Ok,
I know this will go over well with ST:
.
Benefits from HIIT will reach a point of diminishing returns much faster than traditional aerobic training. And a main reason why so many runners are injured is because a lot of them are out-of-shape people getting back into sports and they do too much to early or just make mistakes because of lacking guidance. Also “Junk Mileage” doesn’t exist. With that said some sort of crossfit-type routine could be beneficial for many, but not because of a traditional running program not being the best way to train for a runner. HIIT doesn’t improve one’s aerobic ability enough to work for a serious runner as a full-time training strategy, it would be best used in combination with traditional training to make a runner more well-rounded, but definitely should not compromise the majority of a runner’s training.
Can he even break 20mins in the 5k?
I really hate the term “junk mileage”. It’s only junk if it’s not part of a plan, and even then, it’s still not junk. All training has value. Hopefully it has a purpose. Even if the purpose is unstructured training to give you a mental break, or the purpose is to have fun.
This is a new one…Crossfit won’t leave you a wrinkly prune. Running will.
“Plus, too much running volume can increase the speed of aging through the production of free radicals and the subsequent effects of oxidation. The result is an endurance athlete wrinkled beyond his or her years.”
I really hate the term “junk mileage”. It’s only junk if it’s not part of a plan, and even then, it’s still not junk. All training has value. Hopefully it has a purpose. Even if the purpose is unstructured training to give you a mental break, or the purpose is to have fun.
Agreed and I think the majority of runners aren’t even close to the point of diminishing returns where more mileage would become “junk mileage”.
This is a new one…Crossfit won’t leave you a wrinkly prune. Running will.
“Plus, too much running volume can increase the speed of aging through the production of free radicals and the subsequent effects of oxidation. The result is an endurance athlete wrinkled beyond his or her years.”
Sounds more likely than extensive exposure to the sun.
Ok,
I know this will go over well with ST:
My hot take on his HOTTEST TAKE: I actually agree a bit. I think a bunch of runners (especially beginners and MOPers) lack some of the speed/strength to get the most out of high mileage. I think a male runner aiming for 1:30 or 1:40 or a woman aiming for 1:50 would benefit a TON from high-intensity work followed by traditional aerobic development. In my anecdotal experience, the reverse base can have a gigantic benefit.
Of course, once you reach a certain point, there is no getting around the need for high mileage. But running fast off of high mileage requires a base of speed/running economy that a lot of people don’t have naturally. (Note: I think Lydiard and periodization works perfectly as-is when an athlete is oozing talent. But most of us don’t have that luxury)
Ok,
I know this will go over well with ST:
My hot take on his HOTTEST TAKE: I actually agree a bit. I think a bunch of runners (especially beginners and MOPers) lack some of the speed/strength to get the most out of high mileage. I think a male runner aiming for 1:30 or 1:40 or a woman aiming for 1:50 would benefit a TON from high-intensity work followed by traditional aerobic development. In my anecdotal experience, the reverse base can have a gigantic benefit.
Of course, once you reach a certain point, there is no getting around the need for high mileage. But running fast off of high mileage requires a base of speed/running economy that a lot of people don’t have naturally. (Note: I think Lydiard and periodization works perfectly as-is when an athlete is oozing talent. But most of us don’t have that luxury)
Exactly what I was thinking. The type of people he’s targeting/talking about with this is those who at the moment aren’t built to be runners. However after a certain point it becomes less and less applicable.
Really well said. As a side-note, I think some of the principles should be incorporated throughout the year, no matter what training phase a runner is in. Year-round ~100 meter fast strides and/or ~60 meter hill sprints are things that almost all elite runners do, and those same principles may be even more effective for people newer to running.
