Run 26 – Slo-Mo. 31/07/2019
It appears one of my problems is that I am running too fast. This has never been a problem in the past. But the constant push to run a “solid” half marathon twice a week is starting to see a revolt, by my body, against me. So I have decided to slow down ever more, which should be easy as I am good at running slow.
So for a long slow run I needed a long slow road, and that suggested Brighton Rd at peak hour. I’ve noticed that there is very little high speed damage occurring on that road at 6pm. I tried to focus on a 5:30 pace which also meant I could keep my heart rate at a relatively low level for the first half. I reached the turn-around point at Southland shopping centre and u turned back along Brighton Rd. At least it was downhill on the way back.
Towards the end I felt good and picked up the pace which resulted in an average time of 5:25 or 1:54:26. This was the third slowest half I have run since I started the challenge but to my amazement, apparently this was still too fast! Based on a literature review, I should be running at about 5:50 pace to maximise benefit and aid recovery. My sore body tells me it’s a good idea but my desire to improve my times is at odds.
Maybe if I work on my diet I can achieve both.
My Three Learnings
The slower I go, the better I feel.
And when I stop I feel even better.
I still need to go slower to eventually go faster.