Delve into the fundamentals of interval training and elevate your running performance. Learn how balanced regimens can enhance endurance and running efficiency. Discover the historical roots of interval workouts and their physiological benefits. Explore metabolic thresholds and their role in running economy. Gain valuable strategies to optimize your training, focusing on the balance of intensity and recovery while emphasizing the power of psychological factors for improved performance.
Consistent incorporation of both easy runs and intervals is vital for enhancing endurance while ensuring a balance between stress and recovery.
Understanding the role of psychological enjoyment in training can significantly impact motivation and long-term success in endurance performance.
Deep dives
Training for Endurance and Economy
To develop endurance, it is essential to gradually extend easy running distances and find a balance between stimulus and recovery. Incorporating heavy resistance training, plyometric activities, and sprints helps improve overall durability and running economy. Furthermore, training on race-like terrain allows for short burst efforts that contribute significantly to building stamina. Consistently increasing mileage or effort while carefully managing recovery is crucial for long-term success in endurance training.
Understanding Interval Training
Interval training has roots in early 20th-century practices, emphasizing the advantages of combining fast-paced bouts with recovery periods. While it is widely believed that accumulating more time at higher efforts improves fitness, scientific evidence on the superiority of intervals versus continuous efforts is ambiguous. Despite its unclear benefits, runners often find intervals more enjoyable and manageable, making it a recommended approach for many. Incorporating intervals into a training regimen can enhance performance, provided they align with individual psychological and physiological needs.
Motor Unit Recruitment and Economy
As running speeds increase, muscle engagement shifts from economical units to less efficient motor units, affecting performance in ultramarathons. It is crucial to train these motor units at higher intensities to improve their efficiency. Oxygen consumption rates at various paces reveal a direct relationship with fatigue processes, emphasizing the importance of running economy. Understanding the economy threshold helps delineate the balance between maintaining speed and minimizing fatigue during endurance events.
Recommendations for Effective Interval Training
For optimal results, runners should aim to perform intervals at a work rate just above their critical velocity, which can be estimated through specific tests or race paces. A mix of interval durations ranging from 1 to 10 minutes, paired with suitable rest intervals, allows for customization based on training goals and individual needs. Incorporating psychological factors and enjoyment into training is vital for maintaining motivation and avoiding burnout. Tracking progress and adjusting interval training based on personal data ensures ongoing development and improvement in endurance performance.
You can train our mind, body, and craft. In recent episodes on training your body, we skimmed the surface of training endurance and economy. If you run a lot of miles, often on race-like terrain and run all out for short bursts a few times per week, you’re doing the majority of the work that will improve your body’s capacities. To further extend stamina, you may want to run comfortably hard intervals, the topic of today's episode.
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