Really enjoyed this perspective, especially the idea that fitness often outpaces structural durability.
One thing I keep wondering about is whether injury risk during mileage increases is less about the absolute volume and more about how predictable the mechanical load is week to week. In other words, does the body adapt better to slightly higher but stable stress compared to lower mileage with frequent variability?
Also curious how you think about strength training in closing the durability gap between aerobic fitness and connective tissue capacity. Could that shorten the lag between engine and chassis development?
Hey Tom, great questions! I've been thinking about similar things myself. I've seen some commentary on something called "training monotony," which is the ratio of your average daily load to the standard deviation of your daily load across the week. High monotony with high load is associated with overtraining, illness, and injury. I think it's beneficial to have some rhythm, oscillation, and variability in the program rather than the extreme of going hard or moderately hard every day.
That being said, I think the body needs to be able to anticipate upcoming stress. I've seen some studies in rats (so it may not translate perfectly to humans), but scientists would argue that predictable and/or controllable stress is far less damaging—and sometimes even adaptive—compared with the same stressor delivered in an uncontrollable, unpredictable way. Feeling a sense of ownership over the plan, believing in it deeply, but also having the flexibility to pivot, is extremely important in my eyes.
In terms of the strength training issue, yes, I 100% believe that strength training can close the durability gap. Running is essentially a series of of micro impacts that stresses the MSK system in a very repetitive way. Loading tissues with heavy weights allows you to develop adaptations you simply cannot get out on the roads. I've written about this in the past couple of weeks when discussing tendon health.
Thanks Alex, really appreciate the thoughtful reply. The concept of training monotony is a great lens for thinking about this, especially the balance between rhythm and variability rather than just pushing load higher every week.
Also interesting point about predictable versus uncontrollable stress. That idea probably extends beyond training into recovery and overall stress physiology as well. Probably a topic you could write a whole article about :D
And I completely agree on strength training. It seems like one of the few ways to give connective tissue a stimulus that running alone simply cannot provide. Great insights.
Love the closing lines. I'm 2 years into running and the hardest pill to swallow is that my body can't keep up with my fitness. I just ran a 1:22 half off of 30 miles a week. My body physically couldn't have handled more. Intensity is king for me right now. Great post.
Really insightful, thanks for sharing! I usually run around 70–80 mpw with a prescribed down week, but this week I’ve been struggling to make it out and get the miles in consistently. Trying to reset and get back into the rhythm.
Curious how you think about discipline vs. motivation when it comes to staying consistent with mileage. I can usually get myself to start the run, but sometimes during it I catch myself negotiating to cut it short. Do you ever find yourself feeling that way? If so, do you have any advice for pushing through those moments? Thanks!
Hey Ashley, great question. I think what you're describing is a totally normal part of training, especially if the ebbs and flows of motivation are temporary. If you're consistently feeling like you're negotiating with yourself to run more, then it's possible you need to rethink your goals or consider that perhaps your body is more fatigued (I wrote about that in this newsletter - https://therundownbytherunningeffect.substack.com/p/the-most-common-training-mistake). I believe that the body usually should have an "appetite for hard work," and if it doesn't, you may want to dig into why.
Sometimes I do need to give myself a bit of a pep talk mid-run, as per your question. Usually in these circumstances, I try to remind myself that the bad days are the ones that really count. Anybody can persist on days when they feel great. The thing that creates champions (or better versions of yourself) is leaning into the discomfort on the days when it doesn't feel great. I wrote all about that in this newsletter (https://therundownbytherunningeffect.substack.com/p/make-the-bad-days-count). Hope that helps!
Thanks Alex, this is super helpful. I appreciate you taking the time to write this advice out! I’ll check out those newsletters and am looking forward to your next ones :)
Alex, my name is Jaxon, and I am a distance runner for Penn State, I reached out to Dominic hoping to get in touch with you to get a second opinion about an injury and the training prior. Would you be willing to chat with me about this? I really value your opinion and I want to get as much input from people I have seen been successful in making it past/coaching past injury and through to the next level.
I see this all the time as well. As a physical therapist treating runners, I talk about the dosage and intensity because the runners all want to be great and have so much tenacity. The key is to educate them on this message because then they can use their tenacity to do the right dosage not just to push thru. Again, another great article I'm gonna share with our team and my clients. Thanks, Alex, appreciate your work.
“Biology moves more slowly than your ambitions.” Succinct, profound, brilliant. Thank you.
