Ask the Penguin: Metabolic Training

Dear Penguin

I just wondered if you ever heard of this type of training where you run more in the fat burning zone (very slow) as a weight loss method

Anthony

It’s not a new concept. And it’s more complicated than it sounds.

For years many of us have advocated the benefits of the Long Slow Distance run. The LSD run promotes fat burning as a fuel source. It’s great for endurance and weight loss. The key is that you HAVE to run at a fairly low heart rate for it to work and most people don’t like going that slowly.

It’s more fun to run faster and get into the aerobic zone, which is where you start burning carbs.

The truth is that MOST people burn about 100 calories for every mile they cover. It doesn’t matter how fast, you still burn about 100 calories. So, if you’re a fast runner and run for an hour at a 6 minute pace you’ll burn 1,000 calories. If you run at a 12 minute pace, you’ll burn 500 calories.

BUT, and here’s where it gets tricky, the person running at a 6 minute pace may actually be running at a LOWER heart rate. So, the slow runner may be burning more carbs, but fewer calories. Make sense??

In the end, every training program needs a mixture of long, slow runs, steady paced “tempo” runs, and some speed work.

Waddle on, John

John “the Penguin” Bingham, Competitor Magazine columnist Author, The Courage to Start, No Need for Speed, Marathoning for Mortals and Running for Mortals.

Have a question for John? E-mail it to thepenguin@johnbingham.com.