Less is Often Better

In the Winter issue of FootNotes, I laid out the case for why most runners will benefit from doing most of their runs at an easy pace in the range of 60-75% of maximum heart rate (MHR). This time, I want to pass on my thoughts regarding other benefits of a moderate training approach. Many runners are frustrated at their inability to meet what seem to be reasonable goals, such as qualifying for the Boston Marathon, breaking 4 hours in the marathon, or running an 8:00/mi 10K race. They find they cannot match their training pace at race time. I got into coaching because for years I could never figure out why my race times were so slow in comparison to my training times. After I ran into Coach Roy Benson at an RRCA Convention and learned about his principles of effort-based training (easier is often better), I began to train smart, with the result that I then, in my late 40s, achieved all my personal race record times
The runners who come to me for coaching assistance are often committing at least one of the following three training errors: 1) failure to take enough time off; 2) working out too hard and too fast; and 3) participating in too many marathons I know these mistakes all too well because I once made them myself.

Fear of Taking Time Off

Many runners operate under the assumption that the harder they work, the faster they will get. This is true up to a point. As I pointed out in my last column, running all your workouts above 75% of MHR actually has diminishing returns and may lead to your getting slower, not faster. Many runners don't want to back off or even miss a day, fearing they will lose their fitness level. This mindset even leads some to try to train through injuries, often resulting in an aggravation of the injury and, in the end, a much longer layoff.
Two suggestions may improve your overall training. First, take at least 1 day off a week from running and all forms of cross training. As I get older (50+), I find that I need to take a couple of days off each week. Those days off will give your body a chance to recover from training and will reduce the likelihood of injury.
Second, at least once a year, cut back on your training for a couple of weeks or even take the entire 2 weeks off. With only minimal loss in conditioning, this layoff will not only aid in physical recovery, but perhaps more importantly, it will provide a mental break from rigorous training. You can do this even during marathon training. A couple of years ago, a longtime client ran a marathon in which he achieved a 10-minute PR in his middle fifties, and qualified for Boston for the first time. After suffering a minor foot injury in the summer, he had taken 2 weeks off only 2 ½ months before the marathon. In all previous marathon training, he had trained religiously for months with no time off. We both believe that this forced break in the middle of training was the major reason for his PR.

Run Your Hard Workouts with Moderation

A common misconception is that interval workouts should be really stressful. In the same way that many run too hard on their easy days, many runners also make their speed-work sessions too hard and too long. Many runners believe that a speed session is not successful unless you are literally ready to throw up on the track. The truth is, a more moderate approach lessens a runner's likelihood of injury
A typical speed session consists of 3x1 mile at 80-85% effort (slightly faster than 10-mile race pace) with a 400-meter recovery. This means a 40-minute 10K runner (6:26/mi) would be running a 6:40 mile while a 50-minute 10K runner (8:00) would be running an 8:25 mile. The 20-minute anaerobic threshold run is also undertaken at 80-85% effort. I limit speed work to approximately 15% of weekly mileage. This relatively conservative approach means that the runner is likely to come to the starting line of a race refreshed and recovered.

The Pitfalls of Too Many Marathons

To my fellow marathoners who run many marathons and want to get faster: I observe a recurring pattern among folks running two or three marathons a year combined with many 15- to 20-mile runs between marathons. Their marathon times do not get faster; on the contrary they often are slower because they never give their bodies a chance to recover from one marathon before running the next one. Moreover, they don't set aside speed-training time because their legs are too weary from running so many marathons and long runs. All they accomplish is to teach their bodies to run long and slow.
Experience shows that marathoners actually benefit from taking one or two seasons off from running marathons in order to concentrate on anaerobic threshold training and 10K racing to improve their speed. There is a direct correlation between bringing down your 10K time and improving your marathon time. I also recommend limiting the long weekly run to 12-13 miles to avoid the risk of injury from being leg-weary. Running a 10K requires developing a completely different mindset from running a marathon. This new mindset helps marathoners to run their next marathon at a higher level.


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Kirt West began as a club coach for the Montgomery County Road Runners Club (MCRRC) in Maryland, where he served as Vice President, and is now a private coach for motivated adult runners. Questions for him can be sent to kirtwest@erols.com.