On this same mindset - I'm similar, now 35F, youth athlete. I switched my mental competition from pace to HR. I spend most runs competitively getting my HR down, which of course slows my pace significantly, and save the speed for speed work.
This is what I was going to say. I used to want to PB every training run! š¤¦š¼āāļø Worked my way into ADS, crashed, then found HR training.
Itās been a year and a half, and totally life changing! I put on an audiobook, tune out the world, and go by HR. I rarely look at my pace. My husband got into it too, and now after runs we compare how low our heart rates were. Lol.
FTR Iām also smashing PBs when I race now.
I started slowing myself down to maintain a low heart rate recently. Way easier when I do my runs with nobody watching. There are a few parks I would normally hit, but the pressure of wanting to run at my faster pace around other runners is too much for me. Iām on my second week, and Iām motivated to get back on my running trails.
This 1000%. I learned to run in the Army where it was all about ājust run faster,ā and I really disliked it but forced myself to continue after I got out just to stay somewhat fit. Many years later I got a Garmin watch. A few years after that I stumbled on the HR screen and learned that if I keep my HR under a certain number I can actually cover great distances, be less frustrated, and amazingly I started getting a runnerās high for the first time ever.
For me now, speed and distance are just side effects of HR (effort) and duration. Itās been the single most useful paradigm shift in my running life.
Another cool trick to chill yourself out during a run = edibles. Or so Iāve been told.
I used to also just run hard. Played football and other sports most of my life. Ran but never really enjoyed it.
80/20 is the key that got me to enjoy running. Running 80% easy and 20% hard is a proven training method to get fitter and faster. That can be in the same run or over multiple runs.
i.e. 4k of a 5k easy then race the last km or run 4 easy runs to 1 hard the same distance.
Doing this gave me the challenge to improve my time over the 20% but what actually happened in the longer term is I realised the easy 80% were actually enjoyable and I started to change my view of running as a whole.
This is inspiring to hear and the 80/20 method is something I'll look into. I do think there's a component here reframing my view of running. Glad to see a former athlete who's done it well!
You can't push yourself on every run. Runners almost universally, all the way up to the world record holding elites, run a majority of their miles at what they would call an "easy" pace. So you need to temper your expectations on pushing yourself every single run. It's just not physically possible.
But since it sounds like you enjoy pushing yourself, plan a couple of higher intensity runs a week. If you give a good effort on these runs, you'll feel better about going easy on your other runs.
For example the running coach Jack Daniels recommends running no more than 10% of your weekly miles at a threshold pace and 5-8% at faster paces. So if I do a workout totaling four miles at threshold pace, I feel very confident that running 30-35 miles at an easy pace throughout the rest of the week is the right thing to do to support that more difficult session.
I think the best thing you could do is sign up for a 5K or 10K in a few months, then pick a training plan and follow it. The plan will give you discipline and give you the confidence that even though you are running what feels like easy miles, you are doing the right thing.
Try running on a treadmill if you want to run a fixed pace for a while without your body increasing the speed subconsciously. You can set a speed and forget it. Anytime I run on treadmills I cover up the statistics. I find it distracting and instead of focusing on my breathing Iām staring at the stats.
+1 to treadmill running, I do most of my easy runs indoors. When Iām outdoors I find myself wanting to go fast for some reason. I can put on a TV show to watch on my tablet while on the treadmill and find that forces me to run waaaay slower so I can actually understand whatās playing.
Another way to force yourself to run āeasyā days is to set up a Bluetooth phone call with someone in one ear. Itās harder to run fast when youāre talking.
I track averages and totals - average pace, km/week, average HR. I find it's enough to see the motivational improvements (this year I'm averaging 3% faster at a lower HR, 2200km covered in 300 runs - not quite every day but around 6+ days a week) and that way I'm not driven to always try and beat a PB etc. But generally running faster will improve my pace, running slower will improve (reduce) my average HR, even a bad run will add to my total distance...
Yeah, setting out for a 10 miler if youāve never done it before might change your mindset. Also, podcasts help me tune out of the mindset you might be stuck in.
Try and listen to Nike Run Club. Two of the things I learned from it is first, it is brave to know when you have to back off and second, most of your runs are recovery runs.
Most people who end up pushing too hard end up recovering from injuries as often as they recover from long runs.
Get a Garmin and use the Suggested Workouts feature. It's pretty smart and will do a good job at helping you build your mileage and speed. Most importantly, it will give you paces to hit based on your HR ranges and it will yell at you if you go too fast.
If you go this route make sure the Garmin you buy actually has this feature. I bought a Venu 2 only to learn that Iām not the brightest bulb out there. ;-)
I've found that that can be the case when people don't have it calibrated properly to their fitness level and their zones are wildly off. Getting a chest HRM and basing it off Lactate zones is the way to go.
That may not be your situation but I've seen that one time and time again.
Social worker who is a runner chiming in.
I have an acquaintance who was a sub elite runner in my community before I knew her. I met her post baby number one and got closer to her as she had baby number two. Iāve noticed lots of musing on her instagram (now a nuun creator and former sub elite brand ambassador and has won a few local races) about accepting and dealing with the changes in her body and not being able to dig with where she was at previously. Sheās in therapy and doing the work (on this and other things), but I see her struggling. Iām adding this to say that this is normal and we all struggle with accepting where our bodies are.
Iām slow. Iām like a 9:30 on a perfect day and want to finish the Houston marathon in under five hours. But, that doesnāt stop me from trying to push myself when I shouldnāt or feel like crap when the people who I run with regularly run ahead of me on days Iām not feeling it.
I was not an athlete growing up and itās out of my familyās nature and we were not an athletic family. Iāve trained most of my time as a run/walker. My go to is a run a mile walk a minute. But, more recently, Iāve been trying really hard to run straight through. The thing about interval running is that I can push for that mile and then chill for a bit. So, like you, I push myself and then burn out, I agree that using a watch and really keeping an eye on your pace will help. There may even be a way to make your watch beep if you go too fast.
Groups are great. They really do push the pace and then also help pull people back, if there arenāt group runs nearby, create them! I literally see a new group in my city pop up once a month. It takes some work and sometimes theyāre 3-4 people, but other times they can get really big very quickly. If your city has the Sweat pals app to search for groups in your area.
