Rapid Progress Is Slow
Many years ago I started running because I needed some outlet besides work. I was trapped by a mind that longed for progress and a body that was still in hibernation.
I ramped up training quickly, and got sidelined often. All while I had this vision in mind that one day I will be able to run long distances in the mountains. I’m not even entirely sure what drew me to it. It was probably a mix of random exposure through YouTube and the closeness of the alps from Munich.
Every time I was sidelined I explored in new directions. Mobility. Strength. Running mechanics. All somewhat helped but I continued to get overuse injuries. I dove deeper into training science. It made me aware how to train properly but still got injured 2-3 months into a training cycle.
The “funny” thing is I was thinking I’m not doing too much. Looking back at it I was getting injured running roughly 30k (~19miles) per week. This felt like a volume I should handle easily.
One day I was so frustrated after yet another issue with my IT-Band that I sat down and mapped out the slowest progression I could imagine. “Short” runs were around 15 minutes and my long run was 18 minutes.
At the same time I joined a gym that offered small group sessions and joined there two times per week. One time focused on mobility work, the other one on strength.
Fast forward to Oktober the same year and I was still doing strength and mobility work and progressed my long run to ~3h in the mountains while my mid week runs were still relatively short.
Shortly after I started to work with a coach. We ramped up mileage quite a lot. Also added intensity. I struggled a lot in the early months honestly. I wasn’t trusting my body much. I was still stuck in the idea that I will break down at any time. I had recurring niggles throughout this phase.
I enjoyed working with my coach so don’t take this as a jab at him but he once told me that he never worked with someone who has so many niggles all the time. For sure reinforced my internal identity that I’m not built for running.
I learned a lot about running and my own body in the context of resilience. I improved a lot and started to trust my body more over the next months.
A year after I started my slow progression I was doing between 80-100k (50-60miles) per week without much trouble.
This week I ran a few times. 45 minutes each. Feels like the right amount right now. Achilles starting to feel good again. The mobility and strength work are helping.
Naturally I thought about my running beginnings a lot the past days. I feel the urge to progress slower than I think I could. Earning my way back into higher volume. After all the past two years were riddled with random injuries that sidelined me longer than I would have hoped.
I probably was stuck a bit too much in the phase where training just went well and I had time to do everything right. But this isn’t the reality I have right now. I need to build back at where I once was, not assuming I’m already there.
Looking back at my early days in this sport reminded me how rapidly you can progress if you give it time. If you push it, you are actually slower. I can't imagine that I would have been able to run ~100k weeks a year later if I would not have slowed down with purpose. And I would not have built a body that can do this work week in and out.
So this is just a small reminder today. Sometimes we want something so bad that we forget that often doing it without hurry and rather too slow than too fast will bring us to our goal way faster.
And honestly, slow progression is where longevity in this sport lives. Not hero seasons, epic workouts, or 10 hour long runs. Just consistently being able to stack good enough weeks. That’s where I want to be. What about you?
If that resonates – I’d love to hear your story
I’m currently building an app for runners who want to show up, not off. If you recently switched your training app, switched or left your coach or changed your training approach I would love to hear your story. It might shape what I build. Just book yourself a slot.