I totally agree. I just took my marathon PR from 3:06 to 2:58 using a modified Pfitz 18/70 with about 5 extra miles each week. Based on a 6:50/mi target MP, my MLRs and LRs were in the 7:20-7:40 range. Only the recovery runs were slower than 8:00, and even then it was usually right around 8:00. The whole 80% easy, 20% hard is way too oversimplified. There’s more than 2 speeds. I attribute a lot of my success to high mileage at that moderately difficult MLR/LR pace.
YES. I fucking hate hyper polarized training. Running fast intervals will make you fast and running slow will help you recover, but there’s a whole set of gears between the two and you need to spend time in all of them to really improve. That’s the #1 reason I love Pfitz plans. You hit every speed in between 5k and recovery and that shit works.
I totally agree. I just took my marathon PR from 3:06 to 2:58 using a modified Pfitz 18/70 with about 5 extra miles each week. Based on a 6:50/mi target MP, my MLRs and LRs were in the 7:20-7:40 range. Only the recovery runs were slower than 8:00, and even then it was usually right around 8:00. The whole 80% easy, 20% hard is way too oversimplified. There’s more than 2 speeds. I attribute a lot of my success to high mileage at that moderately difficult MLR/LR pace.
YES. I fucking hate hyper polarized training. Running fast intervals will make you fast and running slow will help you recover, but there’s a whole set of gears between the two and you need to spend time in all of them to really improve. That’s the #1 reason I love Pfitz plans. You hit every speed in between 5k and recovery and that shit works.