The total approach of the Easy Interval Method, aimed at running economy, broad aerobic endurance and effective 'fuel supply' in almost every session
Easy Interval Method: lighter, well-balanced, effective… and more enjoyable!
The well-known physiologist, Stephen Seiler, observed top athletes and their training methods. He found that they had an overall intensity distribution of a roughly 80/20 ratio (easy/hard or low aerobic/anaerobic) in their training and concluded that the 'normal' runner should also train in this way, i.e. the same intensity distribution. This is known as the polarized model. In a YouTube video he says: "Normal athletes should train like the world's best athletes". I don't agree: about half a century of experience with top runners and 'normal' runners, has led me to the conclusion that the 'normal' runners in particular should not train like the top runners (or a similar, watered‑down approach): for them the 80/20 approach is not the best way to train the aerobic function of the fast muscle fibers and running economy.
The reason that the polarized model mainly advises training in the low aerobic zone (easy runs) and skips higher aerobic intensity (the high-end aerobic zone) is that "training in that high-end aerobic zone would be too slow to achieve a large training effect, but too fast to get through it unscathed." The first is very incorrect, the second is true if you train regularly (often 2 times a week) in this zone in the form of fast endurance runs: then the vulnerable fast muscle fibers will get exhausted. However, the Easy Interval Method shows that if you train in this high-end aerobic zone in a careful, smart way, you can achieve a "great training effect" and can also "get through it unscathed". (Also moderate-zone intensities are useful: pace between easy and high--end aerobic pace)
I will explain why easy runs should not be the sole element of your basic training, as a 'normal' runner, while easy interval training is. This is a short version. A more extensive explanation can be found in my book 'Easy Interval Method'.
What is basic training?
Slow endurance training is widely regarded as basic training, aimed at developing the aerobic system. When performing these slow runs, a runner will predominantly train their slow-twitch muscle fibers. I believe that this is an incorrect starting point, or perhaps I should say an incomplete starting point, for two reasons.
1) Basic training should also be aimed at making the most of the so-called ‘reactivity’, the resilience (‘pop’, bounce’ in your legs) of all leg muscles, but especially those of the tendons and muscles of the feet and calves. Unfortunately, this is a neglected child for most normal runners. The vast majority of normal runners develop a 'heavy' running style with far from optimal 'reactivity', and running economy, due to slow endurance runs.
2) Basic training should not only focus on the aerobic function of the slow twitch muscle fibers (with the emphasis on fat burning), but also on the aerobic function of the fast-twitch muscle fibers (where the emphasis is on carbohydrates as fuel and where lactate also plays an important role – see the graph in my book).
The starting point of the Easy Interval Method, beautifully expressed by the American coach Nate Jenkins, is different: "From the beginning of our running, we should be doing daily work to build our muscular skeletal system to excel at the specific demands of running and running fast. How? Mostly with fast, relaxed running."
A runner who includes the above aspects 1) and 2) in his training will significantly improve two neglected 'engines' and experience has shown that this gave many runners who hadn’t progressed for years, a large improvement over various race distances. Please read the article '100 reviews of the Easy Interval Method'.
Dutchman Berthold Berger said: "My 'reactivity' increased to a level I had never had before". From a mediocre runner, he became a national athlete in three years times, winning medals in Dutch championships.
German runner Andres Keil said: "I feel like an aerobic monster". After 10 years of stagnation, he improved his PB’s at the age of 35.
Why does the 80/20 approach work well for top runners, while the Easy Interval Method seems to work better for the “normal” runner in particular? The main reasons are listed below. Points 1 and 2 are only briefly mentioned here—they are explained in detail in the book.
1. Body weight, talent and training volume - top runners maintain their running economy
2. Most top runners have a favorable distribution of slow versus fast muscle fibers.
It is well known that muscle fibers can be divided into two different main types: slow-twitch (type 1) and fast-twitch (type 2). On average, most regular runners have about a 50-50% ratio of type 1 to type 2 fibers in the largest leg muscles. However, most top long-distance runners have a much higher percentage (about 80 to sometimes 90%) of slow-twitch fibers, while for top sprinters it is the other way around.
Slow-twitch muscle fibers (type 1) are mainly used in relatively slow endurance activities where the aerobic energy supply (fat) is dominant. Fast-twitch muscle fibers (type 2) are mainly used in activities with a higher speed and a higher use of anaerobic energy. The downside is that type 2 fibers tire faster.
It is also generally accepted that type 2 fibers possess not only anaerobic, but also aerobic properties, in which carbohydrates and lactate are being utilized as fuel. These aerobic properties are mainly used at higher speeds, not only at 800 and 1500 meters, but also at 10 kilometers, and for many runners even at the marathon. During a competitive effort, a mix of all types of fibers is always used.
