Just started reading “easy interval method.” Has anyone here used this training? Thoughts? I understand the idea of running right below LT, and am interested in how it avoids long, slow running. I guess right now I’m wondering how z2 works within this? You run 1000m/2000m reps at z2 and then recover. Isn’t that the same as running as a steady z2?
I used this at age 36 after years of training with more traditional methods. I had plateaued or even declined for some time before this. I actually was surprised to see marked improvements in my middle distance times. Disclaimer, I also rode my bike and lifted weights so I had high general fitness but I had been doing these things anyway. However, in a running sense I stuck to the easy intervals with perhaps one time trial each week. My body became very comfortable at running appropriate paces with little fatigue on the investment.
I read the book and I'm currently experimenting with it. It's an interesting approach, although some of what's in the book doesn't give me a lot of confidence. We'll see how effective it is.
I don't know how you're defining Z2, but the 1000/2000m reps are roughly marathon pace. Breaking them up isn't at all the same as a steady MP run. The long recovery lets you start each 1K/2K fairly fresh and without any breakdown in form.
A little bit is there
I haven't read this book, but I often train like this. I find it more fun than doing long steady slog. And I feel fresh at the end. More mobile and bouncy.
At age 42 I've followed an easy interval method regime for the past year and PRed in 3000m (10:00), 5000m (17:18) and road 10k (36:21). By no means anything special compared to many runners on here, but quite impressive given my age and lack of real talent, and also given that the training never included any lung busting workouts (only sporadic racing).
I followed a 6 day schedule. I like the daily doses of higher pace. Not a big fan of slow running. But it's important to develop a good feeling for the easy interval pace or you risk getting overcooked. "Better ten seconds per km too slow than one second too fast", as Lok puts it).
Good luck!
This is a timely thread for me as I just recently started experimenting with this kind of training after a string of very disappointing races where I didn't perform nearly to the level that I felt I was capable of. I'm 31, and all of my PRs are from college 10 years ago, but I felt I was near the level of fitness I had in college before jumping in to this training, so I'm interested to see if I can cross off any of my old PRs.
I think it's super, super important to keep the intervals at the prescribed paces, especially the 1k and 2k reps. Klaas actually does say that HM pace is okay for the 1k's, but I've felt more comfortable doing them somewhere between HM and M pace. Still super early, but my legs have already been feeling a lot better with a lot more spring/bounce, and I've noticed that my recovery jogs in between reps have gotten faster without any additional effort.
Overall I'd say it seems pretty promising so far. I plan on sticking with it for at least a few months. The only thing I've changed from the general framework is that instead of his weekly "mixed session" I plan on doing a weekly track workout with my club on Saturdays (or a race depending on the week). This is important for the social aspect, and I think it acts as the one "hard" session during the week that is recommended in the book.
I actually didn't do any race or harder session every week. In fact, most weeks were just easy intervals, so I believe I have some untapped potential to improve just by incorporating one harder session every week, as prescribed in the book. Will be interesting to see if that brings any additional improvement.