Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Heart Rate Training for Runners and Why You Feel Slow.
Running your next PB depends heavily on your aerobic energy system. From 5km upwards, 98% of your performance is fuelled by your aerobic energy system. When you run your easy-aerobic runs too fast, you add unnecessary and nonspecific stress to your physiological system. More often than not, the result is that your races never align…
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High-Intensity Interval Training for Runners. Unlocking Massive Gains.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is often associated with some form of “4-minute fat burner” workout, which IS NOT what I am talking about. HIIT workouts consist of repeated bouts of high-intensity work performed above the lactate threshold (a perceived effort of “hard” or greater) or critical speed/power, interspersed by periods of low-intensity exercise or complete…
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Why pro runners don’t care about their weekly mileage (and neither should you).
Pro runners don’t care about their weekly mileage. Lifting your weekly mileage by extending the duration of your runs or adding a weekly run could be ruining your chance of a new PB. If you’re out there training without a structured plan, adding more Kms onto your weekly schedule is the LAST option on your…
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Wellington Half Marathon Race Report
1:13:18 – New Personal Best – 9th Overall Power = 384 Watts / 5.11 W/Kg (101%) Pace = 3:28 min/km (99%)HR = 172 Bpm (96%) Full TrainingPeaks data HERE I thought I would have been faster The race went perfectly. I hit all my numbers, didn’t slow down, had good legs, and was able to…
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Dispelling the Grey Zone Myth
“Whether you’re a weekend worrier or a full-time pro doesn’t matter. Slowing down to go faster is legit.” Key points Grey zone & zone 3 are different. Grey zone is any training that’s done too hard or without purpose. Grey zone training harms fitness. Listen to the full episode on the Performance Advantage Podcast Trap…
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Dr Will’s Running Power Training Zones
Here we go again, training zones! It feels like every scientist/coach wants their own personal training zone system, and I’m no different! “Ah Will, can’t you just use someone else’s training zones and make them work?” I’ve tried, but I’ve found it too frustrating and confusing for myself and the athletes I work with. Training…
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Lactate Testing To Set My Training Zones. Returning From Injury
Throughout my time in endurance sport and sports science, I’ve been a self-experimenter. I’m always keen to test out new methods of training and new ways to monitor training on myself to see whether there is any benefit to applying them to my athletes’ training plans. My latest interest is in lactate control training, an…
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Using Data to Run a Faster Marathon
This is Steve. Steve entered a marathon, aiming to run it in sub 3 hours but ended up with a time of 3:06:36. But did Steve go out too hard? After running the first half of his marathon in 1:29:04, Steve followed up with a second half of 1:37:22, a decrease in average pace…
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How I used a running power meter to increase my running cadence and improve my running economy.
“To travel further, a runner typically has to propel themselves higher to prevent their feet hitting the ground. This increase in vertical oscillation (VO) requires the length of each foot strike to increase to allow the runner to “catch” themselves when landing and then push off again to “throw” their body back into the air.…
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Five Reasons NOT to Train With Heart Rate.
“Despite the increased ease of heart rate measurement through the development of wrist-based sensors, many athletes and coaches have moved away from heart-rate-based training.” Click here Cardiovascular vs Metabolic Cardiovascular vs Mechanical Pacing at the start of a race (short or long) Training load for intervals Reliability with wrist-based heart rate Heart Rate Defined. The…
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