I’m a casual runner so maybe this is a stupid question, but the more I get into running the more I’m finding it hard to run at any pace other than the one I settled into.

If I run slower or faster, it’s moderated by my stride length, but my feet hit the ground in sync with a 145BPM. If my feet are hitting the ground at anything other than 145BPM it just feels wrong.

I now have a spotify playlist with about a dozen running songs at as close to 145BPM as possible (as little as 2 BPM deviation feels rushed or dragging).

Is this just a mental thing? Is it a bad habit to settle into? Am I alone in this?

  • eatstorming@lemmy.world
    10·
    1 year ago

    Depends on what the pace is and whether you plan on improving your running.

    If the pace is slow, it should be fine. Lots of people (I was one of those) get into running thinking that going as fast as possible, all the time, is the way to go. Then they get injured, like I did.

    Running slow greatly reduces the chances of injury, and that’s one of the reasons behind the 80/20 philosophy (80% slow, 20% fast runs).

    However, your body will get used to it and will stop improving. There are people who also insist that given enough time of performance plateau, you may start going the opposite way and begin losing progress. As far as I know there’s no science to this claim, but it is clear that the first part will hold water (the part where your body will get used to it and will stop improving).

    If you’re fine with that and the pace is not putting you at greater risks of injury, you should be fine.

    • kakler bitmap@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      4·
      1 year ago

      Yeah I run for personal enjoyment and general fitness. I run for as many loops on my route as feels good, and though my pace stays the same my distances covered and time spent running are increasing without any real push on my part, if that makes sense. I only track my numbers out of curiosity. Unless there’s a downside to a steady 145bpm run I don’t see myself changing things up any time soon.

      • eatstorming@lemmy.world
        3·
        1 year ago

        Yep, got it. You’ll be fine. If you decide that you want to improve your running or fitness, then you can look into a running plan with varied runs.