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Now, today’s topic — and a battle I fight almost every day with my athletes:

How hard it is to get you to run slow.

¿Hablas español o conoces a alguien que sí? Endurance Mindset en Español (¡Ya disponible!): desde cero al maratón, con ciencia y estructura. Compártelo o regístrate y forma parte desde el comienzo. 🏃‍♂️📩 ¡Registrarme!

🎯 The Problem: Easy Isn’t Ego-Friendly

Most runners struggle with slow running because:

• It feels “too easy”
• The pace looks unimpressive
• It doesn’t feel productive
• It challenges identity

But physiology doesn’t respond to ego.

It responds to stimulus.

And most endurance adaptations occur at lower intensities — not at threshold or above [1,2].

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🔬 What Polarized Training Research Shows

The concept of polarized training, popularized in endurance research by Stephen Seiler, consistently shows that successful endurance athletes perform:

• ~80% of their training at low intensity
• ~20% at high intensity
• Very little in the moderate “gray zone” [1,2]

Why?

Because low-intensity work:

• builds mitochondrial density
• enhances capillary development
• improves fat oxidation
• increases aerobic enzyme activity

Without excessively stressing the nervous system [3,4].

When runners constantly drift into moderate intensity, they accumulate fatigue without maximizing adaptation.

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🧬 The Physiology Behind “Slow”

Running slow enough to stay below your first lactate threshold:

• maximizes aerobic efficiency
• limits sympathetic nervous system strain
• allows higher weekly volume
• preserves quality for hard days

This intensity distribution improves endurance performance across recreational and elite populations [1,2,5].

The irony?

Running slower more often allows you to run faster when it actually matters.

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Post of the week An elated Lucy Charles-Barclay storms to the finish line in Marbella. Read article

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🏃 Practical Takeaway (This Week)

If you struggle to slow down:

• Run by effort, not pace
• Keep conversation fully comfortable
• Accept that weather affects HR and speed
• Remember: aerobic development is invisible at first

If your easy run feels slightly “too easy,”
you’re probably doing it right.

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🔁 Weekly Challenge

This week, pick one run and commit to:

• Staying strictly in your easy zone
• Ignoring pace completely
• Finishing feeling fresh

No moderate creep.
No ego surges.

Just physiology.

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What's Going On in the World of Running?

Based on the latest news from the running world for this week, here are some key highlights:

Major Race Results & Events

• 2026 Barkley Marathons: The notoriously difficult ultramarathon concluded with no finishers for the second consecutive year. Relentless rain and a reverse course proved too much for the field, with only one runner managing to complete three loops.
• Monaco Run 10K: Faith Kipyegon made a stunning road racing debut, securing a victory and proving her dominance extends beyond the track.
• Black Canyon 100K: Olympic medalist Molly Seidel finished 4th in her 100K debut, earning a "Golden Ticket" to the Western States Endurance Run.
• Indoor Track Records: Cole Hocker broke the American indoor mile record with a time of 3:45.94, the second-fastest indoor mile in history.

Source Links: Ultra Running Magazine, iRunFar, Triathlon Today.

Gear & Training Insights

• New Footwear: Reviews are out for the Brooks Glycerin Flex, a new model claiming to blend maximalist cushioning with minimalist flexibility, and the ASICS Superblast 3.

Source Links: Tom's Guide, Syracusecom, YouTube (Ryan's Reviews).

What Runners Should Pay Attention on the Winter Olympics

• The Ultimate Engine: Cross-country skiers often record higher VO2 max values than elite runners. Because the sport recruits both upper and lower body muscles, it places an even higher cardiovascular demand on the athlete than running alone.
• Calorie Torch: A 170-pound person running at a moderate pace burns about 680 calories per hour, while that same person can burn 800 to 1,100 calories per hour cross-country skiing, depending on the terrain.
• Parity in Endurance: For the first time in Olympic history, women in cross-country skiing are racing the same distances as men, including the grueling 50k endurance race.

Sources: The New York Times, Runlovers, UW Health, Human Kinetics.

Sources: Olympicscom, VALO Finland.

Sources: Team USA, Olympicca, NBC Olympics, ProXCskiing.

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Why is running slow so hard? 🧠 My ego doesn’t like slow paces ⏱️ I feel like I’m wasting time 📊 I obsess over pace data 🔘 🏃 I turn easy runs into moderate runs 😅 I don’t know what “easy” truly feels like

(Your answers will shape future discussion.)

Here's last week votes:

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Let us know what interests you the most at the 'Preferences' link below!
​¡Cuéntanos qué temas te interesan más en el enlace 'Preferencias' al final de este correo!

References

1. Seiler, S., & Tønnessen, E. (2009). Intervals, thresholds, and long slow distance: The role of intensity and duration in endurance training.Sportscience, 13, 32–53.

2. Seiler, S. (2010). What is best practice for training intensity and duration distribution in endurance athletes?International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 5(3), 276–291.

3. Holloszy, J. O., & Coyle, E. F. (1984). Adaptations of skeletal muscle to endurance exercise and their metabolic consequences.Journal of Applied Physiology, 56(4), 831–838.

4. Bishop, D., Jones, E., & Woods, K. (2008). Recovery from training: A brief review.Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 22(3), 1015–1024.

5. Stöggl, T., & Sperlich, B. (2015). Polarized training has greater impact on key endurance variables than threshold training.Frontiers in Physiology, 6, 295.​

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Just trust me and run slow,

Coach Henri.
​Your Endurance Mindset Team

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