A new trend has taken over and it goes against what most associate to running. Running slow is the new thing. It allows you to run a few minutes below your normal pace to be able to maintain a conversation with a friend or achieve mental clarity. We’ll cover a few benefits of this new trend.
Running Slow Makes it more Enjoyable
Running slow at a pace of 1-3 minutes per mile slower than your normal training pace can give a new experience to running. This will put you in a training zone called “Zone 2”, which is related to a heart rate between 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. On a scale of 1 to 10, it is a 4 effort of running. You can easily hold a conversation with someone else without gasping for air.
There are a few benefits to slow running:
- Recover from Hard Training Runs – training can put a toll on your body. Slow running allows your body to help recover by reducing the effort of your run. Improved circulation and less stress on the body can be great advantages to recover.
- Long-term Performance Gains – benefits include a stronger heart, oxygen delivery, and better energy generation. Keeping your heart rate in this zone adds a lot of benefit that may not be realized by the stress of a training run or race.
- Mental Benefits – this one for me is the biggest benefit. There is no need for a running watch to tell you to speed up. You can focus more energy on either talking to someone or meditating while running. Running slow can be therapeutic to establish mental clarity. Reflect on how things are going or talk through your latest problem as you run.
Running without Tracking Time
Running slow will help recovery and provide opportunities for social connections or meditation. Try it out and see if it fits in with a routine to make you feel better about running. It will be hard to manage for those competitive in nature used to wearing a watch to track their best time. There is no need to track your pace or set any personal records. Leave the technology behind to find new clarity and recovery. Running slow is the way to go!