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Can you be lazy even if you run every day?
Came across this gem.
For someone who has been running regularly for a long time, daily running had become no greater stress than a typical nonexercise lifestyle for a sedentary person. For experienced runners, light running can be part of a "sedentary" lifestyle.
What do you think?
Bonus points if you can identify the source...
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Comments
Friel?
Not sure I totally agree with exactly what he is saying, however I feel that easy running everyday is good active recovery for me personally and does not put much stress on me. It's the hard intervals or long runs that put stress on my body.
BTW, Jack Daniels and his book should be required reading along with Racing and Training with a Power meter
I kinda feel lazy if I do not run everyday but never thought that I was being lazy even if I am running easy everyday.
I both agree and call bullshit at the same time (is that even possible?)
-agree: you're not doing anything to get any fitter if you go out an leisurely run 3 miles a day, if you've been doing that for a long time. Yes, your body has adapted to it, so each additional run is really maintenance, not making you fitter.
-disagree: you're not the equivalent of sedentary. Let's say that those 3 miles burns 300 cal at about 10:00 min/mi pace. If your BMR + activity factor is about 1800 (not unusual), you're upping your daily caloric burn by 17%, every day. That's a hell of a lot better than sitting on the couch.
And, I can personally vouch for the fact that it's possible to be lazy, even if in the throes of a HIM buildup. I've never been lazier than I was in the 4-6 weeks before Timberman this year. Lazy is a state of mind
Mike
It's gotta be Daniels--considering I know you were looking for the book a few weeks ago.
That really shows us what a small bubble endurance athletes can live in when we can think that running 3 miles a day means you have a "sedentary lifestyle." Have you looked at America lately????? I know what he means, though. Sometimes lacing up for 3 miles seems like almost not worth the trouble. OTOH, if the entire population ran (or even walked) 3 miles a day, can you imagine the good that would do. It would get people--who have a for-real sedentary lifestyle--on the road to health and fitness.
So I go with no. If you run 3 miles a day, you do not have a "sedentary lifestyle" or are lazy. The very definition of the phrase makes the idea is incompatible.
wow. I never thought of it that way. 3 mile easy run ups your daily burn by ~17% (give or take obv)??
granted we're a unique population that thinks on a much larger scale in terms of duration/mileage, but to think that's ALL it would take to break out of sedentary land. very interesting.
What Mike said. Yes, if you do the same activity without variation in intensity or volume or both, your body and metabolism will adapt and become efficient. Running everyday = SEDENTARY. What world does this person live in? I invite him to come visit my world of the morbidly obese, diabetic, smoking, cholesterol>250 peeps who think that a volunteer pushing them to the clinic in a wheelchair is exercise.
I think it's Couzens.
looked it up, it's Daniels.
Daniels - as usual Mancona was first across the line
That is in the section on taking time off from running, which can actually include running everyday just not running 120 miles weeks, etc.
Want to finish the book before I draw too many conclusions but the above quote is just one of the many things in it which has me thinking that the book really is not geared toward kinda fat middle aged guys who think running 40 miles a week is a lot.
Guess that is why we apply some of the principles that work for us but ignore lots of it.
Born To Run, by Chris McDougall. Written by a large middle aged guy.
I have the atttention span of a gnat and I still finished it in two days. Fun, mostly non technical read.
Ok, but in fairness (and at the risk of developing a reputation for being Daniels' towel boy
) - *he* didn't say lazy. I think it's clear he put sedentary in quotes because he's basically trying to say that everything is relative.
That quote on "racing" a 10k was about someone who would take about an hour as in that instance T pace and 10k pace would be the same. I thought the same thing when I read it. But you are correct that he did not say lazy but it certainly is more "fun" phrased that way.
But what are the applications to Team EN? Aside from laughing at Chris G using lawyerly skills and inflammatory word choice to make it more interesting, where does daily running fall? I think there are real advantages to daily running, but it depends on what your goals are. As someone pointed out above, working on my body comp has me doing at least 30' a day of running...something to keep the fires burning...and that helps. From a mental perspective, it helps. But to have that on top of a regular workout that I need to crush, well perhaps not so useful. We'll have a run challenge coming up in Jan or Feb (TBD), where folks can do 15- or 30-day running...and you'll be surprised at how "good" you get at running (and how hard mentally it can be!)...so I say it's good and bad, primarily as part of your lifestyle. If you are looking for performance gains alone, there are better ways to get a bang for your buck...
Thoughts?
 
P