[mikestew]

No offense, but we're supposed to counter argue against an anonymous "someone" for which you don't even provide a source? Post a link, we can go from there.

That said, I've been a competitive distance runner for over 40 years. What adverse effects should I be seeing? 'cuz I can't think of any.

[hluska]

This idea comes from Mark Sisson and frankly, if you’ve been a competitive runner for that long, you should likely know that and be prepared to argue it. I’ve been a competitive runner for a fraction of that time and have had this conversation so many times it’s muscle memory.

The article this idea comes from is based on the idea that long distance runners spending their whole runs at 80 - 85% of their max heart rate. That’s only about 20 seconds off my 5k race pace if I want to compete at that distance. There’s no way that I’d keep that pace at distance - my coach would fire me, I’d be an idiot and I’d overtrain myself into oblivion.

[mikestew]

So it’s based on a crap premise? No wonder I’ve not heard of it, and for that I make no apologies.

[hluska]

No but you could have been kind and helped someone learn. Instead you chose to respond with ego...just like you did now!

[hi41]

It was my close family who told that. I told him that I got an Peloton bike for exercise. At that point he told me what I wrote above. It was part of a conversation and not a webpage that can be linked. Sorry about that.

[hluska]

Hey friend, you have no reason to apologize. That idea comes from a former endurance athlete turned fitness blogger named Mark Sisson. It’s quite a famous article amongst competitive long distance athletes, mostly because it ignores how we actually train.

Mark Sisson’s entire idea is based off of the idea that long distance athletes train at what’s called tempo pace. Tempo pace is about 80-85% of maximum heart rate.

He went on to argue that consistently training at long distances increases cortisol levels and said this is bad.

There are two problems with this. First, distance runners don’t do all of their training at tempo pace because that’s stupid. Second, cortisol isn’t all bad - the body needs to be over stressed at points in order to create the adaptations that we are exercising for.

Point being, you’ve got to be careful just like you are with any form of exercise. If you destroy your body day after day for long enough, bad things will eventually happen to you.

The important thing to always remember is that more runners die from drinking too much water than die from not drinking enough. Everything can and will kill if taken to the very extreme.

[hi41]

Wow, I didn’t know there was so much backstory to this one. Thanks!

[hluska]

No problem at all. You asked a really good question and deserved a suitable answer. Take care and if you get into running, I hope we get to grind hills together someday!!!

Good luck!!!