Stop Chasing Pace. Start Building a Foundation.
Your body doesn’t care what your watch says.
It only understands what you consistently expose it to.
So if you want to get better at running, stop thinking in terms of “perfect sessions” and start thinking in terms of better inputs, more often.
Frequency Beats Long Run Distance
Long, infrequent run is a recipe for injury.
Rather aim for consistency through higher frequency to achieve a similar weekly mileage total.
But here’s the catch:
If volume goes up and intensity doesn’t come down, you’re not training—you’re gambling.
The goal in running isn’t to see how much you can do.
It’s to stay out of trouble long enough to improve.
Time On Feet > Pace
Early in a build, pace is a distraction.
One great way to do this is with time-based running:
(e.g. 3 x 10:00 vs. 3 x 2k)
- Discourages “gaming” to get a better time
- Builds the right systems
- Improves durability
- Teaches feel
Effort Is King
Zones, paces, heart rate—they all have a place.
But none of them can replace your feel.
Great runners aren’t data-driven, in the sense that they are slaves to a smartwatch.
Rather they’re effort-aware, and aim to achieve the desired stimulus of the session.
If you can’t control effort:
- You’ll run easy days too hard.
- You’re left drained so tough workouts become low quality.
- You’ll stall progress quickly.
This is what Max sees a lot of recreational runners when they take a laissez-faire approach to training.
Leave Reps In The Tank
Threshold work isn’t about proving fitness.
It’s about building it.
- Finish with 2–4 reps in reserve / “in the tank”
- End a session feeling strong
Anyone can crush a workout.
Not everyone can stack them week after week.
Consistency > Intensity. Every time.
CrossFitters & Hybrid Athletes: Read This
You don’t need complex run programming.
You need:
- 2–3 runs per week
- Minimum of one at an easy effort
- Consistent exposure
Build tolerance & durability. Keep it simple.
Cross Training as a Tool
Bike. Swim. Row. Hike.
All useful.
But:
- They don’t replace running
- They don’t build run-specific durability
Use them to:
- Stay fresh
- Add aerobic work
- Reduce impact
Not to avoid running.
Know Your Athlete Type
Some athletes need:
- Constant stimulus
- Frequent running to stay sharp
Others need:
- More recovery
- Less impact, more cross training
Neither is better.
But if you don’t know which one you are,
you’ll always mismanage your training.
Final Takeaway
There are two phases to getting better:
- Build the engine (frequency, easy work, time on feet)
- Sharpen for the race (specific paces, higher intensity)
Most people skip step one.
And then wonder why step two doesn’t work.
Keep It Simple
Run more often.
Run easier than you think.
Leave something in the tank.
Do that long enough—and you’ll surprise yourself with where you end up.