One pound of fat, used during long-state aerobic exercise, contains roughly 4,000 food calories, the same energy density as gasoline. Even if you're a lean 5% bodyfat at 150 pounds, your available 7.5 pounds of fat can keep you humming for several hundred miles.

The trick is, of course, that you have to remain aerobic at higher speeds, which is the fundamental goal of all of Brian's training. Incredibly, some of his athletes are able to remain aerobic throughout eight rounds of sprints at a 12% incline with just 10 seconds of rest.

His athletes are using a near-endless supply of fat calories, when you or I would be choking on carb-based fumes.

The training used to get them there is predicated on two a.s.sumptions:

1. The muscle soreness runners feel after long distances is primarily from a weak sodium-pota.s.sium pump. Strength training is what improves the sodium-pota.s.sium pump, and what allows Brian's athletes to walk around the day after an ultra instead of lying in bed: "If I can get a runner's back squat up, I see their marathon time drop. It's crazy, but it works." Maximal strength training will improve endurance recovery.

2. If you can run a decent 10K, you already have a sufficient aerobic base to run a 50K. The training should therefore focus on getting you to move at faster speeds while remaining aerobic.

Point 2 is called "moving the aerobic line." It sounds more pleasant than it is.

Moving Your Aerobic Line Brian produces fast-recovering 100-mile runners on less than 30 miles of total running per week, including the intervals and sprints.

His recipe is deceptive in its simplicity: focus on improving all of the energetic pathways, performing no runs over 13.1 miles and seldom doing more than 10K.

The lactic acid system is one of several pathways that Brian aims to conquer. According to Brian, becoming "competent" in all these systems takes six to eight weeks for a lower-caliber runner:23 [image]

In simplest terms, an energetically comprehensive program might take the following form, with at least three hours between A.M A.M. and P.M P.M. workouts: [image]

Int = "Interval" training is often in a total that equals 1,600 meters, such as: 8 200 m (90 secs rest between), 4 400m (90 secs rest), or 2 800 m (23 min rest). = "Interval" training is often in a total that equals 1,600 meters, such as: 8 200 m (90 secs rest between), 4 400m (90 secs rest), or 2 800 m (23 min rest).24CF = "CrossFit" (210 minutes of metabolic conditioning; examples are provided later in my 12-week schedule). = "CrossFit" (210 minutes of metabolic conditioning; examples are provided later in my 12-week schedule).TT = "Time Trial," used to test progress in a distance such as 1 mile, 5K, or 10K. = "Time Trial," used to test progress in a distance such as 1 mile, 5K, or 10K.

Alternatively, you might use the popular "three-on-one-off" schedule for CrossFit, making sure to include two to three intervals and one time trial per week: [image]

If you don't have a track nearby for measuring distances, use GMaps Pedometer online25 or a Keson RR112 Roadrunner 1 Measuring Wheel from Home Depot or Amazon. or a Keson RR112 Roadrunner 1 Measuring Wheel from Home Depot or Amazon.

Expect your run times (Time Trials) to worsen in the first three weeks of training. This is normal, and your body will quickly return to baseline and then exceed previous bests.

In each interval, hill, or Tabata workout, if you can't recover to a heart rate of 120 in less than two minutes, the workout is ended. You haven't recovered and adding more stress would just impede progress. Call it quits if needed and come back stronger the next workout. In the first four weeks, if you are unconditioned, this rest period can be increased to three minutes.26 In generic terms, the taper taper-a reduction in volume-the last week prior to compet.i.tion might look like the chart below.

The key to the Tabata sprints in this schedule is maintaining a very high per foot strike rate (110+ per foot). If using a treadmill and unsure of speed, set the per-mile time to 30 seconds less than your average 5K per-mile time.

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1. "On minute" means once you start the count up on your stop watch, you do a set at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, etc. Rest will depend on how quickly you finish each set. "On two minutes" would mean sets at 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, etc.

2. For example, if your previous best Tabata was completing 68 "reps" at 10 mph on a 12% incline, use the same incline but lower the speed to 8 or 9 mph. If you're running on flat ground, just reduce the distance you normally run by 20% (e.g., 100m80m).

