Can gambling theory stop overtraining?

Overtraining—like overbetting—leads to ruin. Undertraining only slows the growth rate (but makes it more sustainable).

How to run a 4-minute time trial

Over the past week, I’ve run two four-minute time trials. I botched the first one by starting way too fast. The splits of the second trial were much more consistent. To get reliable results, I recommend the following: * Use an 8x 30-second format; * Set interval alarms for

It's just dark.

The power went out at 4am this morning. My brain is still on Mallorca time, so I was already awake, laying and staring in the dark, when the face of my alarm clock went black. I went downstairs, suited up, and pulled on my running shoes. Once outside, I started

How to come back from an unplanned break

I think it was Wolfgang Gullich who said, “The hardest part of training is starting.” He was close, but not completely correct. It’s true that starting to train is hard. It’s easy to procrastinate. But even worse is starting over because it’s often accompanied by regret or

Why I Stopped Using HRV Apps

Originally published at Uphill Athlete in May 2017 as a collaboration with Scott Johnston. I loved the idea of an app that could tell me to train or not to train, to go easy or go hard. I liked the convenience of one train-or-don’t-train metric. It

Putting Humpty Dumpty back together again

On October 24th, 2016, I hired a coach. I had previously made so many mistakes that I was left with a declining work capacity and worries that I may never train again. Months later, my coach told me, “I was surprised at how fragile you were.”

Jan Olbrecht & the Magic Bullet Theory

It’s been known for a long time that training at one’s anaerobic threshold is not a magic bullet. Then why is it still so popular?

Is sponsorship a sin?

No, but bullshit is.

Guy's gone.

As one of the most prolific ice climbers in the world, Guy Lacelle was—more importantly—a charming character and all-around good guy.

The Talent Myth

"My mother said to me, ‘If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.’ Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso."