What is “Slow”?

More then 8 minutes/mile pace is slow…. or

More than 10 minute/mile pace is slow…. or

More than 12 minute/mile pace is slow.

Every one of the above statements is right. Every one of these is also wrong. The RDS system doesn’t try to define “slow” because it is a very relative term.

I naturally plug along at an 11:30/mile pace, and sometimes need to remind myself that my body responds even better at a slower 12:00/mile pace.

You may naturally hum along at a 7:48/mil pace, but find that you feel better when you force yourself to “slow down” to a 8:30/mile pace.

“Slow”, in the RDS approach, is not about a specific number. It’s about your body frequency. Don’t worry about the stopwatch… worry about how you feel before, during, and after the run. What you consider “slow” is blazing fast for me. I used to wish I could crank out a mile in a specific amount of time because that was considered “normal”. I was miserable when I couldn’t do it. I have much more joy putting lots of miles together at a “slower” pace which works for me. My pace might not work for you.

RDS is NOT for competitive runners. In fact, it might even be OPPOSITE of a competitive running theory. That’s ok. This system is about finding joy and inner peace on your run, and has nothing to do with hitting a certain mark on your stopwatch.

You ok with that?