Forums >General Running>How does slowing down my fast runs speed up my race times?
Did we win?
One of the things I read in this thread is that I need to run a lot of easy miles during training and run myself silly in races.
2014 races"
Heart & Sole Half-Marathon, Goldsboro, NC, Feb.8, 2:22
Umstead Trail Marathon, Raleigh, NC, Mar. 1, 5:48
Johnston Health Champions 5K, Smithfield, NC, 26:53
Rattler Trail Half-Marathon, Sanford, NC, 2:52 (wow)
2013 races:
Heart & Sole Half-Marathon, Goldsboro, NC, Feb. 2, 1:56:40 (PR)
New River Marathon, Todd, NC, May 4, 4:59:32 (PR)
Triple Lakes Trail Race (40 mile), Greensboro, NC, Oct. 5, DNF after 31 miles in 7:48
Pace Prophet
This is generally considered better than the other way around, yes.
I never ran myself silly before my half-marathon earlier this month. It wasn't very silly, but breathing took a conscious effort. I knew that it would be easier if I'd just slow down, but I couldn't bring myself to do it... I didn't like the way my body felt when I was done, but it felt good to beat my goal.
I'm gonna run myself stupid in my next 5K at the end of March! I'll run a lot of easy miles, with a fair smattering of hard ones, before then.
I love this forum.
A Saucy Wench
I am a huge fan of running yourself silly at a 5K now and then. June 2005. I had never ever broken a 10 minute mile. Not even for 1 mile. Ever. Wasnt even able to break 2:30 on track intervals for the 400. Would have swore up and down that it wasnt possible for me. My 5K pr was something like 34 minutes. My HM PR was 2:20
I was visiting a friend in Cincinnati and she was what I considered "crazy fast" at the time. We signed up for a tiny little 5K and in a fit of insanity I decided to try and keep up with her for as long as I could even if it meant blowing up. Which was just shy of a mile. They had people calling out splits. She went through in 8:29, I went through in 8:35 (holy crap!). Of course by then I was dying. 2nd mile was ~9:30 and the 3rd mile was ~ 10:30. Horrible horrible splits. Broke 30 minutes though. 9:33 average. Mind altering.
A month later I ran a 9:31 pace for a 10K. Because I knew I could run 9:30's now. And 2 months after that I ran a 9:45 pace for a HM.
Which was not to the point of this thread.
I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets
"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7
I am a huge fan of running yourself silly at a 5K now and then. June 2005. I had never ever broken a 10 minute mile. Not even for 1 mile. Ever. Wasnt even able to break 2:30 on track intervals for the 400. Would have swore up and down that it wasnt possible for me. My 5K pr was something like 34 minutes. My HM PR was 2:20 I was visiting a friend in Cincinnati and she was what I considered "crazy fast" at the time. We signed up for a tiny little 5K and in a fit of insanity I decided to try and keep up with her for as long as I could even if it meant blowing up. Which was just shy of a mile. They had people calling out splits. She went through in 8:29, I went through in 8:35 (holy crap!). Of course by then I was dying. 2nd mile was ~9:30 and the 3rd mile was ~ 10:30. Horrible horrible splits. Broke 30 minutes though. 9:33 average. Mind altering. A month later I ran a 9:31 pace for a 10K. Because I knew I could run 9:30's now. And 2 months after that I ran a 9:45 pace for a HM. Which was not to the point of this thread.
I love this.
be curious; not judgmental