Ideas on fewer but much faster miles

Mark B wrote:

Jerry wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:And work on a base using Maffetone as the guide.  Ask Mark how it's worked.  I'm on it, too, but I don't do the tests like Mark does.  But it does give you extra gears in your transmission to run faster at a lower heart rate (additional gears will lower RPM for the same speed = better gas mileage).  I was beginning to reap the benefits of it like I never have before.  And I still can, once I fix my feet.  It's so exciting for me to be on the cusp of breaking through.  I feel like Jed Clampett seein' that "a bubblin' crude."

I'll throw my voice in here, too, talking about the low-intensity endurance work others have mentioned.

One approach is to not run by pace, but by intensity as measured by heart rate. Once you get the effective target heart rate established that balances health and fitness, It will feel weird and you'll think you're running too slow - but you'll actually be stimulating positive adaptations that will over time significantly improve your aerobic capacity.

And the best part? If you're doing it right, you keep getting faster at that same target (low) heart rate, which gives some great positive motivation to keep at it. You'll notice a moderate improvement every three weeks, and a bigger gain every six weeks. (If the gains don't happen, something's wrong.)

Once you've got a good base and the easy speed it brings, it's time to build with a bit more intensity (Hadd's Approach to Distance Training is a dense read, but helpful.) and sharpen up for whatever race you want to try. Though if you've worked the aerobic engine enough, that extra sharpening might not even be necessary.

Mark, don't you agree you are a little too late on this?

  

Not quite sure what you mean, Jerry. It's never too late to spend a couple of hours deciphering Hadd!

Jerry wrote:

Mark B wrote:

Jerry wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:And work on a base using Maffetone as the guide.  Ask Mark how it's worked.  I'm on it, too, but I don't do the tests like Mark does.  But it does give you extra gears in your transmission to run faster at a lower heart rate (additional gears will lower RPM for the same speed = better gas mileage).  I was beginning to reap the benefits of it like I never have before.  And I still can, once I fix my feet.  It's so exciting for me to be on the cusp of breaking through.  I feel like Jed Clampett seein' that "a bubblin' crude."

I'll throw my voice in here, too, talking about the low-intensity endurance work others have mentioned.

One approach is to not run by pace, but by intensity as measured by heart rate. Once you get the effective target heart rate established that balances health and fitness, It will feel weird and you'll think you're running too slow - but you'll actually be stimulating positive adaptations that will over time significantly improve your aerobic capacity.

And the best part? If you're doing it right, you keep getting faster at that same target (low) heart rate, which gives some great positive motivation to keep at it. You'll notice a moderate improvement every three weeks, and a bigger gain every six weeks. (If the gains don't happen, something's wrong.)

Once you've got a good base and the easy speed it brings, it's time to build with a bit more intensity (Hadd's Approach to Distance Training is a dense read, but helpful.) and sharpen up for whatever race you want to try. Though if you've worked the aerobic engine enough, that extra sharpening might not even be necessary.

Mark, don't you agree you are a little too late on this?

  

Not quite sure what you mean, Jerry. It's never too late to spend a couple of hours deciphering Hadd!

The question is a year old. It's 2014 now.