Coach told me to slow down on my long runs and I finally finished a half marathon without walking

My running coach at the local YMCA said to run at a pace where I could hold a conversation, and after 3 months of that I actually finished the Austin 70.3 bike leg feeling fresh, has anyone else found that going slower made them faster?

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emma_mitchell11d ago

Man that "conversation pace" thing really is the secret. I was stuck at like 10:30 miles for months and always burning out by mile 8. My coach made me do 12 minute miles where I could actually talk the whole time. Felt stupid at first but after 8 weeks my easy pace dropped to 10:45 without any extra effort. The bike leg comparison makes total sense too because your body learns to use fat instead of glycogen when you go that easy. Now I finish 10 mile runs feeling like I could go another 5. Its counterintuitive but going slow builds that base that actually lets you go faster on race day.