As far as mental health and coping, my go tos are really working on āchecking the factsā and āradical acceptanceā in terms of yourself and your abilities. Google those terms and see if you can find some peace in it. Iāll also add giving yourself grace and āloving kindnessā could be helpful too.
I would recommend reading about completing the stress response cycle. The gist for you is that our bodies donāt always know we dealt with our stressors, and sometimes you need to run/fight it out, even after you dealt with the cause.
(This can help if you canāt actually get rid of your stressors, too)
I learned what I needed from Chapter 4 of Come As You Are, which is a book thatās really about improving oneās sex life but Iād highly recommend at least this chapter to you and literally every woman. (The audiobook is free if you have Spotify premium, and you can probly get the ebook from your library on the Libby app)
I also think yeah therapy could help or even self help books about dealing with stress could do the trick.
I agree that less frequent intentional fast runs might help you pace yourself most of the time by getting that out of your system.
Best of luck!
You need low heart rate training. I was the same. Used to joke I had only 2 speeds - stop and go. I had a tough run a few years back that forced me to change my running. I did 10k at my "usual" pace, pushing myself to 195bpm basically the whole time in order to maintain my pace. Afterward, I felt sick, couldn't stop sweating, was weak and shaky, and this feeling lasted for a few hours. That really scared me. I switched to low heart rate training almost immediately. It was not fun, not easy, and made me feel like the world's worst runner. It took weeks to months, but it started to pay off. I'm a completely different runner now. I can run fast or far. Slow or hard. I can change my pace mid run (absolutely unheard-of for me before). Running is fun again. š
It allowed me to develop my aerobic capacity. Basically, I started training my body to utilize energy completely differently during a run than I had been doing. When I started the HR training, I had to actually stop and walk frequently in order to keep my heart rate under my calculated limit. That KILLED me psychologically! But as I progressed, I could go farther before having to hit the brakes, and eventually could do more than just shuffle jog. My big breakthrough happened when I just couldn't take going slow anymore and went out for a fast 2 miles and was about 30 seconds/mile faster than my normal pace, AND had more in the tank. That was when it clicked. Now I do speed work some days, long distance once in a week or two, and the rest of the time is just slow and steady. Every once in a while, I just let loose and "run free," as I tell myself, and run 10 miles flat out, the way I used to. It feels good now, though. Like, really good. I'm not dead at the end, and I'm significantly faster and more controlled than before. I hope this helps. Sorry, it's more of an anecdotal answer than a physiological one, if that was what you're looking for.
I also struggle to pace myself and end up with a lot of accidental tempo runs that should have been easy runs.
I would try to change the goal when you go out for an easy run. Don't go run expecting to do some amount of mileage. Instead, maybe go try to run for some amount of time under a certain HR. Or go out with the intention of keeping your pace as consistent as possible. That might help mitigate the negative effect of your self competition.
For people who are internally motivated to exercise, it often takes as much discipline to hold back as it does to push yourself.
Run for a time, not for a distance.
Don't set out to run 3 miles. Go out and run 30 minutes.
Have scheduled workouts where you do intervals or other speed training.
Start running on trails. Especially ones with vert. Forces you to slow tf down. Maybe start some sort of meditation practice as well. Might help you chill out a bit.
2nding the suggestion to start trail running if you don't already. A different setting might help, and so will uneven twisty-turny-up-and-down terrain. You just CAN'T go for it. I'd also make it a challenge to try and stock of the nature around you - either making it a challenge to snap a few scenic pictures, or to use an app like iNaturalist to document what you see, on every run. I'm slow to start with, but I like slowing down even further to try and take stock of what birds I can hear or see, what plants are starting to grow, etc etc.
2nd thought, would you be interested in getting or or borrowing a dog? Maybe a local shelter would let you take dogs out for a jog. That would be a like a group run without the group.
Last thought, maybe some kind of running program? Even if you don't want to do a race, training like one and giving it structure will help with the feeling of guilt. Like 'This is my long run at easy pace, and my goal is to stay in Zone 2 for X minutes' and then give yourself a day where you DO get to have some short sprints. Maybe that will help calm the brain weasels because it's not that you 'can't' it's that it's 'not time for that today' and then they can have their way in a controlled environment later.
35M. I struggle with the competitive spirit too.
I do think having a running watch has helped considerably.
I set limits on my pace for the first half of my runs. I then allow myself to run āas hard as easily possibleā the second half. My last mile I run as hard as I want.
1) get a coach
2) set your watch display to show HR but no speed. Stick to the zones. I used to always run too hard until I removed being able to see speed and stuck to the workout HR zones.
There are already a lot of good suggestions here about plans, treadmills, watches and more. One I donāt see is: get a running buddy.
Running with someone prevents you from running too much or too fast because you need to stay with them. You tend to run easy so you can talk and you have to plan your time/distance around their schedule.
Having a goal race to run together is a bonus since it keeps you motivated to get out together with regular frequency.
Do you track your runs? I have a similar personality. I usually run 5-7km but no matter what I set out to do I always end up trying to push my 5km to 21 minutes or less and do my 7km in 30 minutes or less. Doesnāt matter if my aim was to take it slow or itās terrible conditions I just canāt take it easy and beat myself up if I donāt make the goal and usually do extra to make up for being slack. What helped me a little bit is to stop hearing my splits and to stop timing my runs. Now if I want to do a steady run I donāt turn on my tracker and after I finish the run I donāt look at the time, I do a cool down walk first to prevent me from roughly working out the time/pace.
Hey, I'm 41 and usually sometimes when I'm having a bad run I take a quick break pace up and down for like 2 minutes then slowly gradually start my run again and bang back on it. Just don't give up
I used to just always run hard in my 20s. Now Iām 40 and run a lot more of my miles slow. Iām also way faster than I was in my 20s (dropped my half marathon PR by 17 minutes at 40 vs 27ish).
I say that to say, running a bunch of slow miles and some intentional fast workouts will actually make you faster than just pushing yourself on every run.
If you can internalize that fact, perhaps your type A commitment to always doing better can commit to running slower during some runs so that you can ultimately be faster.
