What It's Like to Be a Slow (Like, Really Slow) Runner

Social runs often don't list their paces, and what runners consider a “slow” pace can be anything from a 12-minute mile (a pace I reserve for my ... FitnessWhatIt’sLiketoBeaSlow(Like,ReallySlow)Runner—andWhatYouCan(andCan’t)DoAboutItOnaneasycourse,Irun13-to15-minutemiles.Onmorechallengingterrain,amilemighttakeme21minutes.Here'swhatIlearnedwhiletrainingfora50Krace.By ColleenStinchcombeMedicallyReviewedby LynnGrieger,RDN,CDCESReviewed:November5,2021EverydayHealthBlogsMedicallyReviewedI’marunnerbecauseIrun,howeverlongittakesme.PhotoCourtesyofColleenStinchcombe;CanvaOnmylongestrunthissummer,Icruisedfor22milesontrailsnearmyhometownoutsideSeattle.Istartedthedayat8a.m.,andIwalkedandjoggedfor20minutestowarmup.Ithenpower-hikeduphillfor11miles(gaining4,700feet).Myrewardwasrunningthe11milesbackdowntheflatsanddescents.Iliketrailrunningformanyreasons:Igettoseemanymilesofterrain,Ifeeltriumphantwhenpassingahiker,andobstaclesarepartoftheexperience.WhenIrunonpavement,there’sjustthesteadythumpofmyfeetontheground.Onthetrail,thereareroots,rocks,incline,decline,slipperyrocks,dirtsosoftitechoes,andbananaslugsIdon’twanttosquish.ButwhenIgotbacktomycarthedayofmy22-milejourney,IfeltdismayedasIlookedatmywatch.Those22mileshadtakenalmosteighthours.That’sapaceofmorethan21minutesamile.Don’tgetmewrong—IalreadyknewIwasaslowrunner.Evenonpavement,wheretheterrainlendsitselftofasterspeeds,myeasypaceisanywherefroma13-minutetoa15-minutemile.BecauseI’mslow,Irunbymyself.Socialrunsoftendon’tlisttheirpaces,andwhatrunnersconsidera“slow”pacecanbeanythingfroma12-minutemile(apaceIreserveformyspeediestpavementdays)toan8-minutemile(awomancandream).Sure,I’dlovesomebodytochatwith.Butthey’dbeoutofeyesightbeforeIhit“record”onmysmartwatch.WhySomePeopleAreNaturallySlowerRunnersThanOthersStill,Iloverunning.Ittakestheedgeoffmystress.Itgivesmeareasontogetoutsidealmostdaily,evenintheoften-rainyPacificNorthwestwinters.Everydayannoyances(likevetappointmentsorworkdeadlines)justdon’tseemashardafterI’vespentanhouronmyfeet.AndIdon’tletmyselfgetdownaboutmyspeedmostofthetime.I’marunnerbecauseIrun,howeverlongittakesme.TherealreasonIwasobsessingovermypaceasIliftedmytiredlegsbackintothecar:I’dsignedupfora50-kilometerrun(about31miles)thatwasamonthaway.Ihad10hourstorunit—generousby50Kstandards.Butifthatday’srunwasanyindication,Iwouldn’tmakeit.Shouldn’tthehoursIhadputintorunninghavemademefasterbynow?Whywereotherrunners—evenoneswho’djustrolledoffthecouch—fasterthanme?“Youdidn’tpickyourparentsaswellastheydid,”saysJanetHamilton,CSCS,aregisteredclinicalexercisephysiologistandcoachatRunningStrong,anAtlanta-basedprofessionalrunningcoachingorganization.Geneticsplayahugeroleinhowfastapotentialrunnerwillget,fromtheshapeoftheirbodytohowtheyprocessoxygen.“Somepeoplearejustgeneticallygiftedtoplaybasketballbecausethey’resotall,”Hamiltonsays.Thesameappliestodistancerunners—thefastestaretypicallysmaller,lightweight,andmuscularintherightplaces,sheexplains.Whiletrainingcancertainlyhelpyourmusclestakeinoxygenmoreefficiently(calledyourVO2max),eventhatseemstobeabitofagift.TopmaleathletesmayhaveaVO2maxofabout55,accordingtothefitnesstrackercompanyGarmin.KilianJornetBurgada,oneofthebestendurancerunnersalive(whoranupMountEverestin26hours)hasaVO2maxof89.5,TheNewYorkTimesMagazinepreviouslyreported.Eliteathletesworkhard,Hamiltonsays—butthey’realsobornwiththeoddsstackedintheirfavor.Butifgeneticsgiveusaceiling,doesthatmeanI’llbechasingracecutoffsforever?Notexactly.