So Lee, I find this specific part very fascinating. Back when I was younger and a fairly fast runner, I ran low miles at a high pace. I built up from that and slowly over time built distance onto that. When I came back to running 3 years ago I got away from that mindset and and wanted to increase distance pretty fast, even if it meant at an insanely frustrating Maf pace that seemed to keep getting slower month to month. Lot's of injuries later I am wondering if that was the right philosophy. The last couple months since I have moved I have worked a lot on speed and have cut down my mileage. Something about it just feels right. My form is starting to feel like when I was younger. I still listen to my body and if I need to take a break and stretch or just catch my breath then I do it, but I feel like I am getting much more fit, and more benefit from my running. Today I had a fast mile of 8:30 and a slow mile of right around 9 min (4 mile run). I think it's good to push yourself, maybe not all the time, but definitely some of the time as you suggest with the Kenyans.
Yah, we discussed this a bit last year, and I think it still holds true. For a good part of this year, I just ran aerobically because I was rehabbing my various niggles and didn't want to take any chances. Still, I improved, and ran under 9mm pace aerobically in July, as I described above. So just running aerobically will lead to improvement too. It can just be done by feel, and I don't think there's any need to walk hills or anything.
The idea of faster paced runs is to hasten the process of getting faster, and also to then push beyond what would be possible by only running aerobically, to maximize potential. It seems to me that the greater the weekly mileage or training volume, the smaller the percentage of it should be faster runs. So, for example, if you're running just 10 miles a week, you could probably run three times a week at tempo pace each time. But if you're running 100 mpw, then only 20-35 miles should be 'quality' runs. With my weekly mileage goal of 30-40, I think about 6-10 miles of tempo pace and another 2-4 miles of sprints or hills might be enough. I still think there's great value in running long and easy, and I love the sense I get of having a little adventure on those two-hour runs.
Basically, there's three paces, slow/aerobic, medium/tempo/lactate threshold, and fast/intervals/hills/anaerobic, and each runner has to find what ratio works best for them. To continue the lifting analogy, aerobic running is kind of like lifting heavy. It's the base. But then there's higher intensity lifting, and plyometric-type stuff, which is kind of like tempo pace or sprints. You need the variety to push all energy systems and types of muscle activation if you want to attain good, overall conditioning and maximize performance potential.
It sounds like you've been making rapid progress lately, so I would keep doing what you're doing and then, like you say, begin to add distance when you feel yourself plateauing. Maybe begin adding distance to just one run per week. For me, I'm going to hold steady with the way I've been running these last few months, adding tempo little by little. I haven't made any real pace progress since July, but the long runs are getting easier, so I suspect a breakthrough is on the horizon. Just have to be patient and trust the process.
I didn't mean you shouldn't do squats, I think they are a great lift. I just hate doing them and I suck at them. It feels like I never progress either specifically if I am running more. It's the one lift I dread doing and they just suck my motivation. Plus when you deadlifts are over 100lbs higher than your squat it just seems defeating.
But I still do them every day!
My front squat is about 75% of my squat so I tend to stick with the regular thing. I personally prefer deadlifts, trap bar deadlifts and a high bar squats for lower body work. OHS and front squats are cool but not a priority to me.
Yah, I didn't mean to imply that you were implying that we shouldn't do squats. But I think you've just explained why you dread them. You do them everyday! That's setting yourself up for burnout.
Like you though, my deadlifts are a lot better than my squats, about a 100lbs better like yours, and I enjoy them more, but in my case I think it may be because I've always taken the deadlifts more seriously and have been doing them longer. I added deadlifts to my st routine more than 20 years ago, but it was only with your suggestion earlier this year (or was it last year already?) that I've begun to take squats seriously. I can barely do 225, and mostly work between 125 and 175 still, but I'm making good progress lately, now that I have a better feel for the technique, and am doing them more consistently. After another month or two I'm going to have a family friend, a guy my older brother's age who grew up across from our backyard, take a look at my form. He's the co-owner of Zubaz, and owned a bodybuilder/powerlifter gym for many years. I also need to work more on my power clean technique.
Did overhead squats for the second time yesterday. Man, those really hit the lower back. Great variation. My split squats really suck, it's going to take a while to get those up to speed. I didn't get around to trying front squats, maybe next time. I also want to experiment with doing really heavy quarter-squats. I've concluded that half-squats are probably bad for the knees, but quarter squats might be useful for developing power in the hip flexors and glutes.
I hear what you're saying about squats and running. I alternate between lifting and running days, and squats always interfere with my running the next day. I tried to schedule it so that they wouldn't, but it's just impossible, so now I do my squats before a tempo or sprint/hills day, or after sprints/hills or tempo day, as a kind of double or triple whammy on the legs.
Tues: sprints/hills or tempo
Wed: squats & power cleans
Thurs: tempo or sprints/hills