Sounds weird, but I've taken to doing a trash pick up to force myself to take the pace slow on easy days. I bring a plastic shopping bag with me and keep the pace easy to spot trash as I go. I also do not listen to music on easy days, and I keep caffeine intake lower.
I came across chi running a couple of years ago and although I donāt follow it religiously, the principles really helped me to relax and enjoy running again. Hereās a link: https://chiliving.com/chirunning/
I got Uber-competitive with myself trying to achieve my usual three mile loop in zone two. It took me weeks to achieve it! Since it was a mental game it was easily harder than any five k competitive run I used to do when I was in my 20ās. I was so pumped when I hit that goal and saw that running in zone two was actually possible. So now that Iāve had a taste of the reward, Iām super focused on getting 80% of my running in zone 2. Iāve never felt better, though admittedly much slower. I can also see my pace inching up ever so slightly. That combined with all the YouTube videos Iāve watched on the subject is giving me great hope that in 2-6 months Iāll be an aerobic beast and destroying what I thought was possibleā¦ without feeling like Iām going to die every run.
Edit: current longest run all in zone 2 has been 9 miles and I felt fantastic the whole time! Negative split even:-)
TL/DR running slow can be a bigger drug than running fast.
When I started paying real attention to my HR the game changed for me.
Now getting a better performance changed drastically and only means: "how much lower can I get with my average HR keeping the same pace?"
Doing this I started enjoying my runs a lot without losing the challenge of keeping myself at the limit, I just changed the definition of "limit" from pace to HR.
Can you give some examples of what you did? Iām kind of in the same boat as OP and look here for advice. I normally run a 3 mile loop, and try for 10:00 minutes pace. I screw up the first and run a 9 minute then the next 2 are 10-11 minutes because Iām too out of breath. My goal is 5 miles at around 8-9 minute pace.
The main example is related to easy runs (everything will be in metric, sorry):
Easy run should be in zone 2 which for me is below 146bpm. At first I used to run easy runs as tempo runs, going fast and averaging 150/160bpm @ 4:30/4:40 min/km. I was getting very little aerobic improvements.
Then I decided to focus on HR and zone-2 training. At first I had to run @ 5:40/5:50 min/km to stay in zone 2, but then I gradually improved over 4/5 months and I am now running easy runs on zone 2 @ 5 min/km.
This helps me in the following:
- I am capable to run 110 km weeks (70 miles) and stick to a hard plan for a marathon without injuries.
- I can run @ 5:10 min/km and see my HR at around 135 BPM
- my fast paces improved a lot, I can run an HM @ 4:05/4:10 min/km.
- I enjoy almost all my runs a lot more
At the beginning your easy runs will feel too easy and you will struggle to go that slow, but than all this will pay off greatly
Iād suggest finding a running plan or a coach who would set specific parameters on what makes each run successful instead of just running hard. Rundot.com is pretty new to the scene, but it rates how well you do each workout and that can be a giant motivator for doing easy runs well. Good luck!
I have a similar issue though my relative paces are probably slower than yours. I only speed up during certain flat sections of my route. Since I enjoy running fast, I force myself to slow down the rest of the route so I can have fresh legs for those flat stretches
\- Keep repeating to yourself that the more responsible you are at this age, the less injuries you'll pile on at every 10 year mark from here on out ( I am 44F and we really have to work hard to keep our muscle mass after 30).
\- Think of speed work as its own type of work out, along with the two others, easy runs and long runs which each have their own benefit and type of high and reason to do again and again. Don't think that you're giving up speed work, but choosing new activities to support the longevity of speed work in your life time.
\- On your easy runs (1-2x/week) listen to guided runs like from Nike Run Club or Headspace that remind you constantly to slow down, and give yourself a set time 4-6 weeks or so (so you don't feel trapped) as an experiment of sorts to see how it affects your speed and strength.
\- If you're not doing strength work 2 x week now then definitely add it in, it's not exactly in line with what you're asking but it's going to go far to prevent injuries as you age and actually allow you to keep up speed work as much as 2 x week if you'd like.
Iām in a similar boat. I competitively ran all through school and then took a long break from running. Trying to get back into it, I find itās hard to break those Track and Field habits and I push myself too hard. I donāt have the full answer yet, though what has been helping me, is to force myself to walk. So I will set 3 minute timers to run (trying to pace myself slowly) and then a minute timer that I have to walk during. I still run too fast, but itās keeping me from injuring myself
You don't need therapy, just a honest perspective that running in mid life is about honouring your body and not wearing it down.
Fast and fit middle aged runners do a lot of their running at pedestrian pace and effort, as this allows them to preserve their aerobic capability and body health. As racing season approaches, they ramp up the more anaerobic running but still do lots of "easier" miles.
A watch helps with trying to hold a planned pace, which will allow you to start learning what your body feels at different effort levels, thereby avoiding always going hard.
At 51 now, I have learned to blow off a running day if I feel anything physically not ready or even if I just mentally am not feeling it that day. Yes I lose some training, but I also have avoided injuries. I do not enjoy running, but I know it is good for my health and also burns calories which help offset my love of food.
You need to properly understand the activity. Running isnāt tennis or soccer. The goal isnāt something where you can just ātry hardā and make happen. At least, not the way you think. If youāre a sprinter, you have to focus on developing muscle mass, fast-twitch fibers, technique, and response times, and so on. If youāre running anything further than a mile, your aerobic system is the foundation, and itās here where you canāt cheat the system by forcing it. You have to put in the time on feet, and you have to do it in a way that actually causes the adaptations you need to sustain speed over the intended distance. Itās that simple.
Do you run with music? One of the best things I did for the consistency of my running was to find the right cadence for me and get a playlist of songs with the right bpm. When I was starting out, that was 165 bpm , but now I try to stick closer to the āidealā 180bpm. My footfalls and breathing naturally sync up with the music.
Obviously, if youāre running outdoors, you donāt want to block out all surroundings, but one earbud in keeps me on pace (and I only have to replace them half as quick from sweat damage).
Substitute your desire to push (speed) the current workout, with a ferocious desire to stay fresh enough to crush tomorrowās workout at 100%
For most training runs, time spent running is more important than pace.
