Run Faster, then Longer

A new approach

One of the most popular traditional triathlon training method/approach is to start at slow speed for long before accelerating. Running for long distances, however, increases he risk of injury. In addition to that, amateur athletes are either busy at work or at home, thus they tend to have lesser recovery time which results in higher risk of injury.

Endurance Nation provides the opposite approach; running faster, as opposed to longer. RunKeeper provides a similar method; minimizing distance to avoid injury and introducing high impact interval training to improve the strength.

In physiology, overloading is an important concept. Performing exercises with higher load than the body can handle causes microtrauma which leads to the growth of muscular endurance capacity. The new approach suggested by Endurance Nation and RunKeeper sounds convincing.

I have experienced this cycle; to increase distance, have pain in my knees, reduce distance, increase distance, have pain in my knees, and so on. It is worth trying the new approach.