80/20 Running

LONG INTERVAL RUNS A long interval run features repeated efforts of three to five minutes in Zone 4. Long interval runs maximize high-intensity fatigue resistance.

HILL REPETITION RUNS A hill repetition run is essentially an uphill interval run, featuring short segments of uphill running in Zone 5. Hill repetitions offer many of the same benefits as interval runs (namely, increased aerobic capacity and high-intensity fatigue resistance, as well as improved running economy). But hill repetitions are less stres

Typically, these adjustments are achieved by increasing and decreasing overall running volume rather than by fiddling with the balance of intensities.

SHORT INTERVAL RUNS A short interval run features repeated efforts of sixty to ninety seconds in Zone 5 separated by jogging recoveries in Zone 1. Short intervals enhance aerobic capacity, high-intensity fatigue resistance, and running economy.

LONG RUNS WITH SPEED PLAY A long run with speed play is an endurance run that’s done mostly at low intensity but has short bursts in Zone 3 sprinkled throughout it.

LONG RUNS WITH FAST FINISH A long run with fast finish is an extended run at low intensity with a relatively short effort at moderate intensity tacked onto the end. Like long runs with speed play, long runs with fast finish serve to further increase fatigue resistance toward the end of a training cycle after you’ve already developed basic endurance

TEMPO RUNS A tempo run is a sustained effort in Zone 3 sandwiched between a warm-up and a cool-down. Tempo runs are a very effective means of enhancing a runner’s ability to sustain relatively aggressive speeds. They are emphasized in the peak phase of training for races of all distances from 5K to the marathon.

There are a dozen types of run in all. They are divided into three categories. Low-intensity runs take place entirely in Zones 1 and 2 (refer back to chapter 6 for zone descriptions). Moderate-intensity runs include at least one segment in Zone 3. High-intensity runs feature multiple efforts in Zone 4 or 5 or both.

Seiler’s rule also helps runners by explicitly defining low intensity. The boundary between low intensity and moderate intensity, according to Seiler, falls at the ventilatory threshold, which is the intensity level at which the breathing rate abruptly deepens.