Running with Slower Friends

Audio Transcript

Coach Claire Bartholic: Hey everyone. Thank you so much to everyone who has pledged with our Patreons program. Because of that, we can bring these episodes to you ad free.

Today’s question comes from Eddie. Eddie writes, “A few of my friends have recently started running and I’ve been encouraging them by going on runs with them.

It has helped me regarding my pace as I have had to slow down so I’ve been able to get in more miles and stave off the recurring Achilles injury I’ve had.

My question is, will running slower impact on my overall improvement? For example, I am doing the Great North Run in eight weeks and I accompanied my friend today on our long run.

We covered 13.2 miles in just over two hours whereas on my own, I would normally cover about fourteen and a half miles in the same amount of time. Any thoughts?

Claire: This is a wonderful question Eddie. First, consider yourself lucky to have friends that you can run with for two hours at a time.

As you are jogging along, at a very comfortable pace, you can chat and bond with your friends in a way that many people who are not runners miss.

The social connection alone is worth a drop in your pace for. It is way more fun to have a running buddy than to always slog out the easy miles alone.

Humans are social creatures and we thrive on time well spent with like-minded people. When I first got into running, a running friend of mine told me that the people and the friendships that I would make through running would be amazing.

I kind of scoffed a little bit at that at first because I always ran alone at the time.

I wondered how on earth am I going to meet people running? Should I just yank out headphones at the next runner I passed in the park and strike up a conversation?

Then I joined a running group, and everything changed. Not only did the power of the group inspire me to become a better runner, but I truly felt that I had found my tribe.

It wasn’t just that I was hanging out with faster runners that made me become a better runner. Runners of all abilities are inspiring and supportive.

It’s easy to figure out how a slower runner would benefit from running with faster runners but how does a faster runner like yourself Eddy benefit from running with slower runners?

Well the first answer is exactly what you are the mentioned. Slower runners get the faster runners to slow down.

We talk about this a lot at Runners Connect and studies have shown that running most of your miles at a very easy and slow pace, will make you a faster runner.

As you have learned, slow running allows you to maintain a higher volume while lowering your risk of injury.

I like to think of speed as a finite commodity. If you spend your speed on your easy days, you don’t have as much left over to use on your hard-working days. Be stingy with your speed and leave your ego at home on your easy days.

A second way a faster runner will benefit from running with slower runners is a bit more intangible, but by serving as an example to others, you will become better yourself. There’s no better example of this than the champion American marathoner, Shalane Flanagan.

The New York Times recently wrote a wonderful piece on Flanagan right after she won the New York City marathon this year. The first time in 40 years that an American woman has ever done so.

The article highlights how Flanagan has brought other athletes to success alongside her by mentoring them and training with them.

The other women clearly have become better runners by running with faster Flanagan, but Shalane herself also improved.

“I think it makes me a better athlete and person,” she said. “It allows me to have more passion toward my training and my racing.”

When we achieve great things on our own, it doesn’t feel nearly as special. By running with others, regardless of pace, you are building a team atmosphere where you support each other through the good times and the bad.

Sure, the non-running people in your life support you and are proud of your running accomplishments, but no one cares about your splits, your black toenails, your intervals, or your shoes, quite like your running friends do.

Will running slower affect your overall improvement? Yes, For the better. Thanks for sending in your question Eddie and good luck at the race.

If you have a question that you would like to send in, go ahead and record your own or send it in by email @ runnersconnect.net/daily and once again thanks to all of our Patreons. If you would like to join the Patreon program, head to runnersconnect.net/pledge.

Have a great run today.