“It’spossibleforyoutogetfaster,”Hamiltonsays.RELATED:TheWeirdThingsRunningDoestoYourBodyWhatTrainingHastoDoWithRunningSpeedFirstandforemost:Torunfaster,youhavetotrainsmarter,Hamiltonsays.Mostrunnershavetwobigissues:Theydon’trunenoughweeklymiles,andwhentheydorun,theyruntoofast.Aclassicexampleissomeonewhoruns10milesaroundtheirneighborhoodeveryweek.Eachtimetheygoout,theytrytorunfasterthantheydidontheirpreviousrun.Butifyourgoalistogetfaster,mostofyourmilesshouldactuallybequiteeasy,Hamiltonsays.Thismeansyoupurposefullywon’tbesettingapersonalrecordeverytimeyouheadout.Instead,youshouldberunningslowlyenoughtohaveaconversation(evenifit’sjustwithyourself).Manymilesofeasyrunningbuildsimportantstructuresinyourbodylikemitochondriaandbloodvessels,andimprovesyourbloodvolume,strengthensyourheartandmusclefibers,andteachesyourbody’senzymeshowtobreakdownfuelandyourbrainhowtomovemoreefficiently,sheexplains.Abaseabilitytorunmoremilesataslowerpacealsoleavesyoulesslikelytogetinjuredwhenyourunfaster.RELATED:HowMuchExerciseIsEnoughtoMeetMyFitnessGoals?“Whenyoudon’ttrainateasyeffort,youdon’tbuildtheinfrastructurethatyouneedtosupportaerobiceffort,”Hamiltonsays.Butyou’llneedtorunmorethan10milesaweektoseeanysignificantchanges.Andyes,togetfaster,youhavetorunfaster—sometimes.Generally,trainersrecommendincreasingtheintensityofyourtraining—calledspeedwork—foronlyaround7percentofyourtotalweekly.Ifyou’reonlyrunning10milesaweek,it’stoughforarunningcoachtorecommendmuchinthewayofspeedworkbecauseit’llbetoomuchforthebaseyouhave,Hamiltonsays.“Butifyou’vegot30milesaweekoftraining,nowI’vegotsomewiggleroomwherewecanplay.”Hamiltonrecommendsrunnershitaminimumofabout25milesperweekbeforeincorporatingspeedworktogetfaster.Canyoutraintoimprovebothspeedandendurance?Yes,Hamiltonsays,butyou’llhavetobalanceyourlongruns,easyruns,andspeedworkoutscarefully,soyou’renottakingontoomuchtooquickly(atopexampleofovertraining,whichcanincreaseinjuryrisk).RELATED:AreYouExercisingTooMuch?You’llwanttomakesureyou’renotdoingyourspeedworkoutstooquickly.Thepointofaspeedworkoutisn’talwaystogoatyourfastestpossiblepace,Hamiltonsays.“WhatI’mtryingtodoistoteachyouhowtofeeldifferentracepaces,”shesaysaboutthepurposeofassigningspeedworkoutstohercoachingclients.Andsticktoonespeedworkdayaweek.You’llpracticethatforafewweeksuntilyourbodygetscomfortableatthatnewspeed,andthenyou’lluptheintensityamoderateamountonyournextweeklyspeedday.Andforyourotherdaysandlongruns,domostofthemataneasy,conversationalpace.Andfinally,alittlebitofstrengthtrainingcangoalongwayinimprovingspeed.“Simplebodyweightexercisesaremygo-to,”Hamiltonsays.