It’s interesting how being able to run really easy and accumulate a lot of strides seriously improves race performance, even though it won’t feel like it during training. I can’t “keep up” with some people in training (pace) but I’ll blow them away in a race. It’ll be fun to watch Kate and see this process play out and how it helps her race.
What a brilliant demonstration of what a good coach can do. Thank you to Kate for allowing herself to be vulnerable. She was able to keep ownership of her program while being pushed to accept what she really already knew was true, and see how progress could be made creatively with a couple of tweaks. Thank you!
It's really cool to see this whole process, with Kate going from uncertainty to clarity and an action plan. I'm always telling friends who say, "I'd like to run, but it's just so hard," ~you can always slow down ~
@@runelitecoach so simple but few people get it!! I know MANY runners who do their endurance at say 5'30/km like me. But in a 10k they can only run 48min, meanwhile I would race it in 33'30. Even people on my level, it's very common for them to post such workouts as "16km at 3'55" and flag them as easy running... Yeah right, as if!! By the way, I've just finished your book. Currently recovering from an injury. Once healed, you've convinced me to go on an extensive base phase with lots of strides. I'll build up to it slowly over the course of many weeks. You've also convinced me (other experts had opened my mind before like the 'Clinique du coureur" (runner' s clinique from Quebec, GREAT ressource by the way) but I hadn't taken the plunge. Today will be my 7tg day in a row running twice. It's going great, I'm in conditioning mode. Running even slower (6min/km or slower) for only 10min at a time but it adds up. I'll get close to 24km in 7 days. All while feeling like I haven't run at all, seriously, it's so easy. Whereas in August I had a flare-up of my achilles injury once reaching the same mileage run of easy running only spread over 5 days, one run a day, even though I took longer to build up to it! Curious about your coaching... I saw there's a whole application process. But no mention of the price anywhere I could find. Where could I get that information?
Very interesting to see the process of developing a workable training plan. Would like to see the follow-up with Kate to see how this worked out. Side note: for me, running my easy runs easy started when I stopped counting miles and ran for a fixed amount of time; as well as not recording pace but setting my heart rate monitor to beep when it gets above my zone 2, signaling me to ease up. Before I used a heart rate monitor, breathing through my nose, singing (sure, I would get occasional weird looks), and talking with a running partner helped me avoid my natural desire to run “a little bit faster.” Thanks for the great content.
I’ll consider doing an interview with her again at the end of her season. But these calls are in my private group, and I don’t like to share too much from there, of course only with the permission of my client. I’ll keep this in mind though and perhaps you’ll see a follow up with her Later this year
I feel every word of what Kate said… I want my cake and to eat it too!! (Gluten free cake…😂) For me- time is such a a limiting factor and I sometimes feel like decreased mileage is going to inhibit my goals. Thanks for sharing this coaching call with Kate. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there…
No idea who this lady is, but you are worthy. Forget competing with others. Compete with yourself. Trust and enjoy the process! Slow is smooth and smooth is fast! Change your mindset and your future self will love and thank you for it.
She’s amazing. She has her mind in the right place. We’ve done multiple sessions since this. She’s got her head on right for sure. Thanks for supporting her
Ok, wow :D After testing out different training strategies for swimming, biking and running over years and not improving at any discipline at all, for the last few months I decided to only run and only run easy almost every day. The pace I am able to run breathing comfortably through my nose changed within like 3 months from round about 10 min/km to 6:15 min/km.
Thank you for this! I feel the same way as Kate! But the reason I want to get more miles in less time is because I have three kids and and a full time job. I'm not signed up for any races, but I'd eventually like to run a 15k. Unsure of how to achieve this in less than 1.5 hours at this point. Right now, I'm just running 3-5 miles a day because that's all I have time for. Also, best of luck on your marathon! You'll do great! 👍😃
This was an excellent demonstration of not only a good coaching session but also a good beginner runner being honest with herself and willing to change her training plan to get closer to her marathon goal. Thank you for this.
Thanks for sharing this video! Once again, you’ve opened my eyes to my mistakes that I have been doing, even when I know the right answer when you are asking someone else. Do more strides
This one hit. The process here was great and very relatable. I had an easy 6k scheduled for today. Rather than staying just under that zone 3 effort, I kept it in the low to mid-zone 2 heartrate, but added a stride at the end of every kilometre. It felt great and was easier to bring the hr back to base. I'm looking forward to seeing what this approach does to my training performance after a few weeks of trying it.
