Do everything at 75% volume but 100% intensity
Imagine this: You wake up to a 5 x 1k reps interval session on the calendar. You feel like 💩, and you have that “I can’t do this workout. Not today” feeling everyone gets. You get nervous and anxious and say, “But but but, if I don’t do this key workout, I can’t do the 8 x 1k sessions that will get me race-ready in 4 weeks for my main 10k race.”
This isn’t a workout per se, but it’s more of a quick little trick I’ve learned. I hesitate to call it a hack because most hacks are not long-term, but this could technically be used as a long-term solution for some things.
What Is It?
I call this the 80% rule, but you can divide it however you want to make it nice and even. 75% or even 70% is fine. I like to stay on the higher side of 60%, though, as 60% is the number for my recovery week volume.
Why It’s Important
You get a slight break from the volume of whatever it is. Some days, you just can’t even. I get it. But… sometimes, it’s your brain, and your body is fine. Sometimes, just getting out there to do the 10-minute warmup is all you need to be firing on all cylinders.
It doesn’t feel like a lot, but you usually finish the 4th of your 5th interval feeling like you could crush the next one, and you can either do it or not. This gives you a bit of a psychological out.
This is also important because your body remembers what it is to be stressed, and you maintain your fitness throughout the week while giving your body some much-needed recovery.
How To Do it
It’s pretty straightforward: just take off the top (hence the haircut reference) for 20-30% of your upcoming workout or long run.
Traps to avoid
- Don’t do this all the time
- Don’t drop down to 50%
- This is a tool for specific jobs/days. If you need to keep cutting down your workouts, you need to talk with yourself or your coach about whether your workouts are too ambitious or something else isn’t in alignment.
