![]() “It also makes you more balanced and less prone to injury.” For one, it increases the force of your stride, and the more powerful your push-off, the less effort you exert with each stride, and the easier running fast feels, says Dr Stephen Cheung, professor of kinesiology at Brock University, Canada. We know what you’re thinking, but the scientists argue that all the heavy lifting can translate to distance running. Workouts average a life-friendly 10-20 minutes, and combine ‘metabolic conditioning’ exercises such as kettlebell swings, handstand press-ups and pull-ups with classic moves such as deadlifts and squats. The other half of MacKenzie’s programme is building strength through CrossFit. “If you have 50 runners doing traditional training and 50 doing HIIT for a full year, who turns out better trained? We haven’t done that study. “What we don’t know is how this plays out long term,” he says. He acknowledges that his study reflects a short period of training. “Pretty much every adaptation we measured could be realised through high-intensity interval training and lower volume,” explains Gibala. Gibala and his colleagues found that people who did short (25-minute) cycling workouts with a series of 30-second sprints improved their fitness over two weeks at the same rate as those who rode for two hours at a lesser intensity. “If you do 400m repeats, the vast majority of energy is coming from aerobic metabolism, making sprints a very potent aerobic stimulus,” says Dr Martin Gibala, a professor of kinesiology (the scientific study of human movement) at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. Yet some experts argue such adaptations can occur in less time with high-intensity runs. Traditionally, you’ve been told the best way to build your base is with long, slow aerobic workouts. Runners spend a lot of time talking about ‘base’ – the aerobic fitness foundation characterised by stronger heart muscles, thicker capillary webbing and improved enzyme production – necessary for optimum endurance performance. However, even the most sceptical scientists acknowledge there’s wisdom behind CFE and that – like most plans – it may work for some runners. ![]() So he launched CFE, believing passionately that a strong – really strong – body will carry you as far as you want to go.Ī word of warning: some experts are concerned that forfeiting the long run does not adequately prepare marathoners – especially newcomers – to the rigours of extended time on their feet. His high-test training twist helped MacKenzie dodge injury and finish ultra marathons on less than 10 hours of training a week. He kept the high-intensity speedwork found in many 26.2 plans, such as 400m and 800m repeats. ![]() He replaced LSD workouts and easy runs with 20-minute CrossFit workouts, a conditioning programme developed by former gymnast Greg Glassman that takes functional training to the extreme by combining power lifting, gymnastics, kettlebell training and other muscle-pummelling strength training. Following long, slow distance (LSD) training while preparing for an Ironman, he experienced knee problems and plantar fasciitis. Goodbye, long runs.ĬFE reduces mileage to as much as quarter of that in a typical marathon programme.MacKenzie developed CFE while training for Ironman and ultra marathon events. To that end, MacKenzie, along with cycling champion Doug Katona, created CrossFit Endurance (CFE), a high-intensity, low-volume training plan that blends CrossFit conditioning (heavy, explosive strength training) with sprints, time trials and tempo workouts. ![]() Or is it?Īccording to Brian MacKenzie, a power lifter turned ultra endurance athlete based in California, US, to go long, you have to be strong. Or it could be that once you start ramping up the volume, your body starts shutting down. It could be the practicalities of finding four hours to run on days already packed with work, kids and all the other demands of your life. However, the long run does trip up many runners. The physiological and psychological benefits are well established when it comes to prepping for the distance. We often tell you that the long run is the cornerstone of marathon training, and with good reason. ![]()
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