"Run Slow to Run Faster" and How I Got Back "My Running"

There's always been the adage run fast to race fast, which makes perfect sense. But I've had problems whenever I try to run fast - pain of the injured kind.

When I came across Maffetone's and Mark Allen's training principles of running slow, specifically not running with a heart rate more than 180 less your age, I was definitely intrigued. They said that if you train exclusively at this heart rate for a length of time, you will eventually run fast. They said that at this heart rate, at the beginning, you'll run a lot slower than you are used to, so you need to be patient because it will take around 12 to 16 weeks for your aerobic system to get trained and for your pace to improve. A big bonus is that at this heart rate, you'll be burning calories more from fat than from carbohydrates.

I tried it and immediately I felt ... Very Slow. Again, even people who were walking, pass me. My wife who tries to pace with me complains that I'm too slow and eventually leaves me behind. My prescribed max heart rate or MAF - max aerobic function, is 137bpm. I used to normally run at 145-150 bpm at an already slow 8:30 to 9:30 min/km pace. At 137bpm, I was down to 10:45 to 10:50 mpk. Walking pace for most but I still managed to shuffle at this pace.

My running mantra has become - "patience." This will really try a runner's patience (and ego, for the faster runners). And most would most likely not stick with this program. But I stuck with it.

Why?

First, I have the patience.

Second, with my history of foot pain, it has been easy on my feet, knees and legs.

Third, it's simple. Just don't let my heart go above 137bpm.

Fourth, and the most important, I started to really enjoy my runs. It was the same feeling I felt when I ran when I was a lot younger. It was the same feeling I was longing for when I started running again. I was zoned out rather than zoned in. My vision was wider, broader and not narrow, not just what's in front of me. I was more aware of my surroundings - the architecture, the people, the sounds, the breeze, the smell of the trees, the fireflies, everything! It's not work, it's running! I have not gotten my speed back, but I got "my running" back!

How about the "run faster" part of the equation? I can see how continuously running at MAF can train one's aerobic system to be more efficient at burning fat as fuel. But run faster? Muscles need to be trained to run fast. Is it really that easy, that my legs would magically become faster? I don't believe in magic, and if it's too good to be true, it probably is. Is the "run faster" bit a marketing gimmick to sell a book?

For me, it's really too early to tell. But recently, I noticed I had to run faster to raise and keep my heart rate at 137bpm. I can feel my leg muscles getting sore running a bit faster just to keep my heart near 137 bpm. I guess, the heart gets trained and becomes more efficient such that it needs to pump less for the same effort. Now, there are portions of my run where I need to go upto 7 to 8 mpk just to reach 137bpm. Recently, my average for a 1 hour run is around 9:45 mpk. That's a 1 mpk improvement. That's for running really easy for around 1.5 months.

Does this mean that after doing this for 6 months I can do a sub-60min. 10k as my easy pace?

I've read in 'The Lore of Running' by Noakes, that base building can take 1 and even 2 years and base building should be almost exclusively "easy" runs. So, it's still possible for me to improve to that 6mpk easy pace.

In the book he also mentioned that some people are genetically unlucky, that they won't be able to break 7mpk for their easy pace. So, it's also possible that I won't.

For now, I'll stick with running with a heart rate below 137bpm (136 in a couple of months). At least with this, I have a simple guide as to how much increase in speed/intensity I will do - only as much as 137bpm will allow.

The important thing is, I really enjoy and look forward to my runs these days. I got "my running" back.