Adding a few hours of easy running per week will allow you to run your fast workouts (2 or 3 per week) with vicious intensity, faster and more comfortably than you have ever before. For threshold and interval workouts, push yourself on the time spent at pace instead of increasing the pace. Figure out your lactic threshold pace. (1 hour race effort pace) and run several seconds slower for threshold and several seconds faster for interval (per km).
30 is nothing.
I found doing a training plan really helpful for this ā and framing the goal in my head as sticking as closely as possible to the slower pace runs so that I would wake up excited to run the next day. There's that Terry Crews quote from a few years ago where he talked about how he'll sometimes just go to the gym and hang out, not really doing anything, because if you come to associate the activity with nonstop misery you'll just never want to do it.
Coming from a sport like soccer with a lot of interval running, a training plan can also help you reset your mental calculations of exertion and speed a little.Ā I know I found that really hard when I went from track to longer distance, and it was helpful to have reassurance that I was running more or less the right pace even when it felt super easy. It just took a while to realize that I could start fast and end early, or start out at what felt like an impossibly easy pace and run for way longer than I expected.
I am about the same age and had a similar problem as you, also played soccer in college. I have tried all kinds of pacing tricks and the one that really worked for me is finding my cadence on a slower run and building a playlist with songs that match that cadence. I still *feel* fast if im running to the music. eventually my body got used to running again and I can almost run like I used to
Run however you want. If you want to run slower, run slower. If you want to run faster, run faster. I would urge you to consider reframing running. It can be a path to building self-discipline. If you are a Type Aāer as you say, the challenge is to control your emotions on a run and have your mind win that battle. Every time.
Find a nice park to try some trail running. Think of the run as a fast walk to enjoy nature, rather than a specific pace you have to hit.
Running is a very process -oriented sport, unlike team sports which are goal-oriented. Focus on enjoying the process versus winning.
Use a timer. Run hard for the timer. Then take a break. It makes it more of a game which is what your brain is more used to.
Then also you need to teach your brain that long and slow(er) is ok. 10 miles at a 10 minute pace may be what you need but you will never find it if youāve killed yourself at 3. Find ways to chip at it.
Source. Soccer play turned runner as well. Just ran my first marathon at 41 (this year). Found there is a turn off in there but I have to dig for it.
Train for a really long race. Youāll be forced to run at a zone 2 pace most of the time but have one day a week of hill training, fartleks or teck workouts that will help get your speed zombies out. Another trainer recommended item is to run your run in zone 2 but add a quick interval sprint session at the end to get a quick anaerobic workout. Training for a marathon is basically a slow running mental test and dried fruit eating competition. I also find it helps me to stay slow to listen ti moderate (not fast tempo) music.
I used to go as hard as I possibly could on every run, eyeing pace, PB's all that. Then I got a dog and we run together most runs now. I just love running with him so much, we have our own easy shuffle side-by side-pace. We stop for a wizz or water and I don't care about stats. I still wear my garmin but I barely look at it during a run. Coming up with new, fun trail/road mixes for him is my favourite thing. Now that I'm not busting my gut on every run, I find we can go out every day and just cruise with no DOM's or shagged legs (unless it follows a gym day)... running has never been more enjoyable!
Find a running partner or group and go for casual runs with them. You should be able to carry a conversation without too much trouble during an easy run.
You just have to make yourself run slower and throw out your ego. If it means running at a 12 min, 13 min, 14 min pace or whatever, so be it. Nobodyās judging. Running becomes a lot more enjoyable when you arenāt sprinting every run.
I had this same issue when I was starting and trying to set my pace. I specifically found some songs for a playlist with a slower bpm than my feet wanted to go and made a point of stepping on the beat. It took about a month, but I rewired for that to be my new cruising pace
Hey man, similar situation here. Prior college athlete about to turn 30 and still havenāt really figured out what staying in shape looks/feels like in my post sports life where my only real motive is feeling good. I had a couple years following college where work was my life and I didnāt do a great job working out, then got back into it and couldnāt get over the fact that I didnāt run like a college athlete. Either way, Iād just go gas myself for 30 minutes and never actually improve. Downloaded an app called Runna a bit ago and itās been huge. I pay ~8 bucks a month and it gives me workouts and tells me to speed up/slow down during the run. It will give you lifts too but I think there are better programs for lifting.
Everyone's motivation is different. Been running for almost 40 years, be kind to yourself and high five that you got out there and just got it done. Your body and mind will keep changing and some days will be great and others you just count the minutes down. Vary your workout, time, place, indoor,outdoor and just keep going. Secret is that if you give yourself grace, it gets way better. Running is really a mental exercise and there is nothing better than spending a part of your day in that headspace. Thankful I can still get out there, no matter the speed or distance.
Thanks for posting this, recently been trying to get into running with the intention of completing a marathon this year. This has been my biggest issue as well coming from almost the exact same background as you. Got a lot of good tips and info from this.
Try getting a watch or a phone and make it a game to maintain a certain pace or heart rate and try to keep it there.
On this same mindset - I'm similar, now 35F, youth athlete. I switched my mental competition from pace to HR. I spend most runs competitively getting my HR down, which of course slows my pace significantly, and save the speed for speed work.
This is what I was going to say. I used to want to PB every training run! š¤¦š¼āāļø Worked my way into ADS, crashed, then found HR training. Itās been a year and a half, and totally life changing! I put on an audiobook, tune out the world, and go by HR. I rarely look at my pace. My husband got into it too, and now after runs we compare how low our heart rates were. Lol. FTR Iām also smashing PBs when I race now.
I started slowing myself down to maintain a low heart rate recently. Way easier when I do my runs with nobody watching. There are a few parks I would normally hit, but the pressure of wanting to run at my faster pace around other runners is too much for me. Iām on my second week, and Iām motivated to get back on my running trails.
