(OUTSIDE ONLINE) Nick Heil — But how do you remain the same badass you’ve always been? How do you unleash your inner Ned?
Friel believes the key lies in intensity—that is, consistently jacking your heart rate into the upper echelons of its potential peak. Yet intensity is typically one of the first things to vanish from your workouts, maybe even your races, when you hit middle age. That’s because many athletes drift into long, slow distance (LSD), not because they are no longer capable of redlining, but because this type of training feels less taxing. But all those intervals you did in college? You never should have stopped. If anything, they become more vital as you get older.
“Training with an emphasis on high-intensity intervals has been my preferred method of preparing for races throughout my career,” Overend writes in Fast After 50. “I’ve learned that by reducing volume, I’m more rested for high-intensity sessions, and by being rested I can push myself harder during the intervals.”
Source: Age Is Irrelevant When It Comes to Fitness | Outside Online