The discipline to not run

I began moderate distance running in high school, to build the cardiovascular endurance I needed to sit on the bench during football games.

That was 30 years ago. I never really stopped.

My running baseline has been mostly this:

But now, I’m changing it up.

Fitness should be efficient. The less time we can spend doing it while maximizing results, the better.

So when I heard Alex Feinberg say “Have the discipline to not run” in this discussion, it wounded me.

Was there something more efficient I could do? With, possibly, less joint stress?

A study in Run Repeat says yes.

For reference:

SIT: Sprint-interval training (short burst of all-out effort followed by rest)
HIIT: High-intensity interval training (varying intervals of effort, like Crossfit)
MICT: Moderate-intensity continuous training (jogging, steady biking)

Now look at these two graphs.

In this study, SIT workouts delivered far better results in far less time.

So for the first time in 30 years, I’m dumping the distance running.

I’m going to try SIT exclusively for a month and see what happens.

I’m trying this with running sprints and on a stationary bike. I hope the bike is effective, as it’s far better on my 47-year-old joints.

This is the pattern:

That’s it.

We’ll see what happens. When the month is up, I’ll share my starting and ending weights, and, if I’m feeling bold, before-and-after pics.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with your fitness routines. Just take precautions--warm up--and don’t overdo it.

You might find a better way forward, even after thirty years.

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