This guy is such an idiot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHRkZCeCpws&feature=related
http://www.flotrack.org/...k-Field#.VGJVHfnF9Ro
The lets run sleuths (which at times includes me) have done a good job summarizing his own race results in the following thread as well (Spoiler alert, there are TONS of DNFs and near last-place finishes…and in the videos above he kind of defines fast marathoners as sub 4 and 5-hour):
http://www.letsrun.com/...d=4634661&page=0
One of my favorite entries:
From Whitepages of Crossfit:
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Brian MacKenzie declares on the Crossfit Endurance website that he will attempt to finish in the top 10 at the Badwater 135 Mile Ultramarathon and the Crossfit Games in the same year.
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Brian Mackenzie of Crossfit Endurance declares that he refuses to “destroy his body” by completing a qualifying race to be eligible to run Western States 100. Asks permission from race directors to skip qualifer. Denied, of course.
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CFE founder Brian MacKenzie’s solo 41-mile run through Badwater ends in failure. Reports from his Twitter page say that his shoes melted. Interestingly enough, hundreds of athletes have managed to complete the full 135-mile journey across Badwater and managed to deal with melting shoe problems.
3.“The 100 Mile Movie” project premieres. Project aimed to document Brian MacKenzie and Carl Borg complete 100 mile races using the CFE protocol. Project ends in failure as neither MacKenzie nor Borg completed any 100 mile races from that point on.
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Brian MacKenzie DNFs at the Quad Dipsea.
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Brian MacKenzie DNF’s from the Crossfit Games.
Read more:http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4634661&page=3#ixzz3ImoCnsSE
What’s also interesting is that his book announcement was juxtaposed to Mat Fitzgerald’s (who I believe is associated with Comppetitor, who also published the book announcement for McKenzie) 80:20 rule book which advocates and scientifically backs up the physiology of the 80:20 rule.
Quote at :51 “Triathletes look like they are doing meth”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jueg3UPRQ-w&feature=relmfu
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There’s a bit of a false dichotomy with respect to his claims and methods. No one who actually wants to be fast just goes out and “Sloggs” (a term he frequently uses to mean slow jogging) for hours. So he basis his arguments on a false assumption, and if you base an argument off of a false assumption, there is no logic left.
This is a classic by the mathematician G. H. Hardy.
Assume 1 = 2 (assume something that is false and you can prove anything to be correct)
The Pope and I are two.
By the previous theorem, 2 = 1.
Therefore, the Pope and I are one.
(Technically, this proof is correct, in the sense that the conclusion follows from the premise. It’s just that the premise is wrong.)
In reality, even Lydiard had his athletes doing hill sprints during the base phase. Most modern coaches have their athletes lifting (think Canova, Salazar, Cook, Virgil, hell even Mark Wetmore who is supposedly a Lydiard disciple has his athletes do a fair amount of gym work ~ 2 hours a week).
If you actually take someone who doesn’t REALLY know how to train for endurance events (including appropriate periodization and 80:20 balance) who only “sloggs,” then these methods MAY get a couple of modest PRs, with no reduction in injury rates like he suggests. Now, if you take that same person and place them in the hands of a competent coach who knows how to guide them, they’ll have lower injury rates and get closer to maximizing their potential.
This guy is one of the MAIN reasons I have such a problem with crossfit. You won’t see me spewing out a bunch of meaningless jargon (free radicals and oxidative stress??? WTF are you talking about) to make it sound like I know what I’m talking about whilst claiming that running 50 miles a week will improve your squat and cleans and make you more attractive (there’s ALWAYS a bit of vanity tied into crossfit) on a body-building site…because it would be wrong. Now why in the world to people listen (and even buy his books) when he says it is beyond me.
ZERO credibility.
Totally agree! Great post.
. Now why in the world to people listen (and even buy his books) when he says it is beyond me.
Cuz, dude, I don’t want to get all wrinkly and shit…
I think that’s already been said, and it’s another false dichotomy. The wrinkles are much more likely caused by sun exposure. I know I don’t have a popular opinion on the matter, but I wear my wrinkles, and grey hairs with pride. So that particular argument has no bearing on myself.
PSA: Wear Sun Screen!