Hi folks, it’s Kelvin here. We run Coach for Leeds and surrounding areas, as well as online coaching.
In this video, I’m going to share some thoughts on what we don’t work on, what we don’t develop, in terms of what we’re adding into our run training.
Why Easy Running Alone Falls Short
Quite often I see runners trying to get faster by doing loads and loads of very easy running. It’s only going to work for a very short period of time. We might get some aerobic and metabolic adaptations, but how the body translates that into faster running can only really be achieved effectively by doing some faster running.
So do bear that in mind. What we don’t do, we don’t really develop. It makes a lot of sense, but I see it all the time where runners are trying to get fast with this kind of easy running idea, and they don’t add any consistent speed work into their training.
Building Endurance Requires More Running
The same goes for the other end of the spectrum. To develop durability and endurance, we need to do more running. That’s the definition of endurance – being able to do more for longer.
So this means increasing overall training volume and possibly extending longer runs.
Understanding Intensity Distribution
When we look at intensity distribution – how much easy, moderate, and hard running we’re doing – a modern approach, particularly for runners, is a pyramidal distribution of intensity.
This means we’re doing mainly easy running, some moderate running, and a little bit of hard running.
Nothing Gets Left Behind in Modern Training
Although we still periodise running and do slightly different things at different times, we now follow a concept where nothing gets left behind.
Almost all of the time, we’re including different intensities in our training.
In the past, there was a concept where in winter we focused purely on base-building with easy running and maybe a few strides, before progressing to more race-specific work later.
Now, even in a base phase, we might bias easy running slightly, but we still include:
- High-velocity work like sprints and hill sprints to build power
- VO2 max work to maintain a high metabolic ceiling
- Threshold and tempo work for that middle ground
- Easy running as the foundation of everything
Key Takeaway for Runners
So do bear that in mind. If you’re looking to progress an element of your training, make sure you’re working on it in a consistent way.
I hope that makes sense. If you’ve got any questions, please pop them in the comments below.
For now, happy running.
