EVERFIT Book review - 80/20 Running

The cover states "Run stronger and race faster by Training slower". This is one of Matt Fitzgerald's best books and it was a pleasure to read! The book underpins my coaching philosophy of having most of the week EASY -STEADY training to create the correct platform for progress, allowing you to get more out of your quality tempo and speed sessions

One of my biggest challenges as a coach is getting across to athletes to run SLOW during the weekly long run. This will develop the aerobic system more effectively, and then won't wear you out for the other sessions during the week.  Arthur Lydiard basically invented 80/20 training (80% of the week at EASY-STEADY intensity, and only 20% around or over the Anaerobic threshold) with his early running training experimentation. His methods were finally excepted by the world when in Rome Olympics Peter Snell, Magee, and  Halberg all dominated against runners who were training with more interval training.

Matt Fitzgerald opens the book with some interesting history of training in running and how the 80/20 method has been the proven best method for improvement since the mid 1960's. He quotes some great studies to back up the principle. None better than the famous Salzberg Study which shows the biggest improvement (the time taken to exhaustion measure was used) was when there was a definite split in low intensity training and high intensity training. The researchers believed "that the greatest mistake in endurance training is spending too much time at moderate intensity - this is more stressful than low intensity yet less beneficial than high intensity".  Most athletes get this totally wrong and spend up to 50% of the time training at this race pace or zone 3 intensity, when in reality you should be either above or below this. TEMPO sessions are used sparingly to prepare for a race. In the Salberg study the best improvements were shown with athletes spending only 6% of their week at moderately hard intensity.

The cornerstone of running performance is aerobic capacity or the bodies ability to extract oxygen from the environment and use it to release energy from muscle fuels. Almost all the running studies quoted in the book find that the aerobic system is strengthened most effectively by a combination of lots of low-intensity running and a little high-intensity running. Running improvement doesn't just come from the improvement in VO2 max - it comes down to running economy, fatigue resistance (brain and body), strength, and efficiency = all of which are worked on with long slow running. A great example of this is Paula Radcliffe, from 1991 to 2003 her VO2 max measure was taken - her highest measure was at the start of this period (she was running 30 miles per week) and her 3000m time was 9:23. 5 years later she was running 100 miles a week and her 3000m time was 8:37 - yet her VO2 max was actually slightly lower! By 2003 she was running 160miles a week and her VO2 max was unchanged but in that year she run a world record 2:15:25 for the marathon (which was beaten in 2019 by Brigid Kosgei - 2:14:04).  Runners of all abilities routinely become more fatigue resistant, lower race times without improving their aerobic capacity. What they do improve with slow running is running efficiency, and learning to RELAX (have a quiet brain). Anything that increases brain activation during running will worsen performance.

More Specific Rules of the 80/20 approach

1) The 80/20 rule can be bent during different phases of training eg leading up to a race (more TEMPO, race pace work) and Taper when reducing overall volume but maintaining intensity.

2) Train in Cycles - the human body can only really absorb increasing training loads for up to 24 weeks at a stretch. Each cycle (lasting between 8-24 weeks depending on the race and athletic history) must have a recuperation period of at least a couple of weeks.

3) Run MORE but increase little by little.

4) Do tried and true workouts. Mix up long runs, tempo runs, speed (intervals), technique (drills), and recovery.

5) Obey the HARD/EASY rule. Simple - don't bunch the most stressful runs in the week one after another. Have EASY sessions in-between to allow for absorption.

6) Practise step cycles - each week of training is slightly more challenging than the preceeding until the end of the cycle (3-4 weeks) when the training load is reduced to allow for recovery. Most athletes are on a 4 weeks cycle.

7) Train Progressively with increasing volume and specificity for your race eg for a half marathon you will need to have a few session leading into the race that have you running at the specific race pace.

Cross Training

If you are a runner that breaks down (as we get over 40 this will become more usual) take heart. You can supplement your running with swimming and cycling. Matt Fitzgerald stated "most runners even those who don't get injured should do at least one nonimpact cardio session per week". This allows them to be able to fall back on an alternative form of exercise in an injury crisis. Also swimming (https://everfit.co.nz/articles/swim ) and biking will prolong your quality running career. Most of the worlds best runners in their 20's and 30's seldom carry on at the top of the game when they get into their middle and later age. Excessive running takes the "bounce" out of your legs. A great example is Ed Whitlock - he ran as a school boy, got serious in his middle age and ran a 2:54 marathon at 73 years of age!!

I currently add cross training with all my running athletes + all important body weight exercises, and yoga (https://everfit.co.nz/articles/why-should-i-do-yoga )

80/20 Weight loss

The mass media have hyped up the "higher intensity" exercises. This is because our society love the idea of quick results. "In our demanding society, the most attractive messages in the popular press are those that promise the best results in a short time" The facts are an exercise programme that combines a lot of low intensity exercise with a little moderate and high intensity exercise is more effective for weight loss (and maintenance of the weight loss) than is the standard interval based formula.

Brad Dixon is a sports physio, coach, and wellness evangelist based at EVERFIT Physio & Coaching. His passion is promoting enhancing daily habits that nudge people towards potential and save the planet. His book ‘Holistic Human’ is available here - https://everfit.co.nz/Store/Category/Book . The power is in our daily habits! Connect with Brad at www.everfit.co.nz, Facebook, Strava, Instagram (@everfitcoach), and YOU TUBE https://youtube.com/c/EverFITcoach