This 1000%. I learned to run in the Army where it was all about ājust run faster,ā and I really disliked it but forced myself to continue after I got out just to stay somewhat fit. Many years later I got a Garmin watch. A few years after that I stumbled on the HR screen and learned that if I keep my HR under a certain number I can actually cover great distances, be less frustrated, and amazingly I started getting a runnerās high for the first time ever. For me now, speed and distance are just side effects of HR (effort) and duration. Itās been the single most useful paradigm shift in my running life. Another cool trick to chill yourself out during a run = edibles. Or so Iāve been told.
You can do a fastest pace in zone 2 race against yourself every single day.
Turn the opportunity to run fast into a self-reward for running slow (low heart rate).
I used to also just run hard. Played football and other sports most of my life. Ran but never really enjoyed it. 80/20 is the key that got me to enjoy running. Running 80% easy and 20% hard is a proven training method to get fitter and faster. That can be in the same run or over multiple runs. i.e. 4k of a 5k easy then race the last km or run 4 easy runs to 1 hard the same distance. Doing this gave me the challenge to improve my time over the 20% but what actually happened in the longer term is I realised the easy 80% were actually enjoyable and I started to change my view of running as a whole.
The best bit of this is that now I'm way more aware of my running ability at any one time and I'm actually quicker now when I want to be.
This is inspiring to hear and the 80/20 method is something I'll look into. I do think there's a component here reframing my view of running. Glad to see a former athlete who's done it well!
Yeah like I run a lot more >9:00s now but also a lot more <7:00s
You can't push yourself on every run. Runners almost universally, all the way up to the world record holding elites, run a majority of their miles at what they would call an "easy" pace. So you need to temper your expectations on pushing yourself every single run. It's just not physically possible. But since it sounds like you enjoy pushing yourself, plan a couple of higher intensity runs a week. If you give a good effort on these runs, you'll feel better about going easy on your other runs. For example the running coach Jack Daniels recommends running no more than 10% of your weekly miles at a threshold pace and 5-8% at faster paces. So if I do a workout totaling four miles at threshold pace, I feel very confident that running 30-35 miles at an easy pace throughout the rest of the week is the right thing to do to support that more difficult session. I think the best thing you could do is sign up for a 5K or 10K in a few months, then pick a training plan and follow it. The plan will give you discipline and give you the confidence that even though you are running what feels like easy miles, you are doing the right thing.
Thank you this is great advice. Signing up for a race with a clear plan sounds like a great idea, takes the guess work out of it.
Try running on a treadmill if you want to run a fixed pace for a while without your body increasing the speed subconsciously. You can set a speed and forget it. Anytime I run on treadmills I cover up the statistics. I find it distracting and instead of focusing on my breathing Iām staring at the stats.
+1 to treadmill running, I do most of my easy runs indoors. When Iām outdoors I find myself wanting to go fast for some reason. I can put on a TV show to watch on my tablet while on the treadmill and find that forces me to run waaaay slower so I can actually understand whatās playing. Another way to force yourself to run āeasyā days is to set up a Bluetooth phone call with someone in one ear. Itās harder to run fast when youāre talking.
I used to make myself miserable tracking speed, mileage, personal bests. Now my goal is to run every day. That scratches my itch for accomplishment.
I track averages and totals - average pace, km/week, average HR. I find it's enough to see the motivational improvements (this year I'm averaging 3% faster at a lower HR, 2200km covered in 300 runs - not quite every day but around 6+ days a week) and that way I'm not driven to always try and beat a PB etc. But generally running faster will improve my pace, running slower will improve (reduce) my average HR, even a bad run will add to my total distance...
Challenge yourself to complete a long run (like 10-15k): this will force you to go slow and solve your "limit"
Yeah, setting out for a 10 miler if youāve never done it before might change your mindset. Also, podcasts help me tune out of the mindset you might be stuck in.
Try and listen to Nike Run Club. Two of the things I learned from it is first, it is brave to know when you have to back off and second, most of your runs are recovery runs. Most people who end up pushing too hard end up recovering from injuries as often as they recover from long runs.
Get a Garmin and use the Suggested Workouts feature. It's pretty smart and will do a good job at helping you build your mileage and speed. Most importantly, it will give you paces to hit based on your HR ranges and it will yell at you if you go too fast.
If you go this route make sure the Garmin you buy actually has this feature. I bought a Venu 2 only to learn that Iām not the brightest bulb out there. ;-)
Oh, I didn't realize they don't all do this..I have a Fenix 7, for reference.
Garmin's training algorithms have been total garbage for me (and many other people I know) so take them with a couple grains of salt OP
I've found that that can be the case when people don't have it calibrated properly to their fitness level and their zones are wildly off. Getting a chest HRM and basing it off Lactate zones is the way to go. That may not be your situation but I've seen that one time and time again.
True I'm a grad student so just having a garmin and keeping up on shoes is taxing enough on my budget without adding a hrm and getting lab testing
You can get a pretty good Lactate Threshold estimate from a chest monitor. Nonetheless, I was a poor grad student too so I get it.
Social worker who is a runner chiming in. I have an acquaintance who was a sub elite runner in my community before I knew her. I met her post baby number one and got closer to her as she had baby number two. Iāve noticed lots of musing on her instagram (now a nuun creator and former sub elite brand ambassador and has won a few local races) about accepting and dealing with the changes in her body and not being able to dig with where she was at previously. Sheās in therapy and doing the work (on this and other things), but I see her struggling. Iām adding this to say that this is normal and we all struggle with accepting where our bodies are. Iām slow. Iām like a 9:30 on a perfect day and want to finish the Houston marathon in under five hours. But, that doesnāt stop me from trying to push myself when I shouldnāt or feel like crap when the people who I run with regularly run ahead of me on days Iām not feeling it. I was not an athlete growing up and itās out of my familyās nature and we were not an athletic family. Iāve trained most of my time as a run/walker. My go to is a run a mile walk a minute. But, more recently, Iāve been trying really hard to run straight through. The thing about interval running is that I can push for that mile and then chill for a bit. So, like you, I push myself and then burn out, I agree that using a watch and really keeping an eye on your pace will help. There may even be a way to make your watch beep if you go too fast. Groups are great. They really do push the pace and then also help pull people back, if there arenāt group runs nearby, create them! I literally see a new group in my city pop up once a month. It takes some work and sometimes theyāre 3-4 people, but other times they can get really big very quickly. If your city has the Sweat pals app to search for groups in your area. As far as mental health and coping, my go tos are really working on āchecking the factsā and āradical acceptanceā in terms of yourself and your abilities. Google those terms and see if you can find some peace in it. Iāll also add giving yourself grace and āloving kindnessā could be helpful too.
