{"id":15371,"date":"2025-08-22T04:04:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T04:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/15371\/"},"modified":"2025-08-22T04:04:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T04:04:13","slug":"slow-runs-helped-me-go-farther-marathon-shuffle-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/15371\/","title":{"rendered":"Slow Runs Helped Me Go Farther: Marathon Shuffle Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2020, when I first got back into running<\/a> after having my daughter, I struggled with consistency. One of the main reasons for that? I was constantly battling aches and pains. <\/p>\n

I\u2019d push myself so hard in a single session that I\u2019d have trouble walking the next day or over the course of the next several days. I know experiencing some delayed-onset muscle soreness<\/a> (a.k.a. DOMS) isn\u2019t out of the norm, but what I experienced was next level. I even distinctly remember one day when I couldn\u2019t walk down the steps. I ended up taking the day off of work.<\/p>\n

When I signed up for my first half marathon<\/a> this fall, I knew I had to make some changes to my training in order to successfully build up my mileage.<\/p>\n

For starters, I turned to the run\/walk method<\/a>, which is when you alternate between running and walking intervals\u2014even on race day. (I personally alternate between running for five minutes and walking for 1 minute and 45 seconds.) <\/p>\n

On my long run<\/a> days, I\u2019ve also truly embraced running at an easy<\/a> and very slow (sometimes awkwardly slow!) pace, which has been my saving grace. <\/p>\n

Related Story<\/p>\n

Up until recently, the longest distance I\u2019ve ever completed was just under five miles. This weekend, I tackled eight\u2014with zero aches and pains. I plan to work all the way up to 14 miles before race day, and running easy and taking advantage of walk breaks give me the confidence to do that.<\/p>\n

Learning to really slow down on my long runs wasn\u2019t easy. Watching other runners take to social media to share how silly they felt while doing the same helped a lot (thank you, algorithm). For example, one runner posted a video of him slow jogging<\/a> and getting passed by an old man who was walking. The caption read \u201cPOV: zone 2 running.\u201d I could relate. I also always get a good laugh out of the reels that cut from a video of a super fast runner to a video of a slow jogger, moving to the beat of Sia\u2019s \u201cUnstoppable.\u201d <\/p>\n

Seeing other runners struggling to stay slow<\/a> and not worrying about how they look gave me a new perspective on forgetting about pace<\/a>, but I also realized that to successfully increase the duration of my run intervals without getting tired, I had to embrace a change in my form. That\u2019s when I turned to what I\u2014and some of the internet\u2014like to call the marathon shuffle.<\/p>\n

Related Story<\/p>\n

The marathon shuffle basically means you shorten your stride and increase your cadence<\/a>, shuffling your feet a little more (or a lot more) than what you\u2019ll see elite marathoners<\/a> do. <\/p>\n

Experts even back up this way of running, as long as you do it right. In comparison to a full-out sprint<\/a>, the marathon shuffle requires less knee bend (though you\u2019re certainly not running with straight legs!). The forward motion comes more from your ankles<\/a> than your knees, says Chris Twiggs, chief training officer of Galloway Training. To do that, focus more on pushing off the ground with your feet, rather than driving your knees up, and don\u2019t be afraid to stay low to the ground. <\/p>\n

Plus, research<\/a> shows shortening your stride and increasing your cadence can help reduce your risk for injury because it decreases vertical oscillation (bounce), ground reaction forces, and shock absorption, so you\u2019re not loading your joints as much, Twiggs says.
<\/p>\n

Twiggs also recommends focusing on controlling your breathing<\/a> and maintaining an upright posture<\/a> with minimal arm swing when you\u2019re going out for easy effort runs. <\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve worked to increase my running duration, I\u2019ve realized my posture tends to break down over time. My shoulders slowly start to creep up by my ears without even realizing it. <\/p>\n

To combat this posture change, which can not only lead to discomfort but also inefficiencies, Twiggs recommends regularly checking in on your body alignment. For me, this means using my walk intervals to focus on breathing, bringing my hands above my head and stretching out my back muscles (a tip I got from Twiggs). This helps me reset so I can stay relaxed<\/a> as I go into my next run interval. <\/p>\n

Related Story<\/p>\n

A part of me (my pride) has wanted to reject my marathon shuffle and my slower pace. But, nearly every time I give in to the thought of running faster, even if it\u2019s just for a few seconds, my watch vibrates indicating my heart rate is above my target: zone 2<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As a Runner\u2019s World editor who has covered the benefits of easy days, I know how important it is to stay in zone 2 if I want to hit longer distances. This is the endurance zone that increases your mitochondria (the cell organelle that is responsible for creating energy), which is key for making runs feel easier. Maintaining this effort also builds your aerobic base<\/a> and contributes to making harder paces feel more doable. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe long run is just about getting endurance<\/a>, and you get that endurance no matter how fast or slow you do that long run,\u201d Twiggs explains. \u201cSo keeping it nice and easy, staying within your comfort zone, not letting your heart rate get too high, always being able to breathe comfortably\u2014that\u2019s the right thing to do.\u201d <\/p>\n

Twiggs also mentions that in order to stay consistent in running<\/a>, it has to feel enjoyable. Right now, running slow is my comfort zone; I go at a pace I know I can maintain without huffing and puffing. This makes the longer distances feel more approachable and I finish each run proud of my progress.<\/p>\n

Running faster could mean I\u2019ll need more time in between run intervals to recover, and that\u2019s counterproductive to my goal of reducing recovery time to 30 seconds<\/a>\u2014a tactic that I hope will help me complete 13.1 miles within my goal time. <\/p>\n

Related Story<\/p>\n

Another barrier I\u2019ve had to get over when it comes to slowing down: how much easier it would be to just walk the entire time. But, as Twiggs reminds me, if I want to run on race day, I have to practice it in training. <\/p>\n

When you run\u2014even very, very slow\u2014you\u2019re engaging your muscle groups in a different way than when you\u2019re walking, says Twiggs. So even if your running speed<\/a> is similar to someone else\u2019s walking speed, there is a benefit to the run portion. Knowing this makes me feel even more confident in my shuffle, because it means I\u2019m reaping the benefits of running<\/a> for my muscles, even if I\u2019m not going as fast as I would like. <\/p>\n

Before, I used to feel ashamed of running slower so I pushed myself to run faster than my body was prepared to handle. And that just kept me on the sidelines, dealing with nagging aches.<\/p>\n

Now, I\u2019m crossing off miles on my training plan and going farther than I ever have before. I know a slow pace is giving me the strength and confidence to do that. I no longer feel winded in between run intervals or at the end of my long runs. And most importantly, I\u2019ve turned my shame into appreciation for being able to run slower, so I can keep running longer<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Monique LeBrun is a health and fitness editor who is based in Easton, Pennsylvania. She covers a wide range of health and wellness topics, with a primary focus on running performance and nutrition. Monique is passionate about creating content that empowers runners to become the best versions of themselves. As an avid runner and parent, she loves spending time outdoors with her daughter, who often accompanies her on weekend runs as her personal mini run coach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In 2020, when I first got back into running after having my daughter, I struggled with consistency. One…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15372,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[278],"tags":[18,525,135,19,17,13960],"class_list":{"0":"post-15371","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-eire","9":"tag-fitness","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-ie","12":"tag-ireland","13":"tag-service"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15371"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15371\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}