Really enjoyed this perspective, especially the idea that fitness often outpaces structural durability.
One thing I keep wondering about is whether injury risk during mileage increases is less about the absolute volume and more about how predictable the mechanical load is week to week. In other words, does the body adapt better to slightly higher but stable stress compared to lower mileage with frequent variability?
Also curious how you think about strength training in closing the durability gap between aerobic fitness and connective tissue capacity. Could that shorten the lag between engine and chassis development?
Hey Tom, great questions! I've been thinking about similar things myself. I've seen some commentary on something called "training monotony," which is the ratio of your average daily load to the standard deviation of your daily load across the week. High monotony with high load is associated with overtraining, illness, and injury. I think it's beneficial to have some rhythm, oscillation, and variability in the program rather than the extreme of going hard or moderately hard every day.
That being said, I think the body needs to be able to anticipate upcoming stress. I've seen some studies in rats (so it may not translate perfectly to humans), but scientists would argue that predictable and/or controllable stress is far less damaging—and sometimes even adaptive—compared with the same stressor delivered in an uncontrollable, unpredictable way. Feeling a sense of ownership over the plan, believing in it deeply, but also having the flexibility to pivot, is extremely important in my eyes.
In terms of the strength training issue, yes, I 100% believe that strength training can close the durability gap. Running is essentially a series of of micro impacts that stresses the MSK system in a very repetitive way. Loading tissues with heavy weights allows you to develop adaptations you simply cannot get out on the roads. I've written about this in the past couple of weeks when discussing tendon health.
Thanks Alex, really appreciate the thoughtful reply. The concept of training monotony is a great lens for thinking about this, especially the balance between rhythm and variability rather than just pushing load higher every week.
Also interesting point about predictable versus uncontrollable stress. That idea probably extends beyond training into recovery and overall stress physiology as well. Probably a topic you could write a whole article about :D
And I completely agree on strength training. It seems like one of the few ways to give connective tissue a stimulus that running alone simply cannot provide. Great insights.
Another outstanding explanation smart distance training!
Thanks, Brent!
Love the closing lines. I'm 2 years into running and the hardest pill to swallow is that my body can't keep up with my fitness. I just ran a 1:22 half off of 30 miles a week. My body physically couldn't have handled more. Intensity is king for me right now. Great post.
Thanks for reading! 1:22 off 30 miles a week is very impressive. Good luck with your future training.
Really insightful, thanks for sharing! I usually run around 70–80 mpw with a prescribed down week, but this week I’ve been struggling to make it out and get the miles in consistently. Trying to reset and get back into the rhythm.
Curious how you think about discipline vs. motivation when it comes to staying consistent with mileage. I can usually get myself to start the run, but sometimes during it I catch myself negotiating to cut it short. Do you ever find yourself feeling that way? If so, do you have any advice for pushing through those moments? Thanks!
Hey Ashley, great question. I think what you're describing is a totally normal part of training, especially if the ebbs and flows of motivation are temporary. If you're consistently feeling like you're negotiating with yourself to run more, then it's possible you need to rethink your goals or consider that perhaps your body is more fatigued (I wrote about that in this newsletter - https://therundownbytherunningeffect.substack.com/p/the-most-common-training-mistake). I believe that the body usually should have an "appetite for hard work," and if it doesn't, you may want to dig into why.
Sometimes I do need to give myself a bit of a pep talk mid-run, as per your question. Usually in these circumstances, I try to remind myself that the bad days are the ones that really count. Anybody can persist on days when they feel great. The thing that creates champions (or better versions of yourself) is leaning into the discomfort on the days when it doesn't feel great. I wrote all about that in this newsletter (https://therundownbytherunningeffect.substack.com/p/make-the-bad-days-count). Hope that helps!
Thanks Alex, this is super helpful. I appreciate you taking the time to write this advice out! I’ll check out those newsletters and am looking forward to your next ones :)
Alex, my name is Jaxon, and I am a distance runner for Penn State, I reached out to Dominic hoping to get in touch with you to get a second opinion about an injury and the training prior. Would you be willing to chat with me about this? I really value your opinion and I want to get as much input from people I have seen been successful in making it past/coaching past injury and through to the next level.
I see this all the time as well. As a physical therapist treating runners, I talk about the dosage and intensity because the runners all want to be great and have so much tenacity. The key is to educate them on this message because then they can use their tenacity to do the right dosage not just to push thru. Again, another great article I'm gonna share with our team and my clients. Thanks, Alex, appreciate your work.