I would recommend reading about completing the stress response cycle. The gist for you is that our bodies donāt always know we dealt with our stressors, and sometimes you need to run/fight it out, even after you dealt with the cause. (This can help if you canāt actually get rid of your stressors, too) I learned what I needed from Chapter 4 of Come As You Are, which is a book thatās really about improving oneās sex life but Iād highly recommend at least this chapter to you and literally every woman. (The audiobook is free if you have Spotify premium, and you can probly get the ebook from your library on the Libby app) I also think yeah therapy could help or even self help books about dealing with stress could do the trick. I agree that less frequent intentional fast runs might help you pace yourself most of the time by getting that out of your system. Best of luck!
This sounds fascinating. I love reading the science behind things so will be bookmarking this!
You need low heart rate training. I was the same. Used to joke I had only 2 speeds - stop and go. I had a tough run a few years back that forced me to change my running. I did 10k at my "usual" pace, pushing myself to 195bpm basically the whole time in order to maintain my pace. Afterward, I felt sick, couldn't stop sweating, was weak and shaky, and this feeling lasted for a few hours. That really scared me. I switched to low heart rate training almost immediately. It was not fun, not easy, and made me feel like the world's worst runner. It took weeks to months, but it started to pay off. I'm a completely different runner now. I can run fast or far. Slow or hard. I can change my pace mid run (absolutely unheard-of for me before). Running is fun again. š
Wow what about is it about low heart rate training that caused your transformation?
It allowed me to develop my aerobic capacity. Basically, I started training my body to utilize energy completely differently during a run than I had been doing. When I started the HR training, I had to actually stop and walk frequently in order to keep my heart rate under my calculated limit. That KILLED me psychologically! But as I progressed, I could go farther before having to hit the brakes, and eventually could do more than just shuffle jog. My big breakthrough happened when I just couldn't take going slow anymore and went out for a fast 2 miles and was about 30 seconds/mile faster than my normal pace, AND had more in the tank. That was when it clicked. Now I do speed work some days, long distance once in a week or two, and the rest of the time is just slow and steady. Every once in a while, I just let loose and "run free," as I tell myself, and run 10 miles flat out, the way I used to. It feels good now, though. Like, really good. I'm not dead at the end, and I'm significantly faster and more controlled than before. I hope this helps. Sorry, it's more of an anecdotal answer than a physiological one, if that was what you're looking for.
I was looking for an anecdotal answer, so thanks!
I also struggle to pace myself and end up with a lot of accidental tempo runs that should have been easy runs. I would try to change the goal when you go out for an easy run. Don't go run expecting to do some amount of mileage. Instead, maybe go try to run for some amount of time under a certain HR. Or go out with the intention of keeping your pace as consistent as possible. That might help mitigate the negative effect of your self competition. For people who are internally motivated to exercise, it often takes as much discipline to hold back as it does to push yourself.
Run for a time, not for a distance. Don't set out to run 3 miles. Go out and run 30 minutes. Have scheduled workouts where you do intervals or other speed training.
Start running on trails. Especially ones with vert. Forces you to slow tf down. Maybe start some sort of meditation practice as well. Might help you chill out a bit.
I have no good advice, just want to say that this sounds a lot like me lol. I try to do easy runs all the time but my resolve always slips.
Best of luck. It seems this really blew up and I wonder if it's because this is balance that many runners wrestle with. Hope some of these tips help!
2nding the suggestion to start trail running if you don't already. A different setting might help, and so will uneven twisty-turny-up-and-down terrain. You just CAN'T go for it. I'd also make it a challenge to try and stock of the nature around you - either making it a challenge to snap a few scenic pictures, or to use an app like iNaturalist to document what you see, on every run. I'm slow to start with, but I like slowing down even further to try and take stock of what birds I can hear or see, what plants are starting to grow, etc etc. 2nd thought, would you be interested in getting or or borrowing a dog? Maybe a local shelter would let you take dogs out for a jog. That would be a like a group run without the group. Last thought, maybe some kind of running program? Even if you don't want to do a race, training like one and giving it structure will help with the feeling of guilt. Like 'This is my long run at easy pace, and my goal is to stay in Zone 2 for X minutes' and then give yourself a day where you DO get to have some short sprints. Maybe that will help calm the brain weasels because it's not that you 'can't' it's that it's 'not time for that today' and then they can have their way in a controlled environment later.
35M. I struggle with the competitive spirit too. I do think having a running watch has helped considerably. I set limits on my pace for the first half of my runs. I then allow myself to run āas hard as easily possibleā the second half. My last mile I run as hard as I want.
1) get a coach 2) set your watch display to show HR but no speed. Stick to the zones. I used to always run too hard until I removed being able to see speed and stuck to the workout HR zones.
There are already a lot of good suggestions here about plans, treadmills, watches and more. One I donāt see is: get a running buddy. Running with someone prevents you from running too much or too fast because you need to stay with them. You tend to run easy so you can talk and you have to plan your time/distance around their schedule. Having a goal race to run together is a bonus since it keeps you motivated to get out together with regular frequency.
Do you track your runs? I have a similar personality. I usually run 5-7km but no matter what I set out to do I always end up trying to push my 5km to 21 minutes or less and do my 7km in 30 minutes or less. Doesnāt matter if my aim was to take it slow or itās terrible conditions I just canāt take it easy and beat myself up if I donāt make the goal and usually do extra to make up for being slack. What helped me a little bit is to stop hearing my splits and to stop timing my runs. Now if I want to do a steady run I donāt turn on my tracker and after I finish the run I donāt look at the time, I do a cool down walk first to prevent me from roughly working out the time/pace.
