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Getting over being slow
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 2010-01-07 9:09 PM |
Extreme Veteran  552   Wesley Chapel, Florida |  Subject: Getting over being slowOK, I am slow. I am ridiculously slow. How slow am I? My new Garmin told me my pace was a "fast walk/slow jog." How slow am I? That damn John Bingham, he of "it's OK to be last/slow we can't all win the thing!" appears to run marathons at a pace 2-3 minutes faster per mile than I can manage for a 5K. How slow am I? I briefly considered signing up for a local duathlon and then I looked at last year's results and the slowest firt 5K was ten minutes faster than my fastest 5K time, so I decided not to sign up. I'll say it: my goal time for a 5K right now is a ridiculous 45 minutes. So how do I get past this? I would like a combination of (a) acceptance techniques and (b) speeding up techniques. I am not asking much. I would be thrilled, at this point, with regular 12 minute miles. |
| 2010-01-07 9:29 PM in reply to: #2601897 |
Master 2504 Southwest Iowa | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow I am not a coach for runners, bikers or swimmers, so please don't hold me to this. But, I have found with people that are new to running will get better if they slowly work up to running. As an example walking at 3.0 mph on a treadmill was difficult for female "A". She worked up to walking at 4 mph and then she started doing a jog at 5 mph for 30 seconds and walking at 3.5 mph for 2 minutes for 30 minute workout. At week 4 she changed to 1 minute at 5 mph and 1 minute walk at 3.5 mph. Then 1 min 30 seconds at 5 mph and 1 min walk at 4 mph. She kept working it up slowly each week, until she could run a entire mile without stopping. There are many ways to increase, and sometimes it is easier to do this on a treadmill, rather than on the road, because you can use the MPH tracking of the treadmill. The norm is an increase of 10% each week for the first 4-6 weeks and then maintain or decrease for one week and then back to 10% increase for the next 4-6 weeks. The 10% is usually distance or time related. I have no idea what shape you are in, but getting to the point of a 45 minute 5k should be rather easy, as most people can walk at 4 mph, which would put you at about 47 to 48 minutes for a 5k. Good luck and hopefully others will have better ideas for you. That was just one example with someone I worked with. |
| 2010-01-07 9:38 PM in reply to: #2601897 |
Extreme Veteran 552 Wesley Chapel, Florida | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow I did a walk/run program to get to the point of running 5K without stopping, from the couch back in September. My fastest pace is around 13 min/mile, but right now I can't sustain that for more than ~1/4 mile, then I am back down to 15 minute miles. |
| 2010-01-07 9:38 PM in reply to: #2601897 |
Expert 632 Cornfields of Illinois | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow i used to be damn close...did a 43 min 5k a couple years ago...my only advice is to just keep running and run/walk longer distances, if you are just getting into running in the past year or so it just takes time and you may not get much faster. i took this year off of tris to focus only on running due to my frustrations and improved by 3-4 minutes/mile. i am still not fast 12 min miles for my last 1/2 marathon but i actually enjoy the running now at least. |
| 2010-01-07 9:49 PM in reply to: #2601897 |
Extreme Veteran 626 Wahiawa, Hawaii.... but now in Florence, KY.. | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow when i first started i was terribly slow too... i'm still not that fast, just not as slow as i use to be. Interval work helped me alot.... when i started (a few months ago, so im far from an expert) i wanted to run a 7:30 pace for a 5k so what i did was intervals at a 7:20 pace. I run at a 7:20 pace for 30 secs then jog for 2 minutes and repeat 10 times. as i got use to the pace, i'd add more sets to it... when that got old, i'd decrease my jogging time... once i could run hold a 7:20 run/ 20 sec for 3 sets... i knew i'd be able to hole a 7:30 for a 5k... it took a while and i'm sure there are hundreds of better ways to accomplish this but this is what worked for me. i remember telling myself over and over... this sucks. God bless my GF because she followed me on her bike and made sure i didn't wuss out or pass out. once i could do this, i went off of heart rate instead of speed..... it seemed to suck even more... interested to see what others have done? whatever you do, stick with it, it does get better. i just kept telling myself, well, there no way i could get slower. hope this helps some. |
