The 80/20 rule is a principle in sports that can carry serious debates, especially when beginners are tagged in the conversation. Recreational athletes, especially runners, tend to train fast – a misconception that leads them to think that they must go hard in every training. While they might improve initially, chances are that they will be too tired when the session calls for high-intensity runs.
This was the point made by Dr. Stephen Seiler of the University of Adger in Norway. As one of our generation’s premier exercise physiologists, he has made a name in dissecting the science of endurance sports. According to Lonely Goat, Seiler is widely accredited as the person who first highlighted the 80/20 rule, and was later popularized by Matt Fitzgerald’s 2014 book.
Seiler’s theory centers on the fact that running is, predominantly, an aerobic activity. What this implies is that runners should first concentrate on improving their aerobic capacity, or the body’s ability to efficiently use oxygen while running, rather than their anaerobic threshold, or our capability to do short bursts of physical activity.
In other words, a better aerobic capacity means that a runner can train longer and harder without getting tired. This will particularly benefit distance runners considering that they don’t usually spend much time on an anaerobic pace, or using stored energy in the muscles for that sudden burst of speed.
And yes, even world-class marathoners like Eliud Kipchoge use the 80/20 training. Seiler was quoted in a Runner’s World article, saying that based on their research, elite athletes, including The Goat, train 80% of the time on low intensity, and spend just 20% doing hard training.
To put things in a simpler perspective, the 80/20 rule is doing 80% of your weekly training at an easy effort, and the remaining 20% for hard running.
It may sound simple enough, but the definition of “easy” and “hard” will depend on the runner’s threshold. There’s no point in comparing a seasoned runner to someone who has just finished their first 5km race. The fact remains, however, that 80% of your training should be done at your easy pace (imagine holding a conversation with your running buddy or singing along to your favorite song without gasping for breath), and 20% is at high intensity, or those “comfortably hard efforts.”
Prioritizing easy runs will allow your body to build a strong aerobic base, alongside improved cardiovascular health, enhanced fat-burning efficiency, and the development of important muscles. Low-effort runs are also beneficial to the body since you are not overtraining.
High-intensity sessions, on the other hand, will develop your speed, and improve your lactate threshold, or the specific level of effort when fatigue sets in. Sprints, tempo runs, and intervals will train your body to hold these paces, but should only account for a small portion of your training.
