Any benefits from really SLOW running?

Victor E Lapp wrote:

kesimli wrote:

10:45, 14:12, 13:06, 12:02 hours and minutes in 41 sessions to be exact.

I had just come across with Maffetone principals at the time (2006), and strickly followed HR limit in the first 4 weeks and it helped a lot. I felt an overall fatigue manageable and later on I adapted and felt fresh and springy on the legs. Break down of 41 sessions; 2 runs 130 HR, 8 runs of 120 HR, 31 runs of less than 120 HR.

70 percent of this training was on soft ground and trails and I tried different courses not to be bored.

Sounds like classic Maffetone. Looks like you used the "180 training"?

How long ago was this and how has it been since? Not sure I have the patience, but if this is the payoff I might consider it for sure.

It was very nice to see this subject come up again. It gives me something to read as i await the superbowl (you know the sport that many took up in high school after they were cut from cross) As to speed of running that is an individual thing. I keep the same basic form when I am running anywhere between 7:00 & 12:00 per mile. When I go to either side my form does change. Keeping in mind that my top speed now is probably around 5:00 and i regret to say I can't hold that for much more than a minute or so. For example today I did 10k in 63:07; followed by 5k in 47:43- snowshoes; then 5k in 31:13. This was preceded and followed by 2k of walking exercised. I find if I skip the warmup walk it takes forever to start really running. If I skip the warm down I am stiff for several hours. Bottom line is concepts of EvA will enhance most runners

Yeah, Takahashi was running 8-8:30 pace miles, but she was running 180 of them @ 7,000 feet in one week.

Yes, only for the first 4 weeks.

It was 8 years ago. I raced 4 more HM and a full M in the spring- too much racing yes- 1:26- 1:27 region and a 3:10. During summer I was injured in the knees. I have put on weight and some health problems later on.

I do not run the usual mileage nowadays; Maffetone method advocates a lifestyle; nutrition, stress management and rest which I am not 100 % into yet.

My recent HM best is 1:33.

An example who has success with the method;

https://www.laleggers.org/interview-floris-gierman/

Well I had a teammate who did similar to you minus the 7min/mi runs. He was the number one guy on the team. then he ran slower than 8min/mile on all of his runs and now I could crush him in a 10k, and I was the slowest kid on the team. What ever you do never be a member of the MIG. Always run your workouts hard and your long runs long

Like most aspects of training individuals react differently to workouts. Look at it from a math stand point. Shorter used to run his long runs at 7:30 pace. That is about 150% of his marathon pace 2:10. So a 2:37 (6:00 mile pace) would train at 9:00. But this is just math. We must look at ourselves. Think of how easy a 20 second 100 meter dash is to run. Now for most so is a 40 second 200 meter. How about 80 for 400 meters? Probably still very do able for most. All you need to do is that 20 seconds for 100- a little over 400 times and you have just run a sub 2:20 marathon. Our sport allows lots of individual methods.