Cut( the distance) and run (as fast as you can)

While distance-driven runners boast impressive weekly mileage, they are also some of the most likely to plateau before achieving their goals, in part because of their reliance on long, easy-paced runs that improve endurance but not speed. For Rob Tolman of Bolton, Ont., achieving his goal of a strong sub-three-hour marathon would ultimately hinge on speed, not distance. “I knew I couldn’t spend as much time training as I really needed to meet my responsibilities with my family and job,” he says. “So I had to increase my intensity, strength and speed.” By prioritizing shorter, faster races (often studying the list and running history of race registrants carefully to find the most competitive fields), Tolman recounts, he was able “to find that red line and hold it as long as possible, then dig a bit deeper to finish regardless of the pain.” Tolman’s hard work in shorter, more intense races paid huge dividends across all distances, yielding him impressive new 5K (17:30) and marathon (2:52) PBs along the way, all achieved in the months after his 40th birthday.

Not all distance-driven runners can manage their “red line” as successfully as Tolman, however, which is why coaches advise a certain degree of moderation during the “cut and run” rethink. “Always always listen to your body – it knows when it’s too much or not enough,” cautions Miron. “Your fancy watch or phone app is just a tool – your body is king when it comes to feedback.” Spafford suggests easing into higher-intensity training before attempting a shorter distance race. “I’ve run 800m races that were more painful, at the time, than any 100-miler I’ve run.” With this in mind, Spafford recommends starting with shorter distance repeats or strides about three-quarters of the way through a typical run once per week – ideally four to six repeats,