Slow down to run fast: 3 benefits of easy running
It sounds like a paradox, but there’s a simple rule in running: If you want to run fast, you have to learn to run slow.
Easy runs can be your magic trick to becoming a faster and more efficient runner. Let’s take a closer look and find out how you can benefit from running slow.
What is slow running and what are the benefits?
Simply put: Running slow means running at a comfortable pace that allows you to hold a conversation without gasping for breath. Slow or easy, low effort runs are the foundation of any training plan.
Slow running with sufficient oxygen is not only the basis for maintaining good health. It is also crucial for improving your performance.
Here are 3 of the great benefits of running slow.
Slow running improves your aerobic capacity
Easy runs improve your aerobic system.
Muscles need energy to work. The primary sources of energy are carbohydrates and fats. Carbohydrates are stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen.
Muscles need oxygen to convert glycogen and fat into energy. But fat metabolism requires more oxygen.
During fast running or sprinting, there's less oxygen available and the body prioritises the use of glycogen stores over fat. But during an easy run, you use mainly fat and less carbohydrate because you are running with sufficient oxygen.
To optimise your fat burning, you need to add easy runs to your training. Runs where the body can take in a lot of oxygen, which is needed in the mitochondria (power cells in the muscles) to convert fats into energy. The more often and the longer you run with enough oxygen, the more mitochondria are formed in the muscle.
And with more mitochondria, your muscles can utilise more oxygen when you run faster and burn fat for fuel. This metabolic adaptation provides a more sustainable energy source. And that will make you faster in the long run.
Recover better and prevent injury
Running hard all the time increases your risk of injury. This is because running hard and fast puts a lot of stress on your muscles, bones and joints. If you're constantly pushing yourself, you're not allowing your body to recover properly. This constant state of semi-recovery can lead to overtraining, as the body accumulates stress without enough downtime to heal.
Running at a slower pace gives your body a chance to recover better. This allows you to approach your next hard training session with almost full energy reserves.
By prioritising proper recovery through slow running, you can increase your overall training volume without overloading your body. You are also investing in your long-term running health without the setbacks of pain or injury.
Slow running boosts your mental resilience
Slowing down can also be a mental break. Going all out on your runs all the time can be mentally draining.
Easy runs give you a chance to relax and enjoy your surroundings. Just go for a run to clear your head and sort out your thoughts. Or simply take in the beauty and the sounds of nature.
The patience and discipline that it takes to maintain a slower pace when you're training will lead to better mental resilience. And that can be a big advantage in races, where pacing and strategy are key.
Embrace the slow to go fast
By adding easy runs to your training plan, you are investing in a solid foundation of endurance, strength and balance. Although high-intensity race-specific training is important, easy runs should make up the majority of your runs.
If you want to stay healthy and injury-free in the long run, each of your runs should have a purpose. And sometimes that means taking it slow. These easy, slow runs help you build your base mileage and overall fitness. This will not only improve your running performance, but also your overall running experience.
Remember: In running, as in life, sometimes the fastest way to achieve your goals is to take things slow and steady.
Our mission at KULG is to help you understand your training progress with ease and gain insight into your performance and recovery needs. So you can train smarter and run better.
Katharina is a passionate runner who has been running since her teenage years and is also a certified running coach. She loves empowering others to achieve their goals, find joy in activity, and to become better and more balanced runners. You can find her on Instagram @madkaddi.