This is brilliant coaching advice and counter-intuitive: but it makes sense. I’ve always done a few strides and haven’t done more due to fatigue - seeing these as super important is a game changer.
Yes, they are super powerful to do strides. I have an ultra runner right now who runs about 150 miles per week, every week, for years. And just by adding in strides, she was able to significantly improve her performance, smash a bunch of course records, and I have to keep it a little bit hush-hush for the moment, but she’s going for a giant record, which will skyrocket her to the top of the world. In other words, strides are super powerful. There’s more to training than just easy running in strides, but those two things alone will actually take you pretty dang far if you just do them at a high volume and recover well and eat well and sleep well.
I have some injuries but struggle mentally to take time off. They are grade 1 muscle strains i used the video to help me take a 2 week plan to rest. To start.
Good luck healing. Better to just take time off now and not prolong the injury. With a muscle strain, you should continue to use the muscle very gently provided that it’s not painful. Very light range of motion exercises, going for a walk and giving very light massage can be beneficial.
I agree with you Coach, i picked up your book several months ago. I'm the parkway, Va guy that started running again after leaving competitive running in college and after. Took 5 years off and now 47 years old and now have been running consistently around 45 miles a week for the last two months. Planning on maintaining and increasing over the next couple months and integrating 5k block to get my threshold up. What I have noticed over the last couple months I have been keeping everything easy started out and was painfully slow, but doing this all my paces have improved over time considerably. Targeting Sub 1:30 this October. Plus still have about 15-20 pounds to boot. Down 50 since July....Able to hold 9:20 pace an my easy runs which now feel painfully slow....That 20 pounds I will loose will increase all my run paces by at least 40 seconds a mile....So thanks coach!!!!!
Wow! This is amazing! You’re doing well and losing excess weight healthfully is going to do more for your fitness than any workouts will. But not through caloric restriction rather through quality of foods. Eat living foods, plants, whole plants, raw as much as you can. That’s a good place to start. Cut out oil and dairy first Please leave a review of the book since you’ve enjoyed it. You can do so at www.amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=+B0CFCZF65L
Agreed , I cut out all dairy and only eat organic food currently. Minimal meat.....lots of veggies currently and beans....just started doing fruits in the morning for more carbs. I do eat rice, but will soon replace with potatos
I think this is why switching to power as a metric has revolutionized my easy runs. I have a time on feet to hit while staying below a certain power. That way I'm not using pace or distance (the metrics I'm used to and can get "embarassed" about).
Interesting video, thanks Andrew. I had thought our base training “slow” miles were supposed to be at the bottom of the base endurance table given in your book (80% of race pace) so was reassured to hear you say base miles are not a workout so the %’s don’t apply. I have instead been keeping just under the top of my Zone 2 HR which is another minute slower, currently 13mm, painfully slow, but I do have the energy for the strides and hills. I am trusting that over weeks the top of my Zone 2 will allow for increased speed. 🤞
Yes, it’s a question that I often get from my readers. I am in the process of updating a few pieces of the book and starting on this coming week there will be a small section which clarifies that. But in your bonuses on the Book website, you will be able to find that next week as well.
Nice. I think Andrew’s philosophy is that the strides are critical in base training. Just cover the miles slow but develop the top line speed , which should raise race pace better than running moderately vs slow
I love this. So helpful. I am reading your stuff and loving it. I am trying to work on my conditioning. I have been doing MAF for 9 months but it was mostly walking to keep my heart rate at 132. Now body ready to run. But today I ran at 13.30 min pace and it still went to 149. Is that okay while I am conditioning? Trying to get over a jump of getting in shape and running more instead of all my walking. Would some strides help now as I am working on my conditioning?
