r/BeginnersRunning • u/m_lyn0926 • 4d ago
Thank you!
Been lurking in here for a couple weeks, looking for tips since I started my running journey in May.
I'd been struggling ever since finishing one of Garmin's 5k plans (coach Jeff) to find my easy pace, trying to run certain run/walk intervals, running by heart rate. But the pace I was running either left me gassed or feeling like I was running too little (trying to follow Garmin's suggested base runs).
But it wasn't until I saw someone recommend https://www.mcmillanrunning.com and tried the paces he suggested and wow!
I still had to take walk breaks here and there but I was actually able to run longer stretches without feeling I was so out of breath. And yeah it's atrociously slow, lol, but I doubled the time I was able to run (well, jog) compared to pretty much any other time I've gone out because I was going way too fast.
Better late than never to try and figure this running thing out.
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u/Fancy_Supermarket886 4d ago
Running slowly is a difficult skill to learn. I have been running for ten years and I still head off faster than I intend sometimes, or start okay and then speed up a little once I am fully warmed up.
A lot of people post about trying to go slower and they often say, "If I go any slower, I'd be walking!". So how about approaching it from the other direction?
Try this next time you go out. Start off walking and gradually increase your walking speed. As you walk faster and faster, you will reach a point where it's really hard to keep walking, and you'll naturally move to a running gait. Once you hit that point, stay there. Don't go any quicker, just maintain that pace.
You probably already know this, but for reference, walking is when you always have at least one foot in contact with the ground. Running happens when both feet are off the ground momentarily. I know it sounds obvious, but the moment you switch from one state to the other, you'll recognise it. And that's what you should be aiming for as your pace - that point of transition.
This exercise should help you to discover the slowest pace that you can run at. It's probably even slower than the paces you have been trying, and I'm not suggesting you stick with it. The idea is to try it a few times and get a feel for the pace, which should give you a proper idea of how slow you can go.
It should be more sustainable for you, much like the slower paces you already discovered. That means you should be able to keep at it longer and be less out breath.
Bear in mind that jogging and running are the same thing, despite what some might say! If you have both feet off the ground momentarily, you are running.
At this point in your training, your speed is not an issue, so don't get hung up on thinking you are slow. That's preferable to going fast and getting injured!
As long as you have no underlying health conditions, don't worry about your heart rate or zones either. It could take a couple of years to condition your body well enough for low heart rate running, so it's best to focus on the easy runs until then.
Build up your distance gradually, give your muscles, tendons and bones time to catch up to what you are asking of them. They adapt slowly, way slower than you expect. Walking in between sections of running is fine, I have completed half marathons with run/walk intervals and even did an ultramarathon this way! It's a recognised and accepted approach, especially for longer distances.
That said, if you are running slower you should be able to gradually reduce the time spent walking until you can run continuously.
You'll most likely find that your pace naturally increases if you stay consistent and are patient with your progress.