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Did your running bug disappear too quickly? You’re not alone.
Studies suggest that about a third of people who sign up to run a marathon drop out.
And up to two-thirds of those who start any exercise program, including regular running, abandon it after six months.
But experts say there’s one mistake most runners make that makes it difficult for them to persevere.
They simply go too fast.
About half of people who start running are injured within the first year, which some experts say is partly explained by beginners’ thirst for speed.
In an Instagram post that received more than 4,500 likes, New York-based physical therapist Dr. Victoria Sekely warned that most runners are “limiting potential” by pushing themselves “too hard” on every run.
She points to a quote from popular personal trainer Chris Johnson, who states that 80 percent of runners run at 80 percent intensity 80 percent of the time.
“Many runners think that if they don’t run hard they haven’t done anything,” Dr. Sekley said. Stylist.
‘What’s the point of running easy, of doing something that doesn’t seem difficult?’
But, he explains, “running too much at high intensity puts a lot of stress on the body and doesn’t allow you to fully recover.”
“You won’t be able to perform at your best on your speed days or long runs.”
Sekely suggests that runners should follow the 80/20 rule: make sure 80 percent of their weekly mileage is easy and 20 percent is at a harder pace or effort.
She says that, in fact, slowing down can cause you to speed up without realizing it and with much less effort.
Research from the University of Gothenberg in Sweden suggests that almost Half of recreational runners are injured within a year, with the most common problems affecting the knee and Achilles tendon and calf area.
Dr. Sekely suggests this may be due to runners’ tendency to run too fast when they start.
And if you think slowing down makes you lazy, think again.
“Think of your easy run as a way to improve your speed, slowing down first to speed up on harder race days; it’s easier to stick to that plan,” he says.
“You will see that tomorrow is your easy race, so you should take it easy because the next day you have a sprint race scheduled where you can push yourself hard and achieve your goals.”