| 2010-01-07 10:00 PM in reply to: #2601897 |
New user 18 | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow First... I need to give you some advice that my Mom gave me in a tough stretch I was in a while back - "Enjoy where you are right now." Simple, but great advice. You are a self-proclaimed "first time athlete", mom of two, etc... the VAST majority of the population can't run ONE mile, much less a 5K. Second... I'm not fast. I never will be. Earlier this week, I posted that I was proud of myself for my new "best" distance as I relearn how to swim... 550 yards. Tonight, I brought my wife for her FIRST swim in the pool. Not only did she do 300 yards... she was a full length of the pool ahead of me at the end. My big head shrunk pretty fast. What did SHE say to me???... "Enjoy the fact that you are doing 500+ yards instead of the 100 yards you did a month ago." She's right. Third... the beauty of running (biking, and swimming) is that you compete against yourself. "Fast" is relative. Do a tempo run each week that pushes your fastest pace for a short time in the middle of a run. Also, do a short run once in a while and push your pace a little. I've found that those easy things have made running more fun and they also help my legs/body "feel" what it is like to go just a little bit faster... and it starts to impact my longer runs. Good luck! |
| 2010-01-08 7:58 AM in reply to: #2601897 |
Master 1696 Surprise, Arizona | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow First - be patient. Building run endurance and speed takes time. I have been running consistently for more than three years, and I still fall into the 'slow' category. However, I have been able to improve over that time. It's all relative - what is slow for one person is fast for another. For the time being, measure your pace only against where you were a week/month/year ago. You will get better over time. Second - as far as acceptance, praise yourself for the fact that you are out there working and trying - that's the most important thing. Even if you are the last one across the finish, you finished ahead of everyone who didn't get started. Keep working! |
| 2010-01-08 9:16 AM in reply to: #2601897 |
Veteran 242 Sutherlin | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow When I was finishing the swim on my sprint last year, DEAD LAST, I apoligized to the safety boat guy, who just smiled and said, "See all them people up there watching..... your faster than all of them!" WIth that engouragement I then passed 2 people and I smoked a bunch of people on the bike... then.... they all smoked me as I ran a 43 min. run. But I got it done and thats what it's all about. As long as you keep going, and no one is having to pump on your chest or breath for you... your doing fine. I just kept running, really whenever I could, not "real" training outline, and I managed a 28 and some min. 3 miler the other day.... I was so happy I had to run in and post.. thats dragging slow for most people, but I was damn happy. Just go out and enjoy the fact that you can run, and the speed will pick up with time.... |
| 2010-01-08 9:22 AM in reply to: #2601897 |
Master 1286 Mt Pleasant, SC | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow Hello Edited by b2673ad 2010-01-08 9:28 AM |
| 2010-01-08 9:25 AM in reply to: #2601897 |
Expert 632 Cornfields of Illinois | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow to echo what the others said as well...the triathlon community is amazingly supportive. in any given race the faster people will be yelling and encouraging most of the people they pass and usually even wait around for others to finish to congratulate them and the volunteers are the same way. keep a positive attitude and keep up the training and most importantly keep enjoying all of it and don't turn it into a chore. your first race will be an great experience and one you will never forget. |
| 2010-01-08 9:25 AM in reply to: #2601897 |
| Regular 112 NC | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow as you did with the dualthon, look at the prior year results to get an idea of what type of runners enter an event. If you are looking to be in the back and that is something that will bother you then wait for another event. Something else is most 5k's I have seen also have a fun run/walk that is usually between 1-1.5 miles. YOu could do those instead until you build up more endurance and/or speed. And of course, there is no reason to do a race unless you want to do one. Many people just run and never race. |
| 2010-01-08 10:30 AM in reply to: #2601897 |
Member 354 Los Angeles | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow It is all about the SAID principle. Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. You will get there, you just have to be patient with the adaptation process. |
