062: Why You Should Slow Down Your Running and Eating for Better Health and Performance

“Life moves pretty fast.  If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”  This quote from the iconic Ferris Bueller drives home the importance of going slow.  There are plenty of life lessons contained in the episode and we start with a discussion of balance.

Life is a constant balancing act between getting things done and enjoying what we are doing. We need to keep up at work, drive to the kid’s practice and doctor’s appointments, make dinner, fold the laundry, exercise and the list continues.  We also need to find happiness in what we are doing and not just satisfaction that we checked another box on the to-do list.

I was reminded of another quote by Alan Watts about making money. 

“If you say that money is the most important thing, you’ll spend your life completely wasting your time.  You’ll be doing things you don’t like in order to go on living, that is, in order to go on doing things you don’t like doing.”  Check out the link for an inspiring 3 minute video. Watch here

Once we moved past the big picture, we take some time in the episode to cover the topics of running and eating.  

In the world of running, there are a couple of times going slow is very important.  Recovery days and long runs. Going slow enough on a recovery day is vital to making the adaptation from the previous hard workout.  By pushing the pace on a recovery run, you will be less prepared to go hard enough on the next hard workout. Reducing recovery seems valiant, and may reap short term rewards, but it will be the start of a gradual descent into exhaustion and eventual injury.  

Going slow on a long run has specific physical benefits.  Your body will produce more mitochondria (allowing for greater energy production) and more capillary density (allowing for more oxygen to reach your muscles.)  You will also train and improve your body’s slow burning energy systems, which in term allows them to function while running at faster speeds. All of these processes make running easy even easier while also improving your ability to run faster with less fatigue.  

The final note about running slow is for newer runners.  There are a couple of routes to take when “go easy enough to carry on a conversation” means walking.  You can simple go for

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Don't forget: The information on this website is not intended to treat or diagnose any medical condition or to provide medical advice. It is intended for general education in the areas of health and wellness. All information contained in this site is intended to be educational in nature. Nothing should be considered medical advice for your specific situation.