Hi, I am writing from Colombia! I already finished the book and loved it! I already made a review in Amazon, but it has not been published yet, and I am starting to gradually incorporate the new knowledge in my running. I am going to run a half marathon on March 10th and Chicago Marathon in October. I have a few questions to make; all of them are importante, but specially the first one: 1) I live in Bogotá, and it is 2,600 meters above sea level, so it is a common place that my important races are much lower in altititude (In fact the two I mentioned as my main goals are basically at sea level). So, when it comes to plan race and training paces, Should I make a "translation" of paces considering altitude? I mean, if I set the paces I want to run on my races in the calculator, they will be harder in training because of the altitude, but if I "translate" them to the altitude where I train, they would be slower, and now that I've read the book, I intuitively think that if I translate paces, I would not be recruiting the fibers I need for my race, but just adapting the paces to what my metabolic and energy systems can work better at the altitude I train, but using the claculator you provide using my goal race time provides much thougher trainning paces, so please help with how to handle this!! 2) I usually hear that just aftter training, it is a good idea to ingest some protein in the first 20 minutes because there's a kind of metabolic window where yo absorb better these nutrients and help you more to recover, but after reading the book, considering that just after training we get a high HGH dosis, and that digestion and HGH need their own "time and space" to work properly, now I wonder if it is good or not to eat just after (in fact you mention a carb load strategy by running finising fast and take advantage on the insuline peak, but I have doubts if I would be wasting the HGH peak). 3) What do you think about cross-training? I mean a different aerobic activity that you use for example on a rest day instead of running, for example I make a bike spinning class at the gym. 4) Is it possible to use the triphasic model but using power zones instead of paces as metric reference? I ask this because I use the Stryd power sensor in my training, what do you think about it?
Hey, I shuffle along at 13 minutes per mile for my easy runs. Who cares if I look slow? I'm out there training. 90% of the people who'd judge my speed are driving in their car to go sit on the couch and watch Netflix.
Been binging your videos. Great stuff. Thank you! quickly can I bump up my base training from just 15mikes a week to start half marathon training for a race on Oct 6?
Hey, thanks for the props, and welcome to the channel. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the content thus far. If you are not injured at all, and you do bass training in the way that I prescribe it, which is very slow, easy running and lots of it, and short but fast strides with the full recovery, then there’s no reason why you can’t jump your mileage up significantly. But just hold it there for 4 to 6 weeks before jumping it up again otherwise otherwise injury risk goes very high. it depends on your history training. Have you been at higher mileage in the past? If so, you can probably just jump it straight up there, if this is new territory for you can probably jump it up to about 30 instantly and let yourself adapt over a couple of months.
@@runelitecoach thank you so much! Just bought your book. Can’t wait to read it. I have run a couple marathons and half marathons in the past, but it’s been more than 10 years. I’ve just been a two to three times a week short runner since. I think I will bump it up to 30. Thanks so much!
Hey coach thanks a ton for your amazing content. I have heard that easy pace should be 2 min slower than my 5k race goes into the lower bound of my zone 3 (i have belt for HR monitoring) not zone2 . I have heard that easy run should be in zone2 . Should I run slower than 2 minutes? My 5k race pace is 3:40 and my weekly mileages is 70km. Im 34
Keeping it easy totally depends on how much volume you’re used to, how you feel, the weather, terrain, etc. so just keep it subjectively easy. But lean towards the slower end of that
During base training, I've been running in heart rate zone 1 (recovery), around 10min miles, Is this too slow? This is totally different training from what I'm used too, 4 weeks of this pace feels wrong as my easy runs where normally in low - mid zone 2. I'd just like to know if I'm running too slow. I'm totally sticking with your training method though. I'm actually starting to enjoy strides!
I can’t see if it’s too fast or too slow because I don’t know how long you’re going and what your history is. But slow is OK, as long as you’re doing it at high volume. So if your volume is the same as it was when you were doing zone two, then just go back to zone two. But if you significantly increase your volume and add strides, then keep it in zone one and you will have a superior result.
Currently my base training is 5 days at 36 miles, weekly (100% target 45 miles). long runs start this week at 10 miles which I'm adding 7 x 8 sec hill sprints. For my hill sprints I run a 1 mile loop, and I usually do the 12 x strides at the end of a run. I'll monitor how I feel and adjust pace if necessary, so zone 1 for now. Thanks@@runelitecoach
Just a thought 150 could be in the zone 2( the three types of zones, threshold, heart rate z, or heart reserve ) based on measured max heart rate , i think it is better to use R.P. , isn't it ?
Depends on what you’re cooling down from. Most of your runs it should just be pretty easy, so there’s not much to cool down from. But when you do a big workout, having a few miles of very easy, running at the end of it seems to help us solidify the work out. I don’t know why. And I have looked into the research on this, and there’s not much good research on it. But I can tell you through my own experience, and the experience of my Runners and extended cool down after a high intensity workout is beneficial.
