Have you heard of the “80/20” rule? Coach Matt Fitzgerald outlines this critical element of endurance training in his excellent book 80/20 Running: Run Stronger and Race Faster by Training Slower. Endurance training is most effective when 80% of the time is spent at an easy effort, while 20% is allocated to harder efforts. The theory behind this is based on studying the methods used by top endurance athletes across all disciplines. Not just runners but Nordic skiers, rowers, soccer players… you name it. If the discipline is serious about endurance, the bulk of the training is easy.

               I consider 80/20 to be the pillar of an effective training program. Why is this method the preferred way? In short, training at an easy effort allows your body to recover quickly, keeps the stress from training at a manageable level, all while building mitochondria (which is what turns ATP into energy). It means you go into your harder days feeling fresher and ready to tackle high quality, high intensity training sessions. When I adopted the 80/20 rule, I began to look forward to my workouts rather than dread them, and daily easy runs became relaxing and fun.

               How close to 80/20 do you need to be? Close, but don’t over think it. If you’re not a numbers person, just try and ball park guess the time spent in each and get as close as you can. I recommend airing on the side of easy. So, if you’re feeling a little stuck in your training or perhaps have hit a plateau, play around with your intensity distribution. You might benefit from replacing a hard workout with a longer easy run or a steady state, moderate run. Or maybe adding another interval session will lead to the breakthrough you’re after. So play around with it, find what works for you, and have fun!

*If you run 2-3 times per week, it’s ok to make one run per week hard even though it breaks the 80/20 rule, so long as you have at least two days between hard sessions. If you’re running 5-6 days per week, 80/20 is where you want to be. If you’re running 7 days per week, add a rest day! Your body will thank you.