don't know how to translate the pace into running in real time.0
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Pay attention to your body; it'll tell you your correct pace.
Are you breathing too heavy (panting; can't hold a simple conversation)? slow down
Are your legs burning/hurting? slow down
Are you having difficulties keeping to the training schedule? slow down
You'll feel as if you're going too slow and you'll want to go faster. Don't. You'll automatically speed up as you get stronger. For now, it's all about making it through the program.
What is it about pace and/or time that you'd like to know and keep track of? That might help us help you. Do you want to keep track of the distance you cover? your average speed?0 -
Are you running with music? Try finding songs that are at the pace you want to be running. (jog.fm has songs listed by pace).0
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This is something you'll learn over time. Eventually, you'll have at least three gears:
I could run forever (easy run)
I can run to the end of the block, or maybe a little longer (tempo run)
I need to slow down now or I'll throw up (sprint intervals)
For right now, just listen to your body. If you're struggling to breathe, slow WAY down. If you feel an urgent need to break for water or the potty and/or twinges, slow down and then slow down a little more until it feels easy.
Try starting out slow and then slowing down a little more. Find how slowly you can possibly run. Run in place - a lot of being able to run slowly has to do with form, so it's good way to build technique.
Just keep running, your body will figure this all out on its own if you just give it some time and opportunity.0 -
Most of the runners I know want to speed up. But I am struggling with the long runs and think I need to slow down. Any suggestions on how to do this? Finding it difficult to find the right pace. Advice greatly appreciated.
Difficult to say anything meaningful without a bit more context.
How long have you been running, what distances do you do and what pace are you doing your longer runs at?
What I've found is that the best way to improve my speed has been increasing my weekly mileage, over a few months that got me down to a 10 minute mile for five-six miles or so.
I'm now including sessions more specifically aimed at increasing my speed, but as I have some history of injury I'm taking it easy.
If you're a new runner then don't worry too much about speed, but get your endurance up to a reasonable level. Speed comes with time.0 -
This is the Couch to 5k group, so "longer" might be around 20 minutes at a time and I'm guess the history of running is about 6 weeks, unless there is prior running experience.
The struggle to find a slow enough pace to complete a three mile run is pretty common in this community and it's probably nowhere near a 10 minute mile. You'll scare people with the talk of 5-6 miles, though they are about 3-4 months out from being capable of it.
I was close to a 20 minute mile for the entire program and took 40 minutes to complete a 5k - an amazing pace for me at the time0 -
Oops, when I was writing that I had it in mind that it was the general forum.
OK, with that in mind, don't worry too much about speed at all. Focus on keeping going for the time intervals.
I don't know what pace I was at in the early stages of C25K, using NHS podcasts. By about halfway through I was on a 12-13 minute mile. Finished the programme in about July of last year and I've been working up to 10K distances since.
When I finished the programme I did my first 5K in 32 minutes, and have knocked that down to 28 minutes in the last week.0 -
Lol. That's what it sounded like: a former C25ker clicking through from a friend's newsfeed. Congrats on your 5k time - I've been running for a year and my current PR is just over 33 minutes.0
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Hi All!
This is exactly the type of post I was looking despite being a bit dated...didn't want to start a new thread and be repetitious if I didn't have to.
I just finished week 1 and I definitely feel that I am running too fast....I have started and quit C25k several times over the past few years and never made it past week 3 and I think this is the reason why. I do have some prior running experience as I was in the Navy, did 3.5 years and got out in 2005, haven't run since (b/c I suck at it). The requirement was 1.5 miles in 15:15 or 6.0 mph, 10 minutes /mile. By my guesstimate, I cover about 1/8 mile in the 60 second run interval (1/2 way around the 1/4 mile track at the high school) not a sustainable pace for me as I feel like my heart and lungs are gonna explode!
I don't run with anyone so the talk test is kinda out, but I may try setting my pace on the treadmill to try to get a feel for it to translate to outdoor running. Also, the music bpm matched to pace may help...I currently run using Robert Ullrey's C25k podcasts, but I wonder if the music might be a bit too fast-paced for me (I also have no musical ability so it may be that I just can't match my footfalls and breathing to the beat)
I'm looking to start at 12 min/mile and work up to 10 min/mile or better. In addition to my 3 weekly run workouts, I walk a hill program (3-9% variable incline) on the treadmill at 4.0 mph for 45-60 minutes 2-3 times per week and will be adding strength training. I'm trying to build my strength and endurance for better general health and to drop about 40# or so by mid-oct (my sister's wedding)
Any advice is welcomed and greatly appreciated! I apologize for being so lengthy
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I started at about 20 minutes a mile, hit around 12 for regular running a couple months after C25k. I'm still there but my 5k race pace has dropped to 10:40.
Comfortably running slow is all about form. Keep upright and aligned, try to make your strides fast and small (look up cadence).0 -
It's possible that the music might be hindering you. There's other apps out there that mean you can pick your music (I use Run5k). Maybe try switching to that.0
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I don't run with anyone so the talk test is kinda out, but I may try setting my pace on the treadmill to try to get a feel for it to translate to outdoor running. Also, the music bpm matched to pace may help...I currently run using Robert Ullrey's C25k podcasts, but I wonder if the music might be a bit too fast-paced for me (I also have no musical ability so it may be that I just can't match my footfalls and breathing to the beat)
Cadence is something I found quite difficult, and it may be something that you want to park until after you've completed the programme. Improving my cadence helped my pace, but I'm now moving beyond that to try to disassociate the two.
Having a higher cadence helps your form, by forcing a shorter pace, but if the bpm on your podcasts is too fast then it might be getting in the way.
You could try the Podrunner podcast series. They're against a published bpm that you might find works out for you.0 -
Yes. Candence does not necessarily have anything to do with speed, but that's something I worked out after the program. For right now, just slow down.0
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I don't run with anyone so the talk test is kinda out,
I run by myself. My "talk test" is when I say "hello...nice day" to others on the path or I'll speak a short sentence to myself ("Great day for running", for example) if no one is around.
Finding your comfortable treadmill range helps a lot, too, in getting to know what your body feels like at that pace. I'm a slow runner and have determined that my comfortable pace on the treadmill is between 7-8Kph (it all depends on how tired I am that day).
My current time outdoors is about 7:30-8:00 per Kilometer (which I think is just reaching about 12 minutes per Mile). I am a slow runner but maybe 12 minutes/mile is a bit fast? Only you can know that, of course, but if you're having difficulties, perhaps try running a bit slower to see if it helps.0 -
Yes. Candence does not necessarily have anything to do with speed, but that's something I worked out after the program. For right now, just slow down.
I used the NHS podcast series, which doesn't have a published BPM but it feels to be about 140. There is then a C25K+ series of three runs that are BPM based; a step up from 140-160 over 40 minutes, a pyramid session of 150, 160 and 165 bpm and an interval session at 150 and 165bpm.
It certainly helped me to get used to running at a higher cadence, although moving from just running with the music to consciously thinking about aligning with the cadence did my head in for a couple of weeks.0 -
Don't know if its been already mentioned here cuz I didn't read through all the posts but for outside running one thing that I do is to kind of notice where my breathing is. I know what I feel like on a treadmill so I try to find that outside too. Also, with apps like map my run you can get audible cues of your pace at whatever frequency you want. In increments of 5 minutes you can be told where you are in the run. I know what kind of pace I like to run at so I try to maintain that from the audible cues and the more you do it, the easier you'll be able to tell where you are.
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