tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195456550562229802.post3996006374668343666..comments2024-02-15T13:07:38.608-05:00Comments on The Internal Pigdog: Anatomy of a Long RunBrian Morrisseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109954832554945842noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195456550562229802.post-28116413968962940582008-08-25T19:53:00.000-05:002008-08-25T19:53:00.000-05:00Anon,Very true. I know the long slow runs are best...Anon,<BR/>Very true. I know the long slow runs are best for me. In truth, I love doing them.<BR/><BR/>I think it's normal for people to want instant gratification in our society. It's just the way things are in modern life. That's one of the reasons I like running so much. Lots of time and consistent effort result in rewards. I've been running now for nine years. It took me two years of regular running before doing a marathon. Yet I always see people who have never run start in order to "run" a marathon. It makes me feel uneasy b/c completing a marathon is kinda beside the point. Most of the gratification comes from the process that gets you to the marathon.Brian Morrisseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14109954832554945842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195456550562229802.post-90223528607038904182008-08-25T19:44:00.000-05:002008-08-25T19:44:00.000-05:00"...but it makes me worry I'm training my body to ..."...but it makes me worry I'm training my body to run slowly."<BR/><BR/>hey bm,<BR/><BR/>actually, you are doing quite the opposite. <BR/><BR/>what you ARE training your body to do with long slow paced runs is use oxygen aerobically. among other things, this means building deeper more robust capillary beds as well as increasing the number of mitochondria in your muscles. you're also teaching it to store glycogen, burn fat, and generally use energy more efficiently. needless to say for a marathoner, these are tremendously good things.<BR/><BR/>the plain unavoidable truth is that these physiological changes take many months and miles to enact. plus, it is a continual ongoing process that goes on throughout your years of training. <BR/><BR/>now let me go off on a tangent.<BR/><BR/>what is it about us americans that make us feel that unless something is laborious/painful/difficult it is of no use? without doubt this is true about many things, but so is it false about many many others. <BR/><BR/>running, for instance. (let's leave speedwork out of this for a moment.)<BR/><BR/>the notion of running slower to run faster seems so intensely counterintuitive (despite the vast evidence to the contrary) that many of us dismiss it out of hand, as i once did.<BR/><BR/>you see this everyday in gyms across america. the guy or gal who sprints 2 miles at 6:00 pace and mistakes their extreme oxygen debt and exhaustion for "a good workout." then they wonder why they can't break 50 minutes for a 10K. (i have literally witnessed this on at least 3 occasions, and won $100 once on a bet).<BR/><BR/>know better.<BR/><BR/>know and embrace the purpose of each workout. <BR/><BR/>run like hell when it counts, but not a moment sooner.<BR/><BR/>back to the matter at hand, an old adage goes that intensity is no substitute for volume, and vice versa.<BR/><BR/>meaning, a person will not run their best marathon by doing a 14 miler at race pace as your long run. or by running 30 miles a week, even though all those miles are "quantity." you simply need the volume on your legs. you have no doubt met runners who have finished marathons on such "quality" programs, but they did not run to their ultimate potential, i guarantee it.<BR/><BR/>to do the speedwork pfitz will have you running later, you need the "slow" stuff now. except you won't be slow.<BR/><BR/>instead, your vast aerobic fitness will allow you to continue running intervals at pace while everyone else on the track is dead legged after just three repeats. in fact, you will find that you can run each repetition just a little bit faster. <BR/><BR/>in properly paced 10ks and half marathons, your last two miles will be your fastest.<BR/><BR/>so run for philly, not your ego.<BR/><BR/>running is a sport that demands PATIENCE as much as discipline, tenacity and balls.<BR/><BR/>trust your training. allow that maybe the internal pigdog has evolved into an altogether more devious beast. it is not telling you to stay in bed now. it is telling you you're not doing enough.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com