With four Marathon des Sables finishes and a 12-hour treadmill world record under her running belt, you’d assume every training session would be equally demanding.
Refreshingly, the reality for 51-year-old Susie Chan is quite the opposite.
“My favorite thing to do is a steady state run,” the Peloton instructor tells Fit&Well.
A classic tool in any runner’s toolbox, the long, slow, steady-state run has been a constant in Chan’s training plan since she picked up the sport in her mid-30s.
Why? Because it’s the perfect opportunity to combine exercise and catching up with friends.
“There’s a lot of enjoyment to be had in that steady state space. And for me, definitely, it’s the social element,” she explains.
“I love running with other people. It’s a really nice distraction to have other people there rather than being in your own head.”
And when running with others, Chan says you “get carried along by them.
“Steady-state runs are not so hard that you’re dreading them. They feel manageable. You can hold a conversation. You can chat.”
The one running workout Susie Chan never skips
Chan says it doesn’t matter how far you run.
Instead, the key is to stick to a conversational pace that allows you to keep running—or walking—for a long time.
That means slow enough that you can talk in complete sentences rather than having to gasp for air after every few words.
“It’s one of the foundations of your running,” she says, and it taps into a form of zone 2 cardio training that will help improve your aerobic fitness, making everyday tasks feel easier.
“You could be one of those runners who goes to the track and runs really hard or really fast. But to be able to run for a long time—that, for me, is a joy.”
To put this into practice, Chan suggests running or walking with friends or colleagues, joining a social run club or walking group.
Most Sundays, for example, she will meet up with friends—many who have joined her on her record-breaking running feats over the past decade—and hit the trails around Hampshire.
“For me, if you have other people to work with, it just takes the edge off,” she says.
Susie Chan is a UK-based Peloton instructor and endurance athlete. Having only started running aged 35 when her brother signed her up for a half marathon, she has since gone on to finish the punishing 156-mile Marathon des Sables more times than any other British woman and set a 12-hour treadmill world record. One of the most recognised faces in the British running community, she believes everybody has the ability to become a runner, regardless of age or ability. She has qualifications in leadership in running fitness and coach in running fitness from England Athletics and is an NASM certified personal trainer.