You read the title correctly. Running slow. Friday morning's workout was 6 miles easy on the treadmill. Normally I would set the treadmill at 10 which is about 9:00 per mile pace, but, believe it or not, that is actually still too fast for what is required of me on easy days--I slowed the treadmill down to 8 (about 9:40 per mile pace). I recently visited my massage therapist because of a tender spot in my right calf--I actually skipped an easy day to prevent worsening a possible serious injury. The day after I skipped my easy day, I stretched my calves, hamstrings, thighs, and iliotibial band. I religiously rubbed mint cream on my right calf. I was able to run, but I ran carefully so as not to make things worse. I also found that running with compression socks helped in warding off any funny twitches. Many of you are probably thinking, "Why didn't you just stop running?" "Stubbornness" is often a characteristic of a marathoner--or maybe it's just me. Having spoken to my friend's husband who is a masters age-group marathon competitor, he highlighted the fact that Kenyans who followed the Hanson's Marathon method would run 8:00 per mile for their easy days. In other words, they ran ridiculously slow. I understood right away that I was overtraining, and overtraining can easily lead to injury.
As most of you know I am using the Hanson's Marathon method for my marathon training this year. Based on my last 5k race results as well as my marathon PR, I was able to pick out a marathon time goal. With this marathon method, they actually tell what pace you should be running according to your chosen marathon time goal. An important note that the Hanson brothers emphasize is that if you run faster than your recommended pace, it is actually a detriment to your training--they actually dole out punishment to the people they train. There are three easy days during the marathon training week--easy meaning slow. These easy days are conveniently and strategically sandwiched inbetween hard days of interval/strength, tempo, and long runs. There is only one day of no running: rest day. I love rest days!
Don't get me wrong! On those hard days, I do run fast, but I run it at the recommended pace for my marathon goal. I realized, while on one of those slow easy runs, that those easy days connect the hard days together. I am running a lot of miles. The longest easy day is a 10 miler on every other Saturday. The longest long run is a 16 miler every other Sunday.Intensity remains constant, but volume increases by 10% each week eventually leading to a taper two weeks before the Montréal Marathon.
All this has taught me to go slow on my easy days. I mean really slow. Stop-and-smell-the-roses slow. Those easy days are just as important as those run-your-ass-off workouts. In fact, on my slow days I have time to plan my day, watch the news (on the treadmill at the gym), and even come up with ideas to write about on my blog. You don't have to run fast; not all the time. Just run, even if it's at stop-and-smell-the-roses fast
As most of you know I am using the Hanson's Marathon method for my marathon training this year. Based on my last 5k race results as well as my marathon PR, I was able to pick out a marathon time goal. With this marathon method, they actually tell what pace you should be running according to your chosen marathon time goal. An important note that the Hanson brothers emphasize is that if you run faster than your recommended pace, it is actually a detriment to your training--they actually dole out punishment to the people they train. There are three easy days during the marathon training week--easy meaning slow. These easy days are conveniently and strategically sandwiched inbetween hard days of interval/strength, tempo, and long runs. There is only one day of no running: rest day. I love rest days!
Don't get me wrong! On those hard days, I do run fast, but I run it at the recommended pace for my marathon goal. I realized, while on one of those slow easy runs, that those easy days connect the hard days together. I am running a lot of miles. The longest easy day is a 10 miler on every other Saturday. The longest long run is a 16 miler every other Sunday.Intensity remains constant, but volume increases by 10% each week eventually leading to a taper two weeks before the Montréal Marathon.
All this has taught me to go slow on my easy days. I mean really slow. Stop-and-smell-the-roses slow. Those easy days are just as important as those run-your-ass-off workouts. In fact, on my slow days I have time to plan my day, watch the news (on the treadmill at the gym), and even come up with ideas to write about on my blog. You don't have to run fast; not all the time. Just run, even if it's at stop-and-smell-the-roses fast
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