Newbie Distance Runner Question

swinnie239
swinnie239 Posts: 423 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello all,

I am pretty new to distance running and am still not going too far. I does shorter runs during the week and longer on Saturdays.


I was just wondering if there was anything I could do about pace. I'm already not the fastest runner, I'm pretty short at 5'3" and also new to this, so I'm not expecting 9-10 min splits or anything. But on my shorter runs (2-3 miles, I'll add more once my long runs are longer), I can maintain around 11:30-12:00/mi pretty easily. On my longer ones of around 5-7 miles, I am struggling to maintain a 13:00-14:00, which at that point is basically walking.

I asked my husband to follow me a few times and he said that my form is good. I'm just exceptionally slow right now.

Is this something to worry about? Should I be adding intervals of sprinting? Or is this just a matter of with time it will get better?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    the best way to get quicker is to just go further, slowly.

    i am taller than you, but 13-14 minute miles isn't walking for me at all. its a shame that you're disappointed in your speed, but it seems pretty normal pace to me?
  • FatMoojor
    FatMoojor Posts: 483 Member
    Are you following a training plan and what do you mean by distance running? halfs? full marathons or ultras?

    Your 5k speeds will naturally just get faster as you run further. I went from a 30 min 5k, to a 22 min 5k with never considering my running speed. Just keep adding distance and keep it slow and constant. A long slower run will do a lot more for you than a faster sprint for long distance running and overall speed.
  • swinnie239
    swinnie239 Posts: 423 Member
    I'm not really following a real "training plan". I only started a couple months ago. I've been adding onto the short run range by .5 mi per month (so next month will be aim for 2.5-3.5 on short days, etc.) but plan to cap the shorter ones at 4-5 miles and do that 3 times a week. Longer runs I'm increasing by increments of 2 miles per month on the long ones (so this month 5-7, next 7-9). This has worked for me because it give me a little bit of a cushion on days if I'm not doing/feeling as well to go the shorter distance if I need to. I started with one mile increment increases but now feel ok with increasing by 2 because I give myself the 2 mile range to aim for. I'm usually able to get the higher number but a couple times I went for an in between number. I'm not really training for anything like a half marathon or marathon. Just want to get better at running in general.

    Distance running is just how I'm saying it currently. I used to only do intervals and based the length of the run on time.

    If it all just a matter of working on it and the time will come, that's good to know.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    Yep, at this point, don't worry about speed, especially on those longer runs. It will come naturally as you develop your cardio vascular fitness. In fact, as you build your aerobic base, running at a slow pace is the very best way to make improvement. Sounds like you are doing all the right things. You just need to give it time. And FWIW, unless you are a sprinter, your height should not be a limiting factor in how fast you can run. Keep working on it and you will get there!
  • msdemeanor70
    msdemeanor70 Posts: 66 Member
    Speed is a very subjective thing. I'm also 5'3" and outside of races, I do three runs a week. Twice for time (one hour) and once for distance (10 miles). When I started, I was lucky to make 15-minute miles, now I run consistently in the mid-9s. I didn't try to get faster, it just came over time. For me, this is MY pace. My body is happy here. You have to find YOUR pace. But, I will say 13-14 is definitely a very fast walk for me. There are things you can do to get faster - speed work, intervals, etc., but why? Unless you are trying to win a race. If you enjoy casual running, then just let your pace come over time. If you try to force speed, you risk injury and unhappiness and then you stop running.
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
    swinnie239 wrote: »
    I'm not really following a real "training plan". I only started a couple months ago. I've been adding onto the short run range by .5 mi per month (so next month will be aim for 2.5-3.5 on short days, etc.) but plan to cap the shorter ones at 4-5 miles and do that 3 times a week. Longer runs I'm increasing by increments of 2 miles per month on the long ones (so this month 5-7, next 7-9). This has worked for me because it give me a little bit of a cushion on days if I'm not doing/feeling as well to go the shorter distance if I need to. I started with one mile increment increases but now feel ok with increasing by 2 because I give myself the 2 mile range to aim for. I'm usually able to get the higher number but a couple times I went for an in between number. I'm not really training for anything like a half marathon or marathon. Just want to get better at running in general.

    Distance running is just how I'm saying it currently. I used to only do intervals and based the length of the run on time.

    If it all just a matter of working on it and the time will come, that's good to know.

    Looks like you have a plan. You may want to decrease the length of the increase of your long runs to a mile per month. Weekly mileage should increase by about 10% a week. 11:30-12:00 miles isn't a bad pace by any means. Continue, increase mileage by 10% a week, or so, and, to keep "involved" think about entering a race, 5K is a good place to start, local if you can find one, and you should be able to, they are all over the place. Having a race is a great motivator. Don't be worried, lots of folk walk/run a 5 K. 12 minute miles for a 5K will place you well.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    lporter229 wrote: »
    And FWIW, unless you are a sprinter, your height should not be a limiting factor in how fast you can run. Keep working on it and you will get there!

    I'm fact, the opposite is the case at the pointy end. Olympic distance runners are usually pretty short! Meb is 5-5, Kipchoge is 5-6, etc. There are some outliers (Rupp is 5-11), but most Olympic marathoners are shorter than average.

    Doesn't matter of your not going do so 26 sub 5:00 miles in a row though ;)

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