What happened to super-slow long runs?

Some crazy runner guy wrote:

No most of the letsrun community still does these runs they just get in these boards and lie that ran at 6 min pace. Then rant about how great lydiard was.

SCRG: Awesome post !!!!!

As an ultra runner, I do these "lsd runs" all the time. But I also throw in a few interval sessions in the weeks leading up to a race or a shorter run (like a marathon). Just to see if I can get the legs moving like in the "old days".

People decided they wanted to run faster than a 3 hour marathon so they started to train harder. clowns

Lydiardism does not equal long slow running. Those who think it does have never read his books properly. The long runs are steady not slow, and are just one part of the jigsaw puzzle.

A few years ago I did the last 23 miles of the Vermont 100 miler with a teammate in about 5 hours (my marathon time is usually around 2:40 or just under), and this came at a time that I was really suffering with the hundred mile weeks, running incredibly slowly, and the day after the VT100, after all the shuffling and some walking, I felt fantastic and ran a two pr's over the next month. So, it seems to me that there is some significant virtue to occasionally doing very long, very, very slow runs. Maybe it is the capillaries, maybe the mitochondria, the fat burning, or maybe it works out the tight muscles. It worked for me that time.

like you recover from hard sessions and build fitness all in one, it's stupid not to do them.

Read about Mark Allen's "patience phase." http://www.markallenonline.com/maoArticles.aspx?AID=4

I share your experience. Good results doing 2-3 hour super easy soft trail runs with ultra runners.

Who can stand that type of running? I'd lose my mind going that slow and being out there that long.

Desanti wrote:

Who can stand that type of running?

The people that beat you in races.

Add me to the list of runners that super slow runs have helped. Especially when they are really long. I remember writing in my training log "dumb slow too long of a run" thinking that the pace was too slow for improvement but too long to have a quick recovery. I think it was 23 miles in 3:30 (9:08 pace)

Within weeks I ran my first sub 3 marathon (as a mid-30s woman)

Obviously there are many factors and you can't do them all slow.

For those that think that you'd be too bored, running slow is the perfect time to run with others. There are many more slow runners than fast runners out there so it's not hard to find people to run with.

I think there is also a good mental effect in that when you are bored, you have to teach yourself to relax and just be in the moment.

Yes, it's a lot of fun with friends, just exploring and creating photo antics. We take one energetic dog, and one of us captures the day with a music photo creation.

some old whacker wrote:

a lot of people still do them, although they often stop and have a whack during it. Apparently its called golf.

Best post of the day.

This sort of training seems to work quite well for Ed Whitlock.

It helps in recovery brah

Distance Maniac wrote:

If you're not running at 6:00 pace or better, then you might as well be sitting on your ass eating potato chips watching the boob tube.

Joe Vigil

He must not have good luck with the ladies ;). But in all seriousness that is a shockingly stupid quote from someone who has actually coached female athletes before.

older and slower than some wrote:

The McMillan calculators say my slow pace should be between 8:30 and 9:30. However anything slower than around 8:30 (on flat ground) is just too insanely boring. I can only do about 2 hours of this before wanting to pack it in. That's only 14 miles.

Maybe that's why I'm not very fast? Regardless, I'll never get better if it requires me to run for 4 hours at 9:30 pace. That sounds excruciating.

This is what I struggle with. I want to go longer, but can't make myself go any slower. But my brother-in-law (who runs ultras) goes out and runs 4-5 hours on a Saturday morning (at a snail's pace). How do you slow down when you're already running effortlessly easy?

i always stop and have a whack during my daily run. it gives me something to look forward to in the middle of it, although running is a bit uncomfortable afterwards.

Speaking of super slow runs, I volunteered to lead the 2:20 pace group for a local half-marathon. This works out to about a 13 minute pace. I have never run this slow. How should I do this? I've heard that running this slow can actually be painful.

I'm a real advocate of quality runs. I'm talking low mileage overall at a pace that gets you fit. Once you are warmed up, ramp it up and see what you can do. Granted, I prefer to race over 5K/10K, so if you are an ultra distance runner my idea does not mean much. As for 6:00 pace, yeah that is a fine idea, but hell at 54 years old I'm just not going that fast anymore even on hard days, unless I'm doing intervals.