As a start to 2024, 30 years of thinking about and studying endurance training distilled down to 12 lines:
1. Start with universal good practices, then sport specifics, then individual optimization.
2. Training is an optimization challenge, not a maximization challenge.
3. Focus on the big things first, not marginal gains. Think Maslow’s Hierarchy. That solves many problems.
4. A consistent and sustainable training process eats epic interval workouts for breakfast.
5. Simple metrics like program compliance tell us a lot. Keep the monitoring simple.
6. Good scientists, coaches, and athletes all share curiosity, deliberateness, and intelligent failures.
7. Triangulation and “Heads Up Displays” help pilots and athletes alike stay on target.
8. Detailed periodization models are generally overrated and under-validated.
9. Rest days are highly UNDERRATED.
10. Physiology is COMPLEX but training prescriptions should NOT be.
11. Think fewer Intensity zones, not more.
12. If the training PROCESS balances deliberate efforts, deserved recovery, & daily smiles, the results will follow.