The No-Need for Speed

Hey Folks,

I hope you're all still out there and running. I am, I'm just not posting quite so regularly at the moment - lousy work getting in the way.

Anyhow, I've been provoked into action by a few posts on forums that I've seen lately which are from beginner runners who are preoccupied with speed. Now, I know it may sound a bit rich coming from me, but as a beginner runner the word "speed" has no place in your vocabulary - at least not in the sense of going fast. There are two good reasons for this:

1. Until your body has become accustomed to running, speed is not an adequate or even desirable measure of performance. To illustrate further - many beginner runners are either unfit, previously sedentary  or overweight - and often a combination of all three plus some more like, current or former smokers, asthmatics etc.  For this type of beginner runner  the only way to survive on a running programme is to work for time and perceived exertion.  Even beginner runners who are fit need to take care when they start running.  Aerobic endurance is the key to distance running, and it won't develop if you run so fast that your heart rate goes into the stratosphere. All you'll develop is the ability to run through the unpleasant effects of lactic acid build-up, which is a good thing, because by training anaerobically all the time, you'll have a lot of lactic acid build-up to cope with.
2. Speed develops best with the increases in fitness that a new runner experiences. It happens incrementally and only ever in line with what your body can cope with. As an example - I have been known to go a little quickly myself - so I have recently made a concerted effort to keep myself in check. On yesterday's run, I set off at a nice easy pace, made sure that my breathing was even and that I was always in control of my pace. When I got home I discovered that I had taken 30 seconds off my best time for 3 miles. I was utterly shocked, because it felt as if I'd been just coasting along, but obviously my fitness has improved and my natural, easy pace has got faster without me even trying.

Please folks, do me a favour? If you're going to do C25K, then please do C25K. Follow the instructions, run to the specified times, always warm-up and cool-down, ALWAYS stretch at the end of a run and don't go too fast. You can't be a runner if you can't run. C25K was designed specifically to help you become a runner whilst minimising the risk of injury. So let it help you to achieve something you'll always be proud of.

Easy does it.

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