Eat plants. Sleep adequately. And run slowly until you adapt. Recover check! I hear you though. But if recovery is your priority then this is how you do it
People often define easy as being below the ventilory threshold, but it's too hard for me. It's easy on the heart and lungs, but hard on the tendons and ligaments. When in shape, I am at 4min/km at my VT. It's just too hard. So I often run at 5'30/km even though I can hold 3'25/km in a 10k.
One question, 40 to 50 strides seems to be a lot? I ask this question to understand stride distance or is it time I.E. 30 sec per? After your run or doing them towards the last mile…Thanks in advance
It’s not a lot. Many of my runners are doing 150. Some over 200. 40-50 strides is less than a 5k of about 5k pace running. No big deal. Doesn’t matter if it’s distance or time. About 20s or 100m. Anywhere from 50-250m is fair game
Two of my runners are doing 250 and 300 strides respectively. One just qualified for world championships in 100mpw one is about to take down a huge course record next week and just took down one other course record
@@runelitecoach I really appreciate your feedback and clarification on strides, I’ve always heard of doing strides at the end of an easy run. But never really understood the concept and execution of proper stride distance or time and how much to do over a 7 day or 10 training week. Again thanks for the advice on the content, your channel is always a great resource to follow along with.
Do you think a 90 minute run can still count as easy run if it is in the right pace? Or asked differently: Is it ok to run 90 minutes at an easy pace on a daily basis if you subjectively can recover from it?
That's great, thanks! Do you think there's a general boundary at all from where on it's objectively too long and rather counterproductive or is it just subjective?@@runelitecoach
I'm listening to the audio version of your book and there is an error or at least an inaccuracy. Tom Boyle wasn't a competitive power lifter but he was 6'4" 300 lbs and at the time could deadlift over 600lbs. I don't think the point your making in the book when you talk about Tom Boyle isn't a valid point. I just happen to know from other literature that he did lift and was very strong!
Cool. Good point. I’ll look into it more. I’m doing a second printing of the book right now with minor updates and I’ll put that on my radar. Thanks. - even if that’s true the point still remains which is a good thing. Thanks
Love your channel. Was Armstrong's VO2 max measured on a bike or on a treadmill. That could be the difference right there, VO2 max changes sport to sport.
Thank you for your response. I'm listening to your audiobook that I purchased on audible on all my base training runs. I've learned so much from you in the last few days, very exciting. My point on the VO2 max is if the marathon runner performed his on a treadmill and Armstrong performed his on a bike we're not really comparing apples to apples. Armstrong's VO2 max running was probably only slightly above average.
Is your easy run the same as what others call zone 2 run? I noticed that you asked her for her heart rate but not if she could hold a conversation while running. If she could do the latter then many would argue that she was running easy and it doesn't matter if it's 150 bpm or 130 bpm cuz it's not a certain heart rate but a range of heart rate that it is. Or is it something different an easy run is not the same as aerobic run? Do you believe that some of us just can't run at 130, 120 bmp at all no matter how? Or you think that it's possible for everyone to achieve that simply by running slower? I tried it for several months about a year ago, even at 12,13m/mile with walking I can't get my average heart rate below 140 plus, so I'm on the camp of "no, it's not possible for everyone and some were just born that way. Another thing is what's the point of running at that low heart rate when your heart rate will go back to to 160s or higher when running faster like during a race?
I didn’t ask her HR. She volunteered that, and it sounded high to me. So my question to her was if not we’re subjectively easy. Keeping it “easy” truly easy is the key. HR doesn’t matter for that. If your HR is low but the run is hard…wasn’t easy enough. I’d manually take your HR and continue the watch. If you’re at 140 while walking then you should indeed just walk a lot and reduce running until that improves. But I’m skeptical that it’s that high while walking really. Likely just a watch error
@@runelitecoach Looks like some miscommunication there. Let me clarify. I didn't mean my hr was 140 bpm when walking. I meant I included walking in my runs to try to keep my heart rate low but still couldn't get it below 140 even at 12-13m/mile average pace. That was a bit more than a year ago. Now I just use the talk-test. My hr while walking leisurely is about 90, up to 110 if going up a slope. In the first quarter of a run my hr usually goes up to about 140 at about 10 m/mile. You suggested in your video manually checking hr for 30 sec. 30 sec might be too long as my hr could drop by 20 beats in a minute so the hr at the beginning and the end of that 30 sec differs quite a lot. All hr based on my watch with Polar HR10. Thanks for the response, coach!
