1 - run easy
2 - run a lot
3 - add 1 or 2 moderately intense race specific workouts as races approach
3 is the tricky part, but if its all confusing for you, your best bet is a tempo run (run kinda hard for 20-60 minutes) and a tempo run of a different variety (slower and longer or shorter and a little fatser).
In either case, consistencey is the key.
Barry this is slow twitch. You are missing point 3 through 67.
Still for tri - frequency over volume? Running 6 days - but off so like 4 -12 - 4 - 8 -4 - (16-18) - after 12 weeks building to 60 mpw, after adding swimming and some cycling.
Still easy just a little less volume, I think that this falls near what you say for tri but double checking. Thanks for taking so much time with the program.
Brent
Excuse me, but that’s my program! 
1 - run easy
2 - run a lot
3 - add 1 or 2 moderately intense race specific workouts as races approach
3 is the tricky part, but if its all confusing for you, your best bet is a tempo run (run kinda hard for 20-60 minutes) and a tempo run of a different variety (slower and longer or shorter and a little fatser).
In either case, consistencey is the key.
Frequency and volume go hand in hand.
So after going 6-12-18, is cutting back one 12 and the 6’s a bad idea?
Brent
it’s your weekly mileage, not your long run mileage that does it. Furthermore, it’s your weekly mileage, week after week, over a large number of weeks, rather than the weekend progression of long runs that does it.
For triathlon, I would rather see someone an hour a day for 7 hours per week than someone run 5 hours a week of which one run is a 2.5 hour long run.
But Barry’s plan… It’s an artificial governor… your long run can only be 3x your short runs, of which you do three. This keeps people’s long runs at a reasonable level, and keeps you from getting hurt, which keeps you doing the two most important things in endurance training and adaptations:
frequency
consistency
Fair enough. Thanks for the input. So many decisions to make…haha
Brent
1 - run easy
2 - run a lot
3 - add 1 or 2 moderately intense race specific workouts as races approach
3 is the tricky part, but if its all confusing for you, your best bet is a tempo run (run kinda hard for 20-60 minutes) and a tempo run of a different variety (slower and longer or shorter and a little fatser).
In either case, consistencey is the key.
i get too excited on run days… 1 is hardest for me 
Sean Wade says it’s “IRS” = insecure runner’s syndrome hahaha
The point is not to get in certain workouts. IOW, to be able to say, “I can run 18 miles in one run every week” is not going to make you faster. The point is to maximize your total weekly volume.
Having said that, there is an element to getting in key workouts, which is one of the reasons why we do a long run. In addition, if one wants to ran a marathon or an IM, it is wise to get in a handful of 2.5-3 hour long runs, so I do advocate for an ultra long run every other week as the races near.
To your point, yes, you could remove a 12 and a 6 if for some reason you had to, but that will decrease your weekly mileage by 30% and will have exactly that kind of effect on your fitness.
What’s your opinion on running with my dog?
Fine! I finally read through almost all of your running info on the forums part 1, 2 & 3 and NOW you come out with the cliff notes!?!
All kidding aside thanks for all the info and the time you’ve put into your running articles you’ve shared with us here and the follow up.
The point is not to get in certain workouts. IOW, to be able to say, “I can run 18 miles in one run every week” is not going to make you faster. The point is to maximize your total weekly volume.
Having said that, there is an element to getting in key workouts, which is one of the reasons why we do a long run. In addition, if one wants to ran a marathon or an IM, it is wise to get in a handful of 2.5-3 hour long runs, so I do advocate for an ultra long run every other week as the races near.
To your point, yes, you could remove a 12 and a 6 if for some reason you had to, but that will decrease your weekly mileage by 30% and will have exactly that kind of effect on your fitness.
BarryP, first of all, thanks so much for all you’ve shared with us here.
Question: to put in a few 2.5-3 hour long runs before an IM, if a person is not up to a week of 60-120-60-120-60-180 minutes (yikes, that’s a lot to me!), would you suggest taking the extra time from the 2.5-3 hour run from other runs in the week, so that the total run time is the same as one was normally built up to? I think I’m having trouble wording this…suppose I’m at a weekly time running of 30-60-30-60-30-90…would you shorten some of the other runs to make up for going, say 150 minutes for the longer run? (maybe 15-45-15-45-15-150 ish??)
I’m just re-starting your plan after an injury…doing my baby runs faithfully. Not fast, not crazy long, but I am sort of liking that I run 6 days a week. (only up to 180 minutes a week right now) Thanks!
Barry this is slow twitch. You are missing point 3 through 67.
You get points 3 through 67 INCLUDED FREE with your $450/mo coaching subscription! Call within the next 20 minutes!
BarryP-
Can I just say that I’ve not felt more “run fit” prior to doing your training. I’ve always tried to get more out of fewer workouts and that always yielded injury. Staying consistent and thinking long-term has made me more confident in my running than ever before.
Let’s just hope my race results share the same opinion…
BarryP, what are your thoughts about using your running “program” for cycling?
cycle easy…cycle a lot
Some people seem to think that this methodolgy only works for running and that in cycling short “quality” workouts work best…HOWEVER, at one point and time, many felt that same way about running
Discuss…
I’ve read through all your info a couple times over the years and have found it very helpful. One question I always had was does it apply to everyone or is it more for the novice/BOP/MOP?
I ask because when I did have a coach I was doing some really intense interval runs (1km repeats was generally the shortest) basically all year long. At the time I wasn’t sure that it was the greatest idea. Not so much the doing of them, but doing them so hard that you finish each rep just under max HR.
My running did improve a lot, but I’ve always wondered if I shouldn’t have been spending the first half of the year just getting in a ton of mileage.
Not sure if it’s related or not, but I’ve been dealing with injuries for almost a year now. I blame the shoes I was running in more than the workouts, but it may be a combination of things.
Anyhow I just always wondered if the faster athletes shouldn’t be spending a good portion (say 4+ months) of the year doing some really hard 1km-1m repeats on a weekly basis.
And does age make a difference? If you’re over 40 are you best to forgo the super hard efforts in training?
Thanks for being so generous with all your training info!
3 hour runs? That sounds a fair bit longer than I’d do in training. I cap my long runs at 20 mi, and only do a couple of those spread over a number of weeks before a marathon.
Cheque is in the mail.
BarryP, what are your thoughts about using your running “program” for cycling?
cycle easy…cycle a lot
Some people seem to think that this methodolgy only works for running and that in cycling short “quality” workouts work best…HOWEVER, at one point and time, many felt that same way about running
Discuss…
Cycling is different in that intensity will usually not injure you. SHORT and quality workouts aren’t going to cut it. But LONG and quality can be put together for cycling. It’s still about volume for aerobic adaptation…swimming, biking or running.