Ever feel like every runner on Instagram is flying by at breakneck speed, leaving you and your easy shuffle in the digital dust? Here’s a twist: slowing down might be not just the friendliest thing you can do for your body—but the fastest way to get ahead.
Meet the Slow Runners (and Why They’re Winning)
Autumn last year, while preparing for a marathon, I stumbled on Kim Clark—thanks, algorithms. She’s instantly recognizable with her waist-length ponytail bouncing in tune with her stride, and runs an Instagram account called Track Club Babe, filled with videos of her runs and picture-perfect outfits. Her Boston Marathon qualifying time is right there in her bio, surrounded by training plans titled ‘Fast Fall’ and ‘Fast Marathon.’
But before you assume she’s outpacing the local cheetahs, it’s time for a reality check: Kim often covers a mile in twelve or thirteen minutes, stroller in tow these days. Runner’s World once joked this is about Terry Fox’s pace across Canada on one good leg and a prosthesis. Bit harsh, perhaps. Point is, Kim mostly runs really slowly.
And she’s not alone. The deeper I dug, the more I found coaches urging athletes to slow down—covering their watch faces with tape if needed—and, most importantly, to stop obsessing over others’ paces on social media. The intent isn’t just a more inclusive running space (though that’s a nice bonus); it’s about genuinely running faster on race day by being kinder to your body along the way.
“Slow Down to Speed Up”: The Science and Practice
Erin Williams from Kansas City (better known as the Instagrammer Run Strong Mama) says it plainly: « For a long time, I ran without thinking and always came back completely out of breath. » Now, after changing her habits, she finishes many sessions barely tired, feeling like she could keep running forever. « It’s a fact: speed doesn’t matter when you run! »
Teaming up with a coach in 2017 changed everything for her. The big switch? Mixing targeted fast sessions into a base of slow training. “What I began to realize was that if you push hard one or two days a week, you can’t just go out and sustain a tough pace regularly.”
That’s the practical argument for lots of slow, long runs: it lets you reserve strength for the hard training days and rack up more weekly miles—essential if you’re eyeing a marathon or even a 10K.
Advocates of slow running say there’s more: running easy increases your number of mitochondria—the cell’s energy factories. It’s even being studied in fish (less invasive than muscle biopsies in humans).
No matter your species, alternating between fast and slow sessions is becoming the gold standard for performance. Lots of us fall for the myth, like Williams once did, that running must mean gasping for air every time. Turns out, chatting and running are not mutually exclusive!
The 80/20 Rule: Going Polarized
Scroll through any fitness feed and influencers preach the « polarized training » gospel: 80% of workouts should be slow, at a pace where conversation is easy, and 20% at a brisk, challenging speed.
Elite athletes do this, too. The method traces back to Stephen Seiler, a sports science researcher at the University of Agder in Norway. In 2010, he reviewed studies on how top runners, rowers, and cross-country skiers train. The technical summary? Favoring mostly low-intensity, long-duration training, with fewer but tougher sessions, helps optimize physical adaptation and technique without overwhelming stress. Many observed athletes naturally hit an 80-20 split.
When I asked Seiler if amateurs should copy this, he confessed that neither his high school coaches nor he learned to take it easy. “I was trained in that ‘no pain, no gain’ environment,” he said, recalling once vomiting on the bus after track practice.
But watching Norwegian elite athletes after moving there in 1995, Seiler noticed that « a lot of their training wasn’t hard. » Studies followed, comparing different training splits—which, while not conclusive due to small sample sizes and imperfect adherence, suggest those who stick to polarization benefit most.
Other researchers found that spending more time running fast can gain you a few extra seconds on short races, but even these studies featured a hefty chunk of easy workouts in their regimens—at least 40%. The exact ratio isn’t set in stone, but for regular folks? Aim for at least half, if not much more, of your sessions to be relaxed and gentle, especially if you’re training for events that require staying on your feet for a long time. Marathon guru Hal Higdon even states “there’s no such thing as ‘too slow’” for long runs.
The Technology Trap and How to Escape It
Yet slowing down can feel like swimming against the tide—maybe even more so in a tech-obsessed world. With the debut of the first athlete’s wristwatch in 2003 and then Strava’s social streak in 2009, chronicling and comparing every run became just a tap away. Strava’s Michael Horvath dreamed of recapturing his college team’s camaraderie online, but for many, it breeds performance anxiety instead.
Writer Matthew Fitzgerald—whose book “80/20 Running” draws on Seiler’s work—shares that he’s heard from many embarrassed to post slow runs on Strava for everyone to see. His motto to ease the pain: « Slow run Wednesday, fast race day. » Still, it’s tough to shake the envy when friends’ times fill your feed and you can’t help but compare.
The temptation to push harder comes not only from apps or social networks but also from group runs, the stranger you want to overtake in the park, or the ingrained (and false) idea that exercise always means discomfort.
Kim Clark often tells her followers not to worry what anyone thinks of their pace, advising instead to use a watch to keep heart rate low on easy days—she even sometimes advertises for a watch brand called Coros. Listening to your body, holding back, and steering clear of the comparison game: that’s how running stays sustainable, even if you’re not chasing personal records.
Running slowly isn’t easy. It takes patience, especially for people used to certain speeds. Chicago-based coach Tammy Whyte recommends literally dancing it out if needed—even to a remix of « Oops!…I Did It Again. » Some days will be slower than others, especially after hard training or a sleepless night. Whyte checks her clients’ watches for a diversity of slow paces matching how their bodies feel that day—a reminder that even ambition can take a back seat.
Seiler sums it up: “Talented runners know their capabilities and don’t care if someone overtakes them on an easy day.” The real secret? They leave their egos behind when it’s time to set the pace.
So next time you run, remember: sometimes slowing down is the only way to win. And if you need an excuse to shuffle with style, just say you’re optimizing mitochondria like a champ—or at least keeping social media envy at bay.
John is a curious mind who loves to write about diverse topics. Passionate about sharing his thoughts and perspectives, he enjoys sparking conversations and encouraging discovery. For him, every subject is an invitation to discuss and learn.