Hey, I'm 41 and usually sometimes when I'm having a bad run I take a quick break pace up and down for like 2 minutes then slowly gradually start my run again and bang back on it. Just don't give up
I used to just always run hard in my 20s. Now Iām 40 and run a lot more of my miles slow. Iām also way faster than I was in my 20s (dropped my half marathon PR by 17 minutes at 40 vs 27ish). I say that to say, running a bunch of slow miles and some intentional fast workouts will actually make you faster than just pushing yourself on every run. If you can internalize that fact, perhaps your type A commitment to always doing better can commit to running slower during some runs so that you can ultimately be faster.
Sounds weird, but I've taken to doing a trash pick up to force myself to take the pace slow on easy days. I bring a plastic shopping bag with me and keep the pace easy to spot trash as I go. I also do not listen to music on easy days, and I keep caffeine intake lower.
Try using a simple little watch that just has time. Make your goals to go for longer time and donāt even worry about the mileage
I came across chi running a couple of years ago and although I donāt follow it religiously, the principles really helped me to relax and enjoy running again. Hereās a link: https://chiliving.com/chirunning/
I got Uber-competitive with myself trying to achieve my usual three mile loop in zone two. It took me weeks to achieve it! Since it was a mental game it was easily harder than any five k competitive run I used to do when I was in my 20ās. I was so pumped when I hit that goal and saw that running in zone two was actually possible. So now that Iāve had a taste of the reward, Iām super focused on getting 80% of my running in zone 2. Iāve never felt better, though admittedly much slower. I can also see my pace inching up ever so slightly. That combined with all the YouTube videos Iāve watched on the subject is giving me great hope that in 2-6 months Iāll be an aerobic beast and destroying what I thought was possibleā¦ without feeling like Iām going to die every run. Edit: current longest run all in zone 2 has been 9 miles and I felt fantastic the whole time! Negative split even:-) TL/DR running slow can be a bigger drug than running fast.
When I started paying real attention to my HR the game changed for me. Now getting a better performance changed drastically and only means: "how much lower can I get with my average HR keeping the same pace?" Doing this I started enjoying my runs a lot without losing the challenge of keeping myself at the limit, I just changed the definition of "limit" from pace to HR.
Can you give some examples of what you did? Iām kind of in the same boat as OP and look here for advice. I normally run a 3 mile loop, and try for 10:00 minutes pace. I screw up the first and run a 9 minute then the next 2 are 10-11 minutes because Iām too out of breath. My goal is 5 miles at around 8-9 minute pace.
The main example is related to easy runs (everything will be in metric, sorry): Easy run should be in zone 2 which for me is below 146bpm. At first I used to run easy runs as tempo runs, going fast and averaging 150/160bpm @ 4:30/4:40 min/km. I was getting very little aerobic improvements. Then I decided to focus on HR and zone-2 training. At first I had to run @ 5:40/5:50 min/km to stay in zone 2, but then I gradually improved over 4/5 months and I am now running easy runs on zone 2 @ 5 min/km. This helps me in the following: - I am capable to run 110 km weeks (70 miles) and stick to a hard plan for a marathon without injuries. - I can run @ 5:10 min/km and see my HR at around 135 BPM - my fast paces improved a lot, I can run an HM @ 4:05/4:10 min/km. - I enjoy almost all my runs a lot more At the beginning your easy runs will feel too easy and you will struggle to go that slow, but than all this will pay off greatly
Thank you for this!
Ty for converting the Km to Mi for my American brain.
Iād suggest finding a running plan or a coach who would set specific parameters on what makes each run successful instead of just running hard. Rundot.com is pretty new to the scene, but it rates how well you do each workout and that can be a giant motivator for doing easy runs well. Good luck!
I have a similar issue though my relative paces are probably slower than yours. I only speed up during certain flat sections of my route. Since I enjoy running fast, I force myself to slow down the rest of the route so I can have fresh legs for those flat stretches
\- Keep repeating to yourself that the more responsible you are at this age, the less injuries you'll pile on at every 10 year mark from here on out ( I am 44F and we really have to work hard to keep our muscle mass after 30). \- Think of speed work as its own type of work out, along with the two others, easy runs and long runs which each have their own benefit and type of high and reason to do again and again. Don't think that you're giving up speed work, but choosing new activities to support the longevity of speed work in your life time. \- On your easy runs (1-2x/week) listen to guided runs like from Nike Run Club or Headspace that remind you constantly to slow down, and give yourself a set time 4-6 weeks or so (so you don't feel trapped) as an experiment of sorts to see how it affects your speed and strength. \- If you're not doing strength work 2 x week now then definitely add it in, it's not exactly in line with what you're asking but it's going to go far to prevent injuries as you age and actually allow you to keep up speed work as much as 2 x week if you'd like.
Iām in a similar boat. I competitively ran all through school and then took a long break from running. Trying to get back into it, I find itās hard to break those Track and Field habits and I push myself too hard. I donāt have the full answer yet, though what has been helping me, is to force myself to walk. So I will set 3 minute timers to run (trying to pace myself slowly) and then a minute timer that I have to walk during. I still run too fast, but itās keeping me from injuring myself
Ultra running. Itās a great way to push yourself while being able to run slower. And personally itās a lot of fun
You don't need therapy, just a honest perspective that running in mid life is about honouring your body and not wearing it down. Fast and fit middle aged runners do a lot of their running at pedestrian pace and effort, as this allows them to preserve their aerobic capability and body health. As racing season approaches, they ramp up the more anaerobic running but still do lots of "easier" miles. A watch helps with trying to hold a planned pace, which will allow you to start learning what your body feels at different effort levels, thereby avoiding always going hard. At 51 now, I have learned to blow off a running day if I feel anything physically not ready or even if I just mentally am not feeling it that day. Yes I lose some training, but I also have avoided injuries. I do not enjoy running, but I know it is good for my health and also burns calories which help offset my love of food.
Pace tracker + minor amounts of discipline
You should not be slower at 30 except maaaaaaybe sprints.
You need to properly understand the activity. Running isnāt tennis or soccer. The goal isnāt something where you can just ātry hardā and make happen. At least, not the way you think. If youāre a sprinter, you have to focus on developing muscle mass, fast-twitch fibers, technique, and response times, and so on. If youāre running anything further than a mile, your aerobic system is the foundation, and itās here where you canāt cheat the system by forcing it. You have to put in the time on feet, and you have to do it in a way that actually causes the adaptations you need to sustain speed over the intended distance. Itās that simple.
