Slowing down to speed up may seem like the most counterintuitive way to improve your running. Research, however, suggests exactly that — going slower can actually make you faster. So, here’s how to apply the 80/20 approach to help you run faster and become a better runner altogether.
Run Slower, Get Faster: The 80/20 Approach Explained
Discovered by exercise physiologist Stephen Seiler from the University of Agder in Norway, the 80/20 approach stipulates that you spend 80% of your workout below race pace, and the remaining fifth of the time, you go at higher intensities. Seiler and other experts delved deep into researching the benefits of applying this method and the results are astounding.
Seiler and his team looked at various athletes’ workouts, ranging from marathoners and sprinters to rowers and speed skaters. They noticed that when they started to apply the 80/20 method, they saw significant improvement in how fast they could run and how resilient they were overall.
Backed by Research
In 2013, the University of Stirling in Scotland decided to put the 80/20 approach to the test. The university had male recreational cyclists follow the approach and then switch to 57% low-intensity workouts and 43% middle-intensity workouts. The results were conclusive. The gains in speed and power that the cyclists experienced after following the 80/20 approach were much greater than the 57/43 one. In fact, it was twice as high!
Another study, published in the Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance compared runners logging about 30 to 43 miles per week. Half of them followed the 80/20 method and the others spent the majority of their workouts at middle-to-high intensity. The results? The first group of runners was able to improve their 10K times by an average of 41 seconds!
Dialing Back on Speed Is Harder Than it Seems
Adapting your run to a slower pace sounds easier than it is, mostly because people usually struggle to judge the actual intensity of their workouts. For optimal results, experts say that there should be a clear distinction in the intensity of your workouts. In order for high and low-intensity workouts to work and for you to experience the benefits, you need to have a clear delineation.
By following the 80/20 approach, you’ll reap the rewards of high-intensity workouts, e.g. build a stronger heart, recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers, and boost blood vessel elasticity. You’ll also be enjoying the benefits of low-intensity workouts, e.g.develop slow-twitch muscles, growing mitochondria, and burning fat efficiently while fending off soreness and fatigue. Give this approach a try and see how you improve with each run!