How Slowing Down Made Me a Faster Runner

For years, I couldn’t seem to get faster — but then I followed one simple piece of advice, and suddenly I was hitting a personal best in every single race.

That advice?

Slow down.

Which, yeah, on paper sounds like the worst idea ever — but stick with me.

Why Slowing Down Works

The concept is simple.

• To get faster, you have to run a lot.

• To run a lot, you have to run (mostly) at an easy pace.

• To run (mostly) at an easy pace, you need to know what “easy” is for you.

If you’re sceptical — I get it. I wasn’t convinced either. But then I tried it, and I shaved 25 minutes off my marathon time. I’ve never looked back.

In this post, I’ll break down the science of running slow, explain why it’s so effective, and why it’s exactly how elite athletes train. Stick around until the end for some practical advice that’ll help you run faster than ever.

You Get Faster by Running a Lot

In 1962, Peter Snell achieved the 800m world record.

That record stood for 11 years — and even today, the current time is only about four seconds faster.

You’d be forgiven for thinking Snell focused solely on speed work.

But in fact, he was regularly clocking 100+ mile weeks in the lead-up to that race, under the guidance of Arthur Lydiard — widely regarded as the greatest running coach of all time.

Lydiard revolutionised endurance training with a simple idea: you get faster by running a lot.

The so-called Lydiard Method argues that high mileage increases aerobic capacity, and this method doesn’t just apply to marathon runners. It’s true across the board — from the 800m to the 10K.

Snell wasn’t alone. Two more of Lydiard’s athletes won Olympic medals in the 5K and 10K. And countless other athletes have followed his high-mileage philosophy to success.

Modern science backs this up, too:

• High mileage correlates with performance across all racing distances

• It improves aerobic capacity

• It makes you more efficient

• It builds resilience against injury

As you increase mileage (even at easy paces), several things happen:

• Your heart gets stronger¹

• Blood circulation improves

• Your muscles receive more oxygen and energy

• Your stride becomes more economical

• Muscles, bones, and connective tissue become tougher and more resistant to breakdown

To Run a Lot, You Have to Run (Mostly) Easy

In May, I ran the Leiden Marathon in 2:44. That’s nearly 25 minutes faster than my time the previous spring.

The difference? While I ran more miles, the vast majority of those miles were slower than ever.

Let me be clear: high-intensity workouts are important. Intervals, tempo runs, and fartleks improve VO2 max, lactate threshold, and overall race-day performance².

But if you run most of your miles at high intensity, you’re probably holding yourself back.

Why? Because:

• You’re stressing your body too much

• You’re not recovering fully

• You’re compromising the quality of your speed sessions

• Your body is breaking down under the strain

• And your risk of injury skyrockets

If you’re trying to hit 70 or 100-mile weeks and you’re not running easy most of the time, injury is almost inevitable.

Even pros know this. Look at Eliud Kipchoge’s training — the guy isn’t hammering intervals every day. Most of his runs are easy. (Granted, Kipchoge’s easy pace could put most of us in the hospital, but still — easy is relative.)

This approach has a name: 80/20 training.

• 80% of your runs should be easy

• 20% should be moderate or hard

This balance allows you to sustain high mileage, train hard where it counts, and stay healthy.

To Run Easy, You Need to Know What “Easy” Is for You

So how do you put this into practice?

Terms like “easy” and “intense” are intentionally vague — because intensity is relative. What’s easy for you might be near-max effort for someone else.

Here are three ways to figure out what “easy” looks like for you:

1. Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)

This is the least scientific approach — but it’s a useful starting point. On a scale of 1 to 10, how hard does your run feel?

If your “easy” run feels like a 6, it’s probably not easy.

Personally, I like something more concrete.

2. Heart Rate Zones

Heart rate is a solid, data-driven way to gauge intensity. Here’s the gist:

• Heart rate zones range from 1 (very easy) to 5 (max effort)

• Zones are based on your maximum heart rate, which varies by person

• Zone 1–2 = Easy

• Zone 3+ = Hard

Most of your running — about 80% — should be in Zones 1 or 2.

That said, calculating your zones accurately requires knowing your true max heart rate, which can be tricky. And wrist-based heart rate monitors can be finicky.

3. The 6-Minute Test (My Recommendation)

If you want something practical, try the 6-minute test.

This test estimates your Max Anaerobic Speed (MAS) — the speed you can hold for 6 minutes at an all-out effort.

From there, we calculate your VT1 pace, which is the threshold between easy and hard running. Below VT1, you’re running aerobically. Above it, you’re entering anaerobic territory.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Warm up thoroughly

2. Find a flat, uninterrupted stretch of road or track

3. Run as hard as you can for exactly 6 minutes

4. Measure how far you ran (distance in metres)

5. Calculate your MAS = Distance / 360 seconds

6. Multiply MAS by 0.60–0.65 — that’s your easy running pace

This VT1 pace isn’t a target — it’s an upper limit for what counts as easy. You can (and often should) run slower.

Beware: You Can Run Too Much

Just a final note on all of this: generally, volume (that is, how much you run) is an important measure of how good a runner you will be.

But you can run too much.

Weekly mileage is completely personal. Some people can handle a huge volume, while others have a limit that is defined physiologically — such as how your foot hits the ground. There’s no one-size-fits-all to this.

If you’re uncertain how much to run, my recommendation is the 7-Hour Standard — simply aim to run for a minimum of 7 hours per week.

But beyond that, be careful. Don’t keep increasing mileage in the vague hopes of better performance.

The goal should be to do enough that you reap the benefits, but not so much that you overtrain, end up injured, plateau, or whatever. Find the sweet spot and stick with it.

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing — remember, there are people who regularly die from drinking too much water.

As with all things in life, moderation is key.

Sources

1. Daniels' Running Formula by Jack Daniels

2. Run Like a Pro (Even If You're Slow) by Matt Fitzgerald