Proof That It Doesn't Matter How Slow You Go

It doesn’t matter how slow you go…

Really—it doesn’t! Research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology examined the habits of runners versus non-runners and found that the striding group had a 45 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and lived an average of three years longer—and the benefits were the same regardless of the speed at which participants hit the trails.

Whatever your current personal bests, pumping the brakes is also a win for performance. Running slower than your normal pace on recovery days and for long runs will help you build a better aerobic base—which in turn will actually make you faster come race day.