You've probably heard runners and coaches talking about the power of running slowly
in training to become a faster runner when it matters on race day.
Call it what you like, aerobic base building, low heart rate
training, Maffetone training, 80/20 running, the principle
of slowing your pace for the majority (if not all) of your runs
to build running endurance is tried, tested and backed by science.
But there's a big reason why so many people fail to see the results
with running slow, to run faster, get frustrated and give up.
Let's take a closer look at some of the biggest problems that hold runners back,
and I'll show you some powerful solutions to make running slowly
a more enjoyable and effective way for you to train.
Starting with the big one: Running slowly is frustrating.
If I'm entirely honest, your mindset and approach to low
heart rate training is the key to whether or not it will work for you.
To begin with, we all struggle with keeping our heart rate in the right
training zone while we run, with walk breaks being part of the process
for so many of us in the early days of low heart rate training.
Of course this is frustrating, but just know that it will improve
as your fitness develops and you start to run a little faster,
then, in time, a lot faster with the same heart rate.
If this sounds like you right now, try not to see the need
for walk breaks as a failure.
Rather an indication that your body really does need to become more efficient
at running at a low heart rate.
In fact, it's confirmation that this type of training is the right choice for you
and exactly what you need to do to become a better runner.
With practice, your aerobic system will soon adapt.
You'll soon graduate beyond the need for walk breaks
as you get into a good rhythm
with running slowly and keeping your heart rate under control.
View your low heart rate training as an investment into your running,
as you're building the base fitness to underpin your future training
and race successes.
Don't allow your ego to play games with you
as you inevitably see runners passing on the trail or road.
They're on their own journey, just as you're on your own journey.
Running slowly doesn't make you a slow runner.
In fact, one of the recurring thoughts that changed everything for me
was how running slowly is much more gentle on my body.
Knowing that I'm actually able to run more and get more training hours in the bank
each week all because my body needs less recovery time
between runs was a huge motivating factor for me.
Previously, I'd wake up
feeling stiff and fatigued in the morning after two and a half hour long run.
But now, with a focus on keeping the heart rate down and the running pace slow,
I wake up the following day feeling fresh and ready to train again.
That's a huge deal.
And for my running, the difference has been truly revolutionary.
With this type of low heart rate training, the reduced stress in your body
not only means that you're going to be able to train more,
but you're less likely also to get injured in the process.
We all know that consistency is the key when it comes to becoming a stronger
faster runner, and staying clear of running injuries
makes it so much easier to stay consistent.
Then there's the thing that causes most runners who give up on their heart
rate training to walk away from it, and that's lack of patience.
I know it's easy for me to say that "you should have just given it longer",
and I'm not going to do that.
As my wife would probably tell you,
patience isn't a virtue that I'm naturally blessed with.
So I'm not going to preach to you about the importance of patience here.
Look, the reality is that it takes time for you to really feel the benefits of low
heart rate training six weeks as a bare minimum to start seeing results,
but more like three to six months for dramatic changes.
In your running.
And the problem is that you really need to commit to the process.
A bit of low heart rate training here and there mixed in with your normal
training plan isn't going to have the same effect.
The only way I know of being able to stick to anything for a long period of time,
whether it's low heart rate running or growing this YouTube channel,
is to make the process more interesting for myself.
So rather than feeling like you're a slave to the heart
rate monitor, consider gamifying the situation.
I got the following ideas from Floris Gierman's Extramilest blog,
and they served me well in staying mentally engaged during
what otherwise would have been boring easy runs.
Number one, set heart rate alarms on your watch
for the top of your target training zone and with each run, aim
to see how far into your run you can get before you trigger the alarm.
Number two, see how few heart rate alarms you can set off during a given run.
And number three, challenge yourself to see how far up a given hill you can run
without setting off your heart rate alarm.
The options, of course, are limitless with these games.
Anything really to occupy the mind!
One thing that I've heard lots of other runners talk about
is the feeling of one-paced-ness that comes with endless slow running.
If you're finding yourself getting impatient with a lack of speed in
your legs, there are a couple of options I'd definitely suggest exploring.
Firstly, if you really miss the feeling of running faster and pushing yourself
hard regularly,
then perhaps steer towards 80/20 Running rather than Maffetone training.
80/20 Running, as the name suggests, splits your training
so that you're running very easy for 80% of the time.
But leaves 20% of your training load for running faster and working harder.
Alternatively, if you're already deep into Maffetone
training, you might want to consider adding some six to ten second
faster surges into the latter stages of some of your runs.
Striding out for very short surges of pace will help remind your body
what it's like to turn the legs over a little bit quicker
and feel that little bit sharper.
However, by keeping the duration of each surge super short
and the time between surges adequately long, you won't spike your heart rate.
If your legs feel good to do so, you could even finish your runs
with some gentle sets of strides again to feel the turnover of your legs
and get used to running faster on tired legs.
If you want to learn a simple trick with your breathing
that will help to keep your heart rate low while you run,
click the video on screen right now and I'll see you in the next one.