| 2010-01-08 10:34 AM in reply to: #2601897 |
Master 2477 Oceanside, California | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow My run is only 1-2 min/mile faster than MY brisk walk pace. |
| 2010-01-08 6:20 PM in reply to: #2601897 |
Extreme Veteran 624 Spring TX | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow Just keep at it. I come from a totally nonathletic background and didn't start running until the age of 49. I started out really really slow and I'm still really slow. I did my first 5K in October '07 with my daughter. She told me just to set a goal of 45 minutes, and we finished in just under that. Since then I've done numerous 5Ks, 5 miles, 10Ks and three half marathons. I signed up for my first HM to make myself get out and put the time in. Funny thing, I found out it's harder for me to get out and run 3 miles, than 6 miles. I didn't really start enjoying (well, maybe that's too strong a word ... "not hating" running) until I increased my distance. The most important thing is, you don't have to compete with anyone but yourself. I did my first HM in December '08 and did the same HM in December '09 and cut 19 minutes off my time. Just be patient with yourself. Some people are natural born runners, for others of us, it's much harder but we can more appreciate the gains that we make. |
| 2010-01-09 8:57 AM in reply to: #2601897 |
New user 14 | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow Great advice here already! I'll add what has worked for me in the past and is helping me pick up my speed currently. Spin Classes! I'm slow and I will always be slow but when I go to a spin class and the instructor tells the class to sprint to 120 rpm - I push myself harder than I thought I could. Over time I see myself getting fast and faster with my run. All that said...I'm doing my first running race in a few months and I'm worried about coming in dead last. If I do, then I hope I come in 2nd to last or better on my next race, lol! |
| 2010-01-09 9:00 PM in reply to: #2601897 |
| On your right | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow When I first decided to get into the tri world, my first attempt at a 5K distance on the treadmil at my gym took me....48 minutes and some odd seconds. That was in February of 2009. By the end of the year (well, October) in my last tri, I finished the 5K run with a PR of 32:13ish. Just keep up with it, and don't worry about feeling slow. There is always going to be someone that's faster than you are, even the pros need to worry about someone being faster than they are. What you need to keep your mind on is that you're working out for you, you're running because you want to, and the improvements really only matter to you. Sure people here will all say "Great job!" when you set a PR. But let's be honest, we really don't care because it doesn't impact us. Well, if you get faster than us and beat us in a race it will.  You'll get quicker with consistancy. And remember that it took you a long time to get slow, it will take a long time to get fast. |
| 2010-01-10 10:30 PM in reply to: #2601897 |
Member 11 The Woodlands, TX | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow As many before have said, I too am slow and new to triathlon. Being one full of pride and not wanted to put myself in the position of failure, it is tough to "fight through that" and register for an event that I know I will be in the back of the pack. But at the end of the day you are just competting against yourself, your in your first year of triathlon - just take it for what it is. The races are what you should look forward to to see if your training has improved your race times, racing is what I look forward to because it provide feedback to the sweat and soreness over the last 12-weeks. Keep you "head up" and try some of the interval schemes the others have mentioned, it has worked well for me. Good |
| 2010-01-11 2:26 AM in reply to: #2601897 |
Veteran 513 | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow This has been encouraging reading this. My brother has said do not finish last a lot because he did not want to wait in the crowd at the end of the 5K. My last 5K 2 years ago (and 30 lbs heavier) I finished in 39 minutes. The year before I was a 44, so that was a 5 minute drop off of my time. All you need to do is beat yourself and your expectations. It is a slow process, but one worth working on. Just after reading this, I am going to change goals I set for myself in my tri coming up in February and see what I can do. I just hope I do not go all out on the run, and then am totally gassed for the bike and swim since it is a reverse. Like Dori in Finding Nemo (yeah I know it is a kids movie) says...Just keep swimmig, just keep swimming, or in this case..Just keep running, just keep running |
