You have to run slow to run fast

My pupil, Rhian, is a keen runner. She belongs to a running club in Swansea, and she trains frequently. She takes part in events – even marathons!

I’m not sure if Rhian was at last weekend’s London Marathon, but she’s certainly a very active and dynamic person.

Last term I reminded Rhian how important it is to practise music slowly when you are first learning it. You will never be able to play it up to tempo if you can’t do it slowly first. Rhian immediately said: “You have to run slow to run fast.”

I found this idea fascinating. I’m not a runner, and I had no idea what she meant! So Rhian and I scheduled a chat about “running slow to run fast”, and I have reproduced our chat below.

I think you’ll enjoy it and find the philosophy as interesting as I did. My words are in black, Rhian’s are in bold peacock.

What does the “you have to run slow to run fast” philosophy really mean?

There’s a training philosophy, if you like, which suggests that in order to run fast when you want to, you need to train at a level that’s not fast all the time. For example, in Parkrun, if you go out and do a run and you always try to beat the time you had before, that’s really stressful and it takes away the enjoyment from the run.

But some people feel they’ve failed if they don’t at least equal their personal best. Even if they don’t exceed it, they don’t want to drop back at all.

Some days you’ll go out and you’ll have a really good run, and it feels as if it’s not difficult at all, but other days even a slower pace feels hard. Especially if you’ve got things on your mind, although I find a run actually helps with that by getting out in the fresh air. But some times are harder than others, and what this “Run slow to run fast” philosophy says is this: when you look at your total weekly mileage, 80% of it should be at conversation pace.

Really?

Yes. If you’re running with somebody you should be able to hold a conversation, not just “yes/no”. And if you’re on your own you should sing!

Sing!

Yes, because it makes sure you’re getting your breathing right.

Elaborate on that, please Rhian. What do you mean by “getting your breathing right”?

If you don’t warm up properly when you start running, you’ll find there’s a sudden jump from your resting heart rate to your running heart rate. This is nothing to do with the philosophy, this is basic physiology. Your muscles suddenly demand a lot of oxygen, so your breathing rate needs to increase. It’s really important to warm up to raise your heart rate before you do any exercise. With the increased heart rate comes an increased rate of breathing. The muscles get the oxygen they need because the heart is pumping harder and the lungs are taking in more oxygen.

So you’re not gasping for breath?

No. If you start off too fast, you can end up gasping, though. This is probably the analogy you’re looking for. If you start off playing too quickly, you can’t do it and you get despondent. Slowing down feels like going back. It’s the same with running: if you don’t get a new personal best on next week’s Parkrun, it feels like you’re slipping back. Maybe that’s what you’re thinking about?

To some extent, but I’m not just talking to you because there’s an analogy with practising the piano, but because I think it’s interesting how the physiology and the psychology work together, which they do, of course, in all spheres of activity. So, your coach says you shouldn’t always be trying to beat some record, whether your own or someone else’s. But this running at a conversational speed seems to me to be quite slow!

It’s also known as Zone 2 running. You should keep your heart rate in Zone 2. There are five zones of heart rate, and Zone 1 is your resting heart rate. Some people say, “To keep my heart rate in Zone 2, I’m almost walking.” But by keeping 80% of your running in Zone 2, when you do speed up you get faster times. The theory is that by running at a conversational pace, you get less micro-tear of your muscles, which is the mild damage you get when you exercise. When you rest, those micro-tears repair themselves much more quickly and the mitochondria in your cells, which produce the energy you need, become more efficient. The blood supply to your muscles also becomes more efficient, as does your metabolism of fats and carbohydrates.

So your mitochondria become more efficient during the resting phase?

During recovery, yes. And not only that, by running slowly you’re also less at risk of injury, and you’re more aware of your technique.

Ah, technique!

Exactly! You make sure your running style is as good as it can be. They say that when running slowly you’re building your aerobic capacity. In events, when you have the crowd, the adrenalin and the atmosphere to push you along, you can bring in the 20% fast, fast, fast, and you do better. If you’ve done a lot of your training at the lower level, you can push harder during that 20%.

Would your 20% come at the end of your training session?

No, I would put it in a different session altogether. Last night, I went out for a run with one of my friends and we did four miles, chatting all the way! But my heart rate wasn’t in Zone 2 the whole time, because this is not an exact science. The zones are based on your maximum heart rate, which depends on your age and your fitness levels. Elite athletes measure this accurately, but I go more on how I feel. The four miles last night, at a conversational pace, felt fine. But tonight we’ve got a club session with one of the coaches, and I will push during that session. Tonight’s session will be either hills or a speed session, supervised by somebody who knows it. When I’m on my own, I do the pace I’m comfortable with.

You’re not singing then?

Before I started running with the club I was running on my own, and I got to the point where I couldn’t run any further and I couldn’t run any faster, and I didn’t know where I was going to go from there. Joining a club, I found I was running with people at different paces. We always run with somebody, we never run alone. The speed sessions and the hill sessions are quite tough, and those, for me, are where I push the 20%. I might then go out on my own on a Friday morning and do the best I can, but then I won’t do a Parkrun on the Saturday. You have to be careful, because rest and recovery are just as important as the activity itself.

Out of interest, Rhian, what is your personal best on a Parkrun?

It’s 27 minutes 54 seconds. My coach, who’s the chair of the club, does Parkrun in under 21 minutes. He’s very efficient, and he’s always been a runner. He believes in building your aerobic base, and he also talks about “time on your feet”. If you run a marathon you might be on your feet for six hours or more. Any sport, or any activity which needs input and practice, requires rest and recovery time as well as the training you put in.

Wise words, Rhian! Thank you so much!

Rhian sent me this article from Runner’s World magazine. It’s called “How slowing down can help you speed up”. If you found this week’s Humoresque interesting, do read the article.

Rhian lives in south Wales and is a member of this club.

Again, you may be interested in how the club is organised and what they offer. If you’re a Norwich-based student, and/or you don’t live in south Wales, there will almost certainly be similar clubs near you. I was very impressed by the support this club offers to Rhian and others, and by their beginners’ membership programme.

I’d love to know what you think of this Humoresque. You can put a comment in the box below this post, or you can email me directly. I read and respond to everything.

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Humoresque = a whimsical or fanciful piece of music. Be whimsical, be fanciful, but play in time!

This is Humoresque Number 36