“Wedosquats,lunges,bridges,therunningman,planks,push-ups,andpull-ups.”Heronlyruleisnottodostrengthworkonspeeddaysoronlongrundays,sincethosedaysarealreadytoughenoughonthebody.There’sgoodnewsifyou’llbetryingtheserecommendationsforthefirsttime,too.Beginnersactuallyseethebiggestgains.Inherexperience,newerrunnerscangetabout10or20percentfasterwithtraining,versusexperiencedathletes,whoshouldn’texpectmorethan2to4percentofftheirpace.RELATED:HowtoLetYourMusclesHealandWhyThere’sMoretoProgressThanSpeedTobeclear,speedisn’ttheonlythingthatmakesthiskindoftrainingworthwhile.Itwillimproveyourcardiorespiratoryfitness,too,whichisanimportantindicatorofhealth.Onewaytotellistopayattentiontoyourheartrate.Earlyintraining,youmightruna12-minutemilewithaheartrateof170beatsperminute.Butafterafewmonthsofbuildingyourfoundation,yourheartratewhilerunningthatsamemileatthatsamepacecouldbe150beatsperminute.That’salsoahugewin,Hamiltonsays.Lookingbackatmytraining,Icouldspotallthesesignsofprogressdespitethetimeontheclock.Insixmonths,I’dgonefromrunning15milesaweekto48milesaweek.Myheartratewascalmeronmyneighborhoodruns.AndI’dmorethandoubledmylongrunfromwhenIstartedtraining.I’dgottenbetter,evenifIhadn’tnecessarilygottenquicker.DidImakeittotheendofthe50Kfinishlineintime?Asitturnedout,Ididn’tevenmakeittothestartingline.Mykneeandhipstartedgivingmetroublethreeweeksbeforetherace,andIhadtoskiptheevent.ButIwanttoruna50Ksomeday.SowhatshouldIdo?“Focusonstayinginjury-freeandtrainingconsistently.That’sthebestwaytogetfaster,”Hamiltontellsherclients.Pickareasonablegoalforimprovement.Honorthegoalofeachworkout—runeasydaysatatrulyeasypace,evenifyoufeelgood,shesays.Asforme,thepressureoftheracemadeitimportanttopayattentiontomypace,butI’mbacktorunningforthejoyofit.I’msureI’lltrainforsomethingbigagain,andmaybenexttimeI’llmakeittothestartingline.Fornow,I’mleavingmywatchathome.RELATED:HowtoStartWorkingOutandActuallySticktoItImportant:TheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthorandnotEverydayHealth.SeeMoreNEWSLETTERSSignupforourHealthyLivingNewsletter!EnteryouremailSubscribeBysubscribingyouagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.TheLatestinFitnessCycling:HealthBenefits,HowtoGetStarted,andHowtoGetBetterByElizabethMillardAugust25,20226ReasonsCyclingIsGoodforYourHealthFromdeepersleeptolowerchronicdiseaserisk,cyclingoffersawealthofadvantages.ByElizabethMillardAugust11,2022Isthe‘TreadmillStrut’WorkoutTrendWorththeHype?ApersonaltrainerweighsinonthewalkingworkoutdesignedtobedonelisteningtohitsfromTaylorSwift,Lizzo,ArianaGrande,andmore.ByLeahGrothJuly27,20226WeirdThingsSwimmingDoestoYourBodySwimmingcanhavesomenot-so-pleasanteffectsonthebody.Beforeyouthrowinthetowel,learnhowtohandlemishaps,withthisexpertadvice.ByLaurenBedoskyJuly25,2022Swimming:HealthBenefits,HowtoGetStarted,andHowtoGetBetteratItByLaurenBedoskyJuly21,20227VRFitnessGamesThatWillGetYouHookedandMakeYouSweatPersonaltrainersandVRfitnessexpertsrevealtheirtoppicksforvirtualrealitygamesthatarefunandcanofferanintenseworkout.ByCarmenChaiJuly15,2022CanMyVRGameBeaGoodWorkout?Yes,datashowsvirtualrealityworkoutscanburnjustasmanycaloriesasotherworkouts.Plus,somegamesmakeyouforgetyou’reevenworkingout.ByCarmenChaiJuly15,2022StretchingGuide:Types,Benefits,StretchesforBeginners,andMoreByLaurenBedoskyJuly14,20229ExerciseProsonInstagramWhoProveFitnessLooksDifferentonEveryoneTheseinfluencersshowthere’snoonewayforafitbodytolook.ByKaitlinSullivanJuly13,20229HealthBenefitsofSwimmingFromboostedhearthealthtoimprovedmood,thiswaterworkoutcomeswithalotofadvantagesforwell-being.ByKarenAspJuly11,2022MostRecent6ReasonsCyclingIsGoodforYourHealthIsthe‘TreadmillStrut’WorkoutTrendWorththeHype?6WeirdThingsSwimmingDoestoYourBody