| 2010-01-11 9:56 AM in reply to: #2601897 |
Veteran 148 | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow Read your log, assuming that you log every workout? |
| 2010-01-11 12:56 PM in reply to: #2601897 |
Master 1281 Long Beach, CA | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow I am in the same boat. My PR had an average of 14.4 min miles on a 5k! Most races I average 15-17 min miles. I too have gotten discouraged at times. When I do, I stop and think about all the people, sitting at home on their couches, that couldn't even hold my pace. We don't see them because they don't race. Also, I was once feeling sorry for myself during the run leg of a sprint tri...feeling fat and slow and awful, when I saw a woman racing the other direction with M.S. She was out there racing and I quit feeling sorry for my slow legs and just appreciated them for what they are. I have found, that in stand alone 5k races, it is better to do ones labeled as run/walk instead of just runs. With walkers, you won't be at the very back of the pack, which helps a lot! Good luck! |
| 2010-01-11 2:09 PM in reply to: #2601897 |
Veteran 667 | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow No on starts out fast, and even the people who say they did are lying because at some point in their life they couldn't even walk. Here's the thing - running is hard word. It requires a lot of discipline and a good deal of mental strength. I'd say "who cares - it's all about you" but I don't think that's particularly helpful because maybe to you it is important how others perceive you and maybe you are uncomfortable that people will judge you. I will tell you this - when I run in a race I don't think about how fast the people around me are going unless it's like "Wow - that person is FLYING." For the most part I'm caught up in the moment. So, don't not do a 5k because you're afraid the people around you will judge you or that you will be last. Yes, there are that run, and yes sometimes people make snide remarks. There are plenty of that drive cars and, to date, I haven't met a person that won't go to work because of something someone might say about their driving. What you need to do is build a cardiovascular base and that's harder than you may think. You need to run frequently not necessarily faster or longer. This take a pretty long time too. That said, if you're not breathing even a little hard then you're imposing enough stress on your cardiovascular system to induce it to adapt to a higher exertion level. It's O.K. to run then walk then run then walk again. There is no law that states "thou must run the entire distance of a race." Edited by Johners 2010-01-11 2:19 PM |
| 2010-01-23 12:00 PM in reply to: #2601897 |
Extreme Veteran 552 Wesley Chapel, Florida | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow This is all really great advice, all, thank you! Loving BT. As a stepping stone to my first Tri, I've decided to run an interim 5K and maybe a 15K. The 5K is in 8 weeks, and I plan to train up to a 10K run in hopes of building some speed at half that distance. And the 15K is just for the motivation of building my volume further. I also am working really hard on focusing on how far I have come. In September -- only 4 short months ago -- I couldn't run a minute without stopping, much less get through a spin class or swim for any period of time. Now I can run an hour without stopping. I spin for an hour without stopping. And I can even swim for an hour, though I need to take a lot of breaks in there. This is huge progress in a short time. I will get there! They still call the last person over the finish line "triathlete." |
| 2010-01-24 9:13 AM in reply to: #2601897 |
Master 1690 Metro NY Area | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow Just keep going. I'm slow too but I've gotten faster. I've been training for tri's since April last year. I was doing 16 minute miles at first and am now at about 13 minute miles. I've lost 50 lbs and hope to lose 50 more sometime this year. I used to run alot many years ago and have my 10K and half marathon times from back then as a goal which were averaging sub 8 minute miles. I don't know if I will get back to those times but I should be able to get closer. |
| 2010-01-24 10:31 PM in reply to: #2601897 |
Member 354 Los Angeles | Subject: RE: Getting over being slow Another important thing to know is that you have to start out with a "base". When you are making your "base" you are doing very slow running. Over time you will improve greatly!! |
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