Slow IS Fast

When I wrote about running slow back in May, I wasn’t really sure I believed it. I was trying it because everything else had left me tired, injured, or frustrated, but I still had that nagging sense I was going backwards. I hated how it felt, and I can feel the struggle in my words on the screen. But I stuck with it because, deep down, I didn’t have a better plan.

I kept heading out. Most of the time it didn’t feel like real work. My watch would buzz a kilometre split, I’d glance down and feel a bit daft. But once I stopped paying attention to the time, just letting it pass, my runs started to change. Easy runs were just that, easy, and my heart rate began to be the only number I focused on.

Embracing slow means I’ve gone from hovering around three runs a week to at least five. Regularly hitting 60kms and still feeling like I could do more. By mixing hard work and snappy tempo runs with slow and steady, and doing it properly I am faster, healthier and more importantly happier than I have felt in years.

I ran a half-marathon at the weekend and finished with a PB. Nothing special, 1:41, but the most surprising thing is that I felt great as good and the finish line as I did the start line. I didn’t go out too fast. Never panic when I began to wind the pace up in the middle and kept pushing until the very end. I ran the second half stronger than the first, and I had an absolute blast all the way. Seriously, that’s me at 18 km and all smiles at the finish!

The slow pace I run to keep my heart rate down is no longer slow. It’s a minute or so faster than I used to run, and I can happily cruise along at a speed I thought was well unreachable at 41. Yet, I’m perfectly happy to steady my legs and enjoy the run. Look around and think about life. My legs have helped slow my mind down too, and there doesn’t seem to be a downside.

I’m not faster because I trained harder. I’m faster because I finally stopped getting in my own way.