I've always liked running faster than slower. My favorite workouts were hill repeats and track intervals. Even before I knew that intervals provided the best return on investment for time and distance, I like those type of workouts best.
But, there's always a but, those workouts are the most dangerous. The quality aspect of the running increases the risk of injuries from the increased stress of the faster running. With age, and decreased running, intervals helped me maintain my fitness with less mileage, but eventually the intervals just lead me to injuries.
After several years of injuries and inconsistent running, I was able to build a decent base over the last 18 months. I never fully realized the value in building a running base. Intervals get you fitter faster, at a risk, but running slower and injury free compounds over time!
This post is a follow up to this previous post.
My Anecdotal Evidence
Everything is relevant, but most people and runners would agree I was fast in my 20s. Here were my running PRs (personal records).
5k- 16.42
10 mile- 60.15
I realize that some of my 2024 gains were building on my 2023 fitness, but still I think the running below speaks for itself. In 2024, I didn't do more intervals or tempo runs than I did in 2023 (I would have but I got plantar heel pain, see below). I just ran a lot more. And the more I ran, the easier running got. My HR decreased and my cadence increased. It didn't just change in the races, it changed in all my runs. See my running tables below.
I wasn't completely injury free, I ended up getting plantar heel pain. It's hard to say why because I added 3 different stimului all around the same time (which I know and knew was a mistake, but I was feeling really good and the plantar crept in on me). I added a weekly hill repeat, strides, and structured weight lifting (deadlift, squats, and cleans two times a week). I eased into each activity, but I didn't consider the effects of easing into all three activities at the same time. I ended up dropping the hills and strides and keeping the lifting.
Conclusion
Consistency wins! Any sport or exercise, the results and effects compound with time doing the activity. It's innumerably better to start slow and build up than to get injured and or quit.
Good luck and I hope I can help anyone reading this learn from my mistakes.
2023 Training
2024 Training
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