Maggie AppletonJan 23, 2023

I've been running wrong for a decade 🤦‍♀️
It turns out if you run slower. Like, *much* slower. You enjoy it more, run for longer, and improve all the good health shit and mental joy that running is for

Used to aim for 5m/km average. Now I just try to keep HR around 150 BPM...

docayomideJan 23, 2023
Show threadMaggie Appleton

Switching from pace-focus to heart-rate-focus reframed everything. Used to tap out at ~25mins but going slower makes it easy to do 60m.

Default assumption before was always try to run faster = heart works harder = surely better? Very science.

Turns out endurance is underrated

Jan 23, 2023 at 9:06amWeb
Show threadMaggie AppletonJan 23, 2023

If you currently dislike running because it's hard & it hurts you might be doing it wrong! Get a HR strap/watch and lots of audiobooks and slow jog like you're 80.

Disclaimer: I don't race. I'm not a marathoner. I'm just want to have a good time and optimise longevity/QOL.

Show threadJack RusherJan 23, 2023
@maggie … but don’t neglect resistance training 😊
Show threadCorinnaBalkowJan 23, 2023
@maggie You could also switch between jogging and walking fast. This is a training method for beginners and runners. Only thing you should not do is stop. As long as you are moving you are exercising.
Show threadChris EidhofJan 23, 2023
@maggie I'm a marathoner and used to run a lot (currently can't because of family, but will get back to it). This is good advice even for most runners who already run a lot! One thing I observed among my running friends is that there seems to be a bit of a split: I thrive when I run slowly (marathon pace was 3:33/km, but easy runs 5:00/km or slower). My friend runs a bit slower in marathons but way faster on easy runs (4:15/km). He hates running slower than that. 🤷‍♂️
Show threadChris EidhofJan 23, 2023
@maggie there are very different training programs, some focus a lot on speed, some on miles, some on low HR (search for Phil Maffetone), currently 80/20 by Seiler is popular. However, most of these focus on running faster races, few of them focus on enjoying training (these two might actually overlap or conflict).
Show threaddocayomideJan 23, 2023
@chris @maggie I just shared a reply mentioning Slow Jogging by Hiroaki Tanaka which focuses on running not as sport but as something to enjoy while still getting all the benefit of regular exercise. He even describes it as running at slow enough to smile!
Show threadsylwia vargasJan 23, 2023
@maggie This is such a helpful insight - thanks! I want to start running but all this ultra/marathoner vibe makes me really miserable. For the past two years, I have been intentionally living like a retiree so you see how that clashes with the SPEED. I'll report how it's GOING for me in a few weeks ✨
Show threadllimllibJan 23, 2023

@maggie I do race marathons, and your advice is spot on! My recovery runs (about 1/3 of my weekly volume) I try to keep aruond 140bpm, which is roughly 76% of my max heart rate.

Glad you're enjoying the slow running!

Show threadErik WestraJan 23, 2023
@maggie I used to run a lot, stopped for about 15 years, and when I tried starting up again (running very slowly), I started to get really bad hip pain. An MRI showed that the cartilage in my hips is totally worn out, so no more running for me at all. I do enjoy it, but the pain and ongoing damage isn't worth it, alas. I hope you have better luck than me!
Show threaddocayomideJan 23, 2023

@maggie @Maggie I got turned on to this a few years ago after reading Hiroaki Tanaka’s Slow Jogging! That’s when I started focusing on steady heart rates over pace, aiming to run between 70-80% of my max HR (which I manually calculated).

Imagine my excitement when Apple added HR zones to watchOS last year! Now my ideal run is not about speed but a straight heart line until the final sprint, and enjoying the whole run not just the finish.

Show threadEthanCJan 23, 2023
@maggie the advice about audiobooks is spot on too. I got back into running a few years back, and my rule was “if I can’t lose myself in the book, I’m going too fast.”
Only pick books you’re interested in.
Show threadNateJan 23, 2023
@maggie made this switch last year and totally changed the game. Curious: what made you experiment with this approach? For me it was Peter Attia’s “Zone 2” podcasts.