No, not something that I wrote.

It wasn’t long into Brandon Hough’s article titled Running Less and Running Slower made me Happier, Healthier, and Faster and I knew I needed to share it here with you. Heck, I was pretty sure I would share it simply due to the title 🙂

Ever since I embraced the philosophy noted in Brandon’s article several years ago at the nudge of my training partner Greg Hexum my love for running skyrocketed…oh, and overuse injuries became a thing of the past.

By running mainly easy miles (almost certainly easier than you think) risk of injury decreases greatly, and for me, overall mental stress about training also goes way down. As others have pointed out before in history, most runners go too hard on easy days and not hard enough on workout days…essentially “wasting” a huge chunk of training compared to fitness levels that could be achieved.

The following section from Brandon’s article is super impactful and is worth highlighting; it also corresponds well with our Coaching philosophy:

“Talk about sheer joy. I had run less than in 2017 and my average pace was definitely slower, yet I was now faster. As an added bonus, nothing hurt. There was no need to take a few days off here or there for a shin splint, an IT Band, Runner’s Knee, Plantar Fasciitis, etc. I was healthy.

But if you want to know what is most important, I am happier. I found that when I ran easier I enjoyed the runs more and more. This was due to no longer feeling obligated to hit a target pace on all of my runs and I was free to run as I pleased. Sometimes that meant 9:30 miles and sometimes that meant 7:30 miles. That also meant I was able to run 12:00 miles with others and not feel like those miles were ‘wasted’.”

I think a lot of people would enjoy running (and other endurance sports) more if they embraced this mindset – seasoned runners, beginners, or people just trying to get back in shape. If this sounds like you, I would ask that you give slowing down a try for the bulk of your training to see how things go.

A great chance to try it out within a group setting is at any Run Duluth or Northstar Joggers meetup – ALL ABILITIES WELCOME! We have hosted peoples’s first time back running in years, first ever trail run, and those simply looking to get some fresh air. Chatting with fellow runners/walkers and grabbing a beer afterwards is great motivation as well 🙂

Happy training everyone and remember to get outside!