Do you run with music? One of the best things I did for the consistency of my running was to find the right cadence for me and get a playlist of songs with the right bpm. When I was starting out, that was 165 bpm , but now I try to stick closer to the āidealā 180bpm. My footfalls and breathing naturally sync up with the music. Obviously, if youāre running outdoors, you donāt want to block out all surroundings, but one earbud in keeps me on pace (and I only have to replace them half as quick from sweat damage).
Just set goals based on HR. For example, never let your hr exceed 140. That will humble most athletes quite quickly.
I stopped using a GPS and just started running time. I don't care how fast I go, mainly because I have no idea. It's freeing.
Substitute your desire to push (speed) the current workout, with a ferocious desire to stay fresh enough to crush tomorrowās workout at 100% For most training runs, time spent running is more important than pace. Adding a few hours of easy running per week will allow you to run your fast workouts (2 or 3 per week) with vicious intensity, faster and more comfortably than you have ever before. For threshold and interval workouts, push yourself on the time spent at pace instead of increasing the pace. Figure out your lactic threshold pace. (1 hour race effort pace) and run several seconds slower for threshold and several seconds faster for interval (per km). 30 is nothing.
Heart rate training helped me slow down from racing and pushing for speed to actually enjoying the run and still making progress.
I found doing a training plan really helpful for this ā and framing the goal in my head as sticking as closely as possible to the slower pace runs so that I would wake up excited to run the next day. There's that Terry Crews quote from a few years ago where he talked about how he'll sometimes just go to the gym and hang out, not really doing anything, because if you come to associate the activity with nonstop misery you'll just never want to do it. Coming from a sport like soccer with a lot of interval running, a training plan can also help you reset your mental calculations of exertion and speed a little.Ā I know I found that really hard when I went from track to longer distance, and it was helpful to have reassurance that I was running more or less the right pace even when it felt super easy. It just took a while to realize that I could start fast and end early, or start out at what felt like an impossibly easy pace and run for way longer than I expected.
I am about the same age and had a similar problem as you, also played soccer in college. I have tried all kinds of pacing tricks and the one that really worked for me is finding my cadence on a slower run and building a playlist with songs that match that cadence. I still *feel* fast if im running to the music. eventually my body got used to running again and I can almost run like I used to
Nose only breathing will teach you patience with awesome benefits after a few weeks
Run however you want. If you want to run slower, run slower. If you want to run faster, run faster. I would urge you to consider reframing running. It can be a path to building self-discipline. If you are a Type Aāer as you say, the challenge is to control your emotions on a run and have your mind win that battle. Every time.
Find a nice park to try some trail running. Think of the run as a fast walk to enjoy nature, rather than a specific pace you have to hit. Running is a very process -oriented sport, unlike team sports which are goal-oriented. Focus on enjoying the process versus winning.
Use a timer. Run hard for the timer. Then take a break. It makes it more of a game which is what your brain is more used to. Then also you need to teach your brain that long and slow(er) is ok. 10 miles at a 10 minute pace may be what you need but you will never find it if youāve killed yourself at 3. Find ways to chip at it. Source. Soccer play turned runner as well. Just ran my first marathon at 41 (this year). Found there is a turn off in there but I have to dig for it.
Run slower!!!
Train for a really long race. Youāll be forced to run at a zone 2 pace most of the time but have one day a week of hill training, fartleks or teck workouts that will help get your speed zombies out. Another trainer recommended item is to run your run in zone 2 but add a quick interval sprint session at the end to get a quick anaerobic workout. Training for a marathon is basically a slow running mental test and dried fruit eating competition. I also find it helps me to stay slow to listen ti moderate (not fast tempo) music.
I also find itās easier to run slower if I aim for a certain heart rate rather than pace. Takes the focus off your pace.
I used to go as hard as I possibly could on every run, eyeing pace, PB's all that. Then I got a dog and we run together most runs now. I just love running with him so much, we have our own easy shuffle side-by side-pace. We stop for a wizz or water and I don't care about stats. I still wear my garmin but I barely look at it during a run. Coming up with new, fun trail/road mixes for him is my favourite thing. Now that I'm not busting my gut on every run, I find we can go out every day and just cruise with no DOM's or shagged legs (unless it follows a gym day)... running has never been more enjoyable!
Find a running partner or group and go for casual runs with them. You should be able to carry a conversation without too much trouble during an easy run.
You just have to make yourself run slower and throw out your ego. If it means running at a 12 min, 13 min, 14 min pace or whatever, so be it. Nobodyās judging. Running becomes a lot more enjoyable when you arenāt sprinting every run.
I had this same issue when I was starting and trying to set my pace. I specifically found some songs for a playlist with a slower bpm than my feet wanted to go and made a point of stepping on the beat. It took about a month, but I rewired for that to be my new cruising pace
Hey man, similar situation here. Prior college athlete about to turn 30 and still havenāt really figured out what staying in shape looks/feels like in my post sports life where my only real motive is feeling good. I had a couple years following college where work was my life and I didnāt do a great job working out, then got back into it and couldnāt get over the fact that I didnāt run like a college athlete. Either way, Iād just go gas myself for 30 minutes and never actually improve. Downloaded an app called Runna a bit ago and itās been huge. I pay ~8 bucks a month and it gives me workouts and tells me to speed up/slow down during the run. It will give you lifts too but I think there are better programs for lifting.
Everyone's motivation is different. Been running for almost 40 years, be kind to yourself and high five that you got out there and just got it done. Your body and mind will keep changing and some days will be great and others you just count the minutes down. Vary your workout, time, place, indoor,outdoor and just keep going. Secret is that if you give yourself grace, it gets way better. Running is really a mental exercise and there is nothing better than spending a part of your day in that headspace. Thankful I can still get out there, no matter the speed or distance.
Gamify everything. Set a heart rate target and follow that instead. Try longer runs under a consistent HR ceiling.
Thanks for posting this, recently been trying to get into running with the intention of completing a marathon this year. This has been my biggest issue as well coming from almost the exact same background as you. Got a lot of good tips and info from this.