I’m not fat !!!
But running with extra upper body mass… is crap.
Iden, Lionel and big Jan look like that for a reason.
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Im not sure you are going to get much benefit from tougher legs. Your legs will get use to what you put them through. Unless you know its a significant weakness and towards the end of a run your legs are struggling.
How much speed work do you do?
My HM PB was 1:44, that was off running 3 times a week, one short run easy pace, one intervals session, one long run. On the long runs my average HR would be about 150 ish. For the half marathon I was 168. I was at my lightest for years but was still 97kg
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Not doing any yet. I’ll build in quality days later, just easy running for now.
During off season I used to do hill repeats as my intervals, good for building strength and certainly got the HR up.
I miss fast running, cant wait till Ive shed a few kgs and can start that again
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Running at a speed where you have to significaly modify your form to maintain your HR cap, is the point I think.
To run faster you can increase your stride, or increase your cadence, both don’t change the fundamental running form - although as you say you can start to fall apart if you tire too much - but to run slower there’s a limit on how much you can change either of those things to go slower.
So you end up with some sort of weird shuffling, or walking or a really silly type of run that’s unnatural.
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I get that and its one of the biggest reasons I’ve struggled to adapt to it. I dont feel like I’m running, I don’t see how it can be supporting my normal running form and I just dont like running like it.
I was being coached last year through Ironman and he just kept giving me slower and slower bands to run in - “I JUST CANT DO IT”.
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You could be talking to me.
Presently 80Kg. 178cm. Ran the Paris marathon a couple of years ago at 73Kg.
Have lost a few Kg in the last year (hindered by work, family and a dodgy ankle, as well as a tendency to put tasty stuff into my mouth!) and I’m trying to lose another 5+Kg to get into some sort of shape for racing again.
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I’ve lost quite a bit more than that speed wise since 2019, old age ?
Change of training?
Knackered?
Probably a touch of all three.
Swim speed and static bike power are good for me, running is crap.
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Im really interested to see if I can back to that level, or whether old age has done me in. Need to get down to that weight first. Its easy to start with but gets harder and harder. Just from a health point of view I really need to shed about 40kgs.
Thinking about the MK Winter half next year. 2nd weekend of December usually. Can I get near, or even beat my PB?
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You can but try buddy. Nice targeted focus, plenty of time. What’s the worst that can happen?
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Better to have tried and failed than never tried at all…
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as a generalisation - specifically running slow…
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I did an entire winter and spring season, while my missus prepped her first marathon, running with her. By her own admission, she’s back of pack, and was targeting a 6hr marathon.
I ran many many long runs with her in training at 11 to 12 min miles, which felt like the bit you do between really really tough intervals as a recovery effort, and not much more than a fast walk.
That summer and autumn I was in the form of my life.
Coincidence?
Well, nothing else changed in my training.
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At the level back of pack and mid pack I don’t think there’s much more to it than time on feet. A lot of us on here.
Once you get closer to the front, more specific training may be needed.
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Heard that story or ones similar to it quite a few times over the years, you really have to do it by “ accident “
Or really really trust the process.
I just want to clarify - I’m not ashamed of anything I do, least of all running slowly. Nor of other peoples paces,
But it makes other people uncomfortable. When I run in lower groups they keep asking why I’m there, and not running in higher groups. Group 1 is essentially obese women working on their fitness and having an “Ironman” appear in their social circle would not go down well. Group 5 didn’t react well when I went there for easy running last time.
Happily I was well received in the “after hours” late group run this evening, despite there being no chance of a 130 HR. 151 Avg for a measily 6:19/km then three pints of bitter and chat about insulation and run training 
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FTFY
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I don’t think I can run any slower. I’m slower than a snail right now. Ran 8 miles on Sunday (furthest for a long time). It was a slow continuous jog. My average HR was 175, maximum 197. That’s scared me. I did feel light headed, and would like to learn to run to a slow HR but not sure how that’s even possible. Generally I’d average 160-65 bpm for a longer 12 mile run, maximum 175. Just feel like retiring completely, but exercise lifts my mood afterward. Takes a lot of motivation to get me out of the door though.
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You sure your hr monitor is working correctly ?
That seems very high, 4 coffees before you start ?
I think I’d ask for a bit of medical advice on this one ?
It’s ridiculously high Mungo. Trouble is I feel totally normal when not exercising, whatever normal is nowadays. Not sure a GP would be able to diagnose anything.
Wore a different watch today for a 3 mile jog, that has a wrist HR monitor (Forerunner 735XT) just to compare. HR/pulse didn’t register which is a first for this watch so maybe Sunday’s run finished me off. 
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