How to Train for Endurance & The Art of Going Slow..

'Many run their hard sessions too easy & run their easy sessions too hard' is a common axiom that is often quoted in the fitness world when referring to what's required to go faster & longer. This is why many who take up running either end up injured, plateau in their progress, or don't ever evolve beyond dreading an often unsustainable routine that burns far too much energy. The truth is, everyone is capable of building the right foundations so that running can actually become a relaxing meditative activity that doesn't leave you gasping for breath!

Let me first start by saying that I do not profess to be an expert. I am still very much in the learning phase myself! But what I do have is a year of solid, consistent training, along with a highly inquisitive brain that obsesses about data & knowledge. I have pretty much read anything I could get my hands on, listened to hours of podcasts, & watched countless films/videos on the subject of endurance, ranging from psychology, sports science, neuroscience & biology. Together with my anecdotal experiences & obsessive research, hopefully you can take some valuable tips to help you develop your own endurance. See below a few important nuggets that I believe are crucial to becoming an endurance machine!

1. Comparison is the Thief of Joy

Theodore Roosevelt famously coined the phrase 'comparison is the thief of joy'. The first valuable lesson to make at the beginning of your new fitness endurance journey is exactly that. I quickly learned that there were many people who were fitter, stronger & faster than me. Endurance is a great leveler & humbler. It doesn't matter how good you think you are or how many pictures you have scaling mountains on Instagram, there are millions of people who will quite simply leave you for dust! I found that I was looking at certain athletes' Strava statistics & weekly mileage, looking on Instagram at athletes like Nick Bare & Cameron Hanes & quickly realised I was well & truly in the lower leagues. It was discouraging & sapping the joy out the enjoyment of my own training. I quickly made some changes to my perspective & recognised that I wasn't competing with anyone else but myself. The only comparison I make is that of my own progress from one training session to the next! If you want to stay the course of the endurance journey choose inspiration, rather than comparison, to keep the progress moving forward.

2. The Art of Training Slow

If there is one single most important lesson I have learnt it is that 'if you want to go fast & long, you must become a master at training slow'. The idea states that many 'many run their hard sessions too easy & run their easy sessions too hard'. This is a recipe for injury & training plateau! For anyone who has a smart watch or uses a fitness app you will be aware of training zones. From a basic level this simply monitors your heart rate over varying levels of physical exertion. The higher the exertion, the higher the heart rate. However, It is important to note that as the HR increases so does your body's ability to draw from physiological energy sources. This is critical to understand for anyone trying to lose weight also. Up until a certain HR (below ~70% of your max HR) your body draws energy from your Fat reserves. As your HR increases to >70%-100% - i.e. your effort moves to its maximum, your body begins drawing energy from Carbohydrate (Glycogen) reserves, to which you only have a limited store at any one time. Your body is unable to maintain that effort for much time at all. If you always run flat out on your training you will elevate your HR, burn too much energy & feel tired for much of the duration of the run. The chances are your body will struggle to recover & your fitness won't really improve (Attia, 2022). If your goal is fat burning you will be working too hard for any real fat burning to occur. This is why you see many people discouraged after months of HIT classes only to find themselves stronger, but not thinner!

The alternative is a philosophy physiologists have developed called Zone 2 training (Hutchinson, Endure; Rolls, Finding Ultra). If you want to build endurance - the ability to maintain effort over a prolonged period of time, the research suggests a training method that keeps the HR as low as possible (Attia, 2022; McDougal, Born to Run). Between 60-70% of your Max. This is important because your body will learn to draw energy from your Fat reserves, enabling the body to recover much quicker between sessions with the level of effort from your HR not too taxing, so you can main it for longer. What does all this technical language mean? If you want to build endurance you have to learn how to run SLOW! When I first started with zone 2 training It was demotivating to stop trying to get faster with each run. I almost felt like I was jogging, not running. I was embarrassed to share my Strava stats, with average paces that were much slower than I'd like to admit. However, I realised over a period of months that while my low HR was maintained, my pace increased! I was moving faster with less effort & could maintain it for much longer as my mileage increased. It was a game changer!! What happened? my heart became stronger & more efficient, pumping more oxygen to my lungs with minimal effort. More importantly, I found that with each run I found it easier. I wasn't thinking about when the run would be finished, but found an almost Zen-like flow state where sometimes I'd forget I was even running. Before long my weekend long runs got longer with minimal effort. Now, 12 months on I could comfortably run all day & have no issue doing it again the next day. If you want to go fast & long, you must master the art of training slow. This should be good news for anyone.. It's almost a pass to stop trying to break yourself. Instead, slow down & enjoy the process.

3. Trajectory is Greater than the Goal

How many times have you witnessed someone work hard toward an adventurous physical goal only to achieve it & then stop building on the hard work they put in? Why does this happen? It's usually because - building from point 2 - they utilise an unsustainable training strategy that cannot be sustained over the long haul. If you push yourself & max your body 100% of the time it isn't long before you resent those dreaded training sessions. You loved the shape, strength & fitness you achieved, but you didn't fall in love with the process! Goals however, are important & we should continually make them (Locke & Latham). In psychology the process of setting a challenging goal is a huge motivator that has been proven to sustain effort & engagement as you move toward it (Locke). If you don't set goals you simply don't move forward in any endeavor in life! Stagnation is a recipe for depression! However, if you become transfixed on the goal & pay no attention to the trajectory of moving toward it, you lose everything that's valuable to help you become a better you. The cliché that growth comes from the process is true only if you pay attention to it.

Endurance is the capacity to withstand or endure something over a prolonged period. It is true in sport activities & fitness but it is also true in life. Believe it or not I used to hate running. Much because of the reasons stated above. Today however I love running. With running I find Solitude. During my daily morning runs I have my greatest ideas & the most clarity of mind I have ever experienced - especially when running in the mountains. More importantly, I am not currently working toward a goal (well not immediately in the future). Instead - with the help of my zone 2 training, I have a baseline fitness that enables me to quickly take on any challenge at a moments notice. Why? Because I have become obsessed with the process of learning how to become fitter & stronger. Not for the goals sake, but because through the trajectory I have learnt that by doing so I am a better husband, father & colleague. I have more energy & a greater sense of wellbeing to perform in all areas of my life. I will continue to set incredibly challenging goals. Not because I love goals, but because I know that with each goal I work towards, a better version of myself is unearthed. My endurance continually evolves & I can endure more of whatever life may throw my way.

Summary

In summary, this post has been about running & how I have learnt to get better results. I hopefully have transferred some knowledge to help you become a better athlete; or even inspired you to take on your own endurance journey. However, The lessons I have learnt during this journey have profoundly changed my life & I recognise the transferability of some of the insights in many other arenas. Why not set some challenging goals for yourself? But instead of blindly breaking yourself, why not slow down & pay closer attention to the person you become in the process? After all, the trajectory is greater than the goal!.

Much love

Ross

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