Our office has worked with thousands of runners, and many of them have trained for marathons. Most of those who have trained for a marathon have followed regimens to build up their mileage, develop their energy stores, and then taper down as they approach the day of the marathon. Traditional marathon training takes months. What if you can train less and run faster? HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts have become popular because the science shows you can get as much benefit from an extended workout as from doing high-intensity training three times per week for about 12 minutes. For those who are workout crazy and still believe in killing themselves with workouts that leave you sore and depleted, this may be blasphemy. For those who continually do traditional marathon training, this may also be blasphemy. However, Imogen Cotter, a former professional cycler, has achieved a 1:30 half-marathon at a 6:50 pace, training only once per week. Cotter spoke with the magazine Women’s Health, and she explained how this type of training worked. As a professional cyclist, she would push her body hard and train 3 x per week, but her body did not respond well to it, she said. Imogen kept one key running session in her training plan each week. This session consisted of long blocks at her goal half-marathon pace of 4:15 min/km (6:50 min/mile). The 1.5:1 rule explained Her approach is simple: cycle to build volume and support recovery. ‘At the end of the day, your heart and lungs don’t know if you’re on a bike or in a pair of running shoes, so why not mix it up?’ If she runs for 60 minutes, she will cycle for 90. Basically, she uses a cross-training principle that reduces ground impact by biking and cycling. Her approach is simple: cycle to build volume and support recovery. ‘At the end of the day, your heart and lungs don’t know if you’re on a bike or in a pair of running shoes, so why not mix it up?’ Want to learn more? Read the entire article below. How runners can use the simple ‘1.5:1 rule’ to get faster and fitter – by actually running less Dr. C’s Take on this Less impact means fewer injuries. Imogen has had her share of injuries from cycling and has a good fitness base for this type of training. Impact can be caused by bad postural habits, poor running form, and even poorly-fitted shoes, which is a common problem I see in our office. It is important to understand that running shoes can be from a half to a full size small, depending on the manufacturer and the lot number. Many runners who are new and some who are experienced do not run fast enough and are trotting rather than running. When you run, the forces propel you forward to your next leg, and there is greater stride and mobility in the upper and lower body, propelling you forward. This reduces ground impact during the run. Trotters are running 10.5 or 11 min miles or more, and the ground impact is up, down, up, down. Improving form and efficiency results in faster runs and less impact. Combine this with cross-training, and you are much less likely to have an impact injury. Below is a graphic of the 1:5:1 rule with only running.