Yeah absolutely. Which also goes some way to explain the pros’ 80% when amateurs end up more like 60%. When you’re doing more total ks, the ones you add need to be easier on average, because you’re already doing as many hard Ks as you can.
Junk miles aren’t easy, they’re in zone 3. Sometimes called “comfortably uncomfortable”. Too hard to be low impact and facilitate doing harder runs later at full intensity, but too easy to get the benefits of doing a really hard session. Elite runners polarise training to 80% zones 1–2 and 20% zones 4–5.
Yeah absolutely. Which also goes some way to explain the pros’ 80% when amateurs end up more like 60%. When you’re doing more total ks, the ones you add need to be easier on average, because you’re already doing as many hard Ks as you can.
It does make sense, but I’ve also read elite runners talk about cutting back on “junk miles” (example).
Junk miles aren’t easy, they’re in zone 3. Sometimes called “comfortably uncomfortable”. Too hard to be low impact and facilitate doing harder runs later at full intensity, but too easy to get the benefits of doing a really hard session. Elite runners polarise training to 80% zones 1–2 and 20% zones 4–5.
Haha you mean where I do most my running 😶