If VDOT has me running 18 miles next week, do the 40 strides I plan to do that same week count towards that recommended weekly mileage? I have seen very positive results since using VDOT, so I don’t want to mess with it to much. I am surprised that it doesn’t have me run more strides. The majority of strides that I run, I add because of you and others who promote their benefits like building speed without risking injury.
Hey, I know you probably want a response from Andrew, but here's my take. You should do as many strides as mileage which is why it is 40 in the video. So do 18. Most people who do them at the end of a session won't count them. So if you did a 3 mile run, then 5 strides. That's 3 miles for the day. Some people do them in the middle of a run though and so your watch will automatically pick them up and count them.
That program does have you run strides, but it defines your easy runs as simply as “E” what I’m telling you is a ratio of strides to miles. So if you’re running 18 miles, you will do well to do 18) strides throughout the week. Not 40.
I was surprised to hear your thoughts that 150 bpm is too high for most people for easy runs. I run most of my easy runs at 165 to 168 average bpm. My max is over 200. I can average 190 bpm for 40 minutes in a trail race. My GF is the same as me I wonder if you are biased to lower heart rates because you own is low. There is a lot of genetic fluctuations.
165-if that’s measured from a chest strap-is way to fast. Even if your max HR is 220…..that’s 75% of your max. That’s too fast. It absolutely needs to be between 60-70% of your Max HR….and even that is a proxy for the real number--2.0 mmol/L of blood lactate. If you truly know your max HR by doing a max HR test, and it is measured with a chest strap, then keep that HR below 70% and you’ll reap all the zone 2 benefits particular to zone 2. I used to use the watch HR only….it was great at rest and horrible during exercise….and the chest strap corrected that. My watch HR would read 165 BPM at 9:30/mile. In reality I was at 130BPM. Gotta be accurate here.
For my particular, Runner), who I was coaching here, it was too high. Your easy runs, of course, need to be subjectively easy, and we were using her heart rate as just a proxy of that. Being an ultra runner, myself, I know that when I’m running really long, or very high mileage, that to keep my runs, truly easy for a multiple hour. My heart rate is often not exceeding 135, but I understand that for marathoners or shorter distance, Runners, a pace can be faster, and it can still be easy. The main thing to keep in mind is that if you were to slow it down, you could theoretically run more volume which is advantageous during base training. But if you’re subjectively running easy at a heart rate of 165, have at it!
@@quengmingmeow I use a chest strap. I arrived at the number below 170 for easy aerobic runs by taking my lactate threshold 190 bpm based on run where I averaged 190 for 40 minutes and used the formula from training peaks to calculate zones.
@@runelitecoach 👍👍 for me 135 would be at or near walking pace, but I am close to 20 min 5k so would not be any training stimulus unless ultra distance
@@JM-jx4sgwhat’s your max HR? I really think you should do a Lactate test at different HRs and find your LT1 and LT2. I’m not sure how Training Peaks does their training zones, but I have heard of no one able to hold 190bpm for 40 minutes. To me, that would mean your max HR would need be north of 220 which seems highly unlikely. Double check the strap measured HR with your own “hand on the neck” measurement and go figure out your LT1 and LT2. You may need to ignore HR and go with a pace pegged to your LT1.
I’m recording a video of this week on the supplements that I do take. It’s not many, and they have a specific purpose. I’ll be sharing that shortly so stay tuned and subscribe.
It does? I have runners doing 120+ strides per week. It’s 4000m worth of 5k pace running. It’s like running a 5k, taking a break every 20 seconds, and stopping half a mile before the finish and going home….and spreading that out over a week. Definitely nothing risky about that
@@runelitecoach when most people say strides, they mean 90 to 95% of top speed. The risk does depend greatly on what a person's top speed is and also age and running surface.
I suggest you stop running at all and start walking. In that case your marathon pace will improve even more and your 5k pace will be fantastic 😃 I can’t listen to this nonsense run slow to run fast. If that was really the case, most hikers would be marathoners or 5k olimpic medalists
Dude. You sounds poorly informed. Watch my video on base training. Or the video on structuring training. Or at least watch the video that you’re commenting on instead of replying to what you think it says
