Sprints are great to build a habit and to bring momentum, but real achievements happen when you are consistent.
The American Navy Seal has a saying — Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.
Long-distance marathon runners know that. They learn to pace themselves. The way they pace themselves is by understanding their bodies during the training. They are taught to focus on their heart rate while running . To gauge their perceived exertion while running. And to slow down appropriately. They need to be able to run without huffing and puffing.
During training, new runners are asked to run a mile as fast as they can. That is their magic mile. When they are running long distances,
they are asked to run 2 to 3 minutes slower than their magic mile. That way they conserve their energy. Pacing means “undershooting” your best performance. It means doing things without exertion.
How to apply that to writing?
Find out your peak performance, then slow down from there.
A cheetah can run 76 mph but covers only 4 miles a day. Elephants can run only at 15 mph, but walk about 50 miles a day. They are in no rush. They know how to pace themselves.