Long Slow Distance (LSD)

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As always, please consult a physician before starting an exercise regemin. Go Faster Training is not responsible for the health of the users accessing this information. Utilize it freely, but at your own risk.
The information provided herein is based on my personal experience and to share quality workout regemins with those interested parties.
WORKOUT TYPE: EnduranceGOALS:
     Primary Heart Rate
     Secondary: Distance
This type of workout is designed to build up your endurance primarily. It is also a great Fat Burner if done properly. The key to achieve this desired effect, it slow HR. This is the area most people have a problem working in. You need to keep your HR around 70% of max. That's going to be different to everyone depending on age and previous fitness level.

Take 220 and subtract your age. Say 30. Your max HR would be 190. Keep it here if you have a gym membership and know what the gym actually looks like. If you go more often and the people at the front desk know your name..ie: you have a fairly good fitness base, then add 5 to that number. Now it's 195. But say you're just getting off the couch and want to try a new fitness routine.  Subtract 5 and it becomes 185 as your max. This would also apply if your recovering from an illness as well.

But more on the Heart Rate Zones and finding out what yours are in another posting.


I'm 40 and I use 185 as my max. I want to keep my HR in the 120's for this entire workout.

Get on a treadmill or out on the open road. It's easier on a treadmill. This workout is designed for endurance, like I said, so this is the one workout per week where we can expect to increase the mileage primarily. Now keep in mind, never more than say 10% per week! So if on week one  you go out and run 3 miles, next week, run 4 miles. This would be safe. You could also use Kilmoeters, and 1 klick is 600m short of a mile. If a mile is 1600m then you are cutting off just over a quarter of the distance. Basically 1.5 laps of a high school track. I like the kilometer version best, because say you run 6 miles. That's almost 10k! (10k=6.2miles) Tell you friends your running 10, and they will think miles, if you live in AMerica. OTherwise, kilometers is just a simple way of life.

The metric system is so much better in every way! You travle faster, go farther, and weigh less! I wonder why we Americans have not embraced it.

By keeping the HR low, two things will happen as a result. 1, your body will burn fat stored on your body for fuel. 2, It will teach your body to work efficiently in this fat burning zone. So that when you get better later on, your body remembers this fuel source first before going to any food stored. Hopefully. The last fuel source being the protein from the muscles. That's that ammonia smell when you finish a really hard workout.

This will help you establish a "BASE" and will allow us to create a Ferrari Engine. instead of a Lawn Mower engine. The Ferrari can go for long distances, at high speeds, without breaking down or needing a lot of gas. The lawn mower, well it needs to cool off after an hour or so, otherwise your going to burn it up. It needs frequent rest stops. Requires plenty of fuel stops to deal with it's tiny little gas tank as well.

Hope this info is helpful!

Good luck, and happy running!