These differences in fiber distribution (exceptions aside) and body weight—as well as the distinction between being a professional runner versus a runner having a full-time job—create significant consequences. These differences affect recovery (amateur runners need more recovery time, scientifically proven and explained in my book) and the design of training schedules for the “normal” amateur runner. This includes any competitive runner whose training frequency is limited to 6–7 sessions per week. It also applies to serious runners at the sub‑national or national level who maintain a regular job alongside their training.
Summarizing: different muscle fiber types --> different training emphases, different approaches to fuel utilization (fat, carbohydrate, and lactate), and different recovery times all lead to a different training model. Even differences in body weight (elite runners often weigh 55–60 kg, while top Western runners often weigh 60-65 and amateurs 70-75 kg or more) require different training approaches because of the impact of the weight on muscles and running economy.
When it comes to using lactate as fuel, useful at distances up to 10 kilometers and even beyond, many runners use the wrong method to train this. The key concept here is the lactate shuttle. Its essence is simple: lactate is produced through anaerobic effort and then used aerobically as fuel. So what’s the best way to train this mechanism—through heavy anaerobic effort or light? The Easy Interval Method takes an approach that many coaches find hard to believe when they first hear about it, yet runners who apply it are often surprised to discover that it works. In my book, I explain why it’s so effective. (Regarding fuel utilization: a glimpse behind the curtain—fast muscles want fast fuel: carbohydrates and lactate.)
In my book, I dive deeper into all the aspects mentioned above and especially into the “how".
You will be happily surprised to find in my book running sessions that train three aspects in one session: low-end aerobic, high-end aerobic and running economy! The Easy Interval Method is really efficient and time-saving for amateur runners! You will also learn why I recommend race‑specific sessions at race intensity rather than at race pace (contrary to what nearly all running magazines advise—sorry, they’re wrong).
The Easy Interval Method has similarities with the Norwegian method (Jacob Ingebrigtsen!), in which sub threshold interval sessions is done up to four times a week. However, the recovery breaks in the Norwegian approach are shorter and not everyone can handle the double days: an EIM runner switched to the Norwegian approach... and performed worse. The Norwegian Singles Approach has similarities with the EIM and could also be a good choice for amateur runners, but still many prefer the EIM, especially masters who want to maintain 'pop' and bounce in their running and need shorter interval training. Anyway, here you can read reviews of a few runners who tried both.
In my book, you will learn why a track runner (800m up to 10,000m) who applies the EIM, will need fewer hard, anaerobic sessions (or races) — just 3 to 5 will suffice.
In my book, I also explain why the “20” portion of the 80/20 approach is almost completely useless for slower 10 km runners. It might be an eye‑opener: why train 20% at an intensity that a slower runner will never reach in a race? In my book, I provide training sessions that are far more effective, as half a century of experience has shown.
Intensity distribution should be adjusted according to a runner’s level as well as the race distance. This leads to the conclusion that the 80/20 intensity distribution is not generally applicable.
But what about Lydiard?
You may now be wondering: what about the long, slow endurance training promoted by the legendary coach Arthur Lydiard? There are many misconceptions about Lydiard's training. He only propagated slow endurance runs as recovery (which I oppose; I describe better recovery methods in my book.) This misinterpretation of the Lydiard Method started a long time ago, as an interesting anecdote in my book illustrates.
His endurance training wasn't slow, but was more similar to aerobic interval training... as in the EIM.
Multiple training effects in one session; the total approach of the Easy Interval Method!
In conclusion: the Easy Interval Method is characterized by a total approach that, from the beginning, addresses the endurance of the aerobic slow and fast-twitch muscle fibers, as well as specific muscle strength and running economy. And uniquely, all these training effects are addressed in almost every session.
More and more runners are experiencing that such a total approach is better than a model in which so-called base training mainly consists of easy endurance training.
Unlike Dr Seiler, I say: "Normal runners should not train like the world's best runners"!
This is not theory, but based on half a century of experience: 70 Dutch titles, 10 Dutch records, and more than a dozen Masters’ world records. Examples include Silke Schmidt and Dan King, as well as runners who were stuck at 17 minutes at 5000m for years, next, within two years, improved to under 15 minutes.
In the book 'Easy Interval Method' you will find schedules for all distances from 800m to marathon, for beginners as well as for competitive club runners, even for top runners, from training 2-3 to 7-8 times a week. A preview of the book can be downloaded for free via a link at the home page. This preview describes what all you can expect in the book.
Read 100 reviews here