12 WEEKS TO 50K.

Here represents the exact 12-week program Brian designed to take me from 5K to 50K. I also wanted to target a 24-minute 5K time, which would (if sustained) approximate a 3:50 marathon. the exact 12-week program Brian designed to take me from 5K to 50K. I also wanted to target a 24-minute 5K time, which would (if sustained) approximate a 3:50 marathon.27 The 12-week program is based on my following stats, which he requested: 400m times, with 90 seconds of rest between: 1:20, 1:30, 1:34, and 1:39. 1:20, 1:30, 1:34, and 1:39.Military press with barbell: 145 lbs. 4 reps. 145 lbs. 4 reps.1-repet.i.tion max deadlift (DL): 450 lbs. 450 lbs.CrossFit (CF) routines for comparison: I didn't have this, so I indicated I could do 50 shoulder-level swings with a 40kg kettlebell. I didn't have this, so I indicated I could do 50 shoulder-level swings with a 40kg kettlebell.5K time and back squat poundages: I had neither, the latter due to shoulder surgery in 2004. I asked him to include front squatting if squatting were required. I had neither, the latter due to shoulder surgery in 2004. I asked him to include front squatting if squatting were required.

Some additional notes on the three-month program: If there is only one workout prescribed for the day, it is possible to do an A.M A.M. workout in the P.M P.M. or vice versa.

Unless indicated otherwise, a.s.sume no rest between exercises. "AMRAP" means "as many reps (or rounds) as possible" within a given time. If it's a single exercise, it's reps; if it's a circuit of exercises, it's rounds. Doing something "for time" (e.g. "seven rounds of ABC ABC for time") means completing the prescribed workout as quickly as possible and recording the total time. for time") means completing the prescribed workout as quickly as possible and recording the total time.

"10 2" would mean 10 sets of 2 repet.i.tions, for example (sets reps).

Reread the "on minute" footnote on this page this page.

DL = deadlift and BS = back squat.

Instructionals and videos of almost all CrossFit exercises, routines (often named after people, like "Cindy"), and unfamiliar exercises can be found at www.fourhourbody.com/crossfit. Common tools include rowing machines, pull-up bars, and barbells. If you ask yourself "what the h.e.l.l is that?" in the schedule, it's probably a CrossFit exercise.

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FAQ WITH BRIAN.

What type of shoes should I wear?

I suggest the Inov-8 X-Talon 212 or Inov-8 F-Lite 230 for trail running. For asphalt and other hard surfaces, I suggest the Inov-8 F-Lite 220, but the F-Lite 230 can be used as well.

What not to use: I've seen more problems with Newton shoes than any other. Avoid them.

Don't fall for the barefoot myth, either. There is a misguided belief that you can go barefoot and immediately fix all of your problems. If you have been wearing shoes with heels for years and start barefoot running with no transition, expect problems with your Achilles tendons. One year of stretching might get an additional range of motion out of them, so if you remove a heel and go pound the pavement, you're asking for major issues. Removing the heel will not automatically fix your form. Most of the grandfathers of barefoot running still run with their hip flexors.

Take, for instance, the Copper Canyon Ultramarathon. It's held in the Mexican backyard of the near-mythical Tarahumara Indians, who are world-famous for running in sandals called huaraches. The soles consist of little more than one layer of old tire rubber.

It sounds romantic, but the top three runners in 2010 were all wearing shoes. Running barefoot alone does not make you a better runner.

The front of my shins kills me after running. How can I prevent this?

Don't "dorsiflex," or pull the toes up towards the knees, while running.

Just imagine doing 21,600 toe raises on each side while sitting down. That's what will happen if you run 180 total steps per minute for a 4-hour marathon and dorsiflex the entire time.

If this is a habit, pre-fatigue the muscle involved (your tibialis anterior) before training by pushing down on your toes with your hands and dorsiflexing slowly on both sides 30 times.

Is there a simple indicator of bad form I can monitor while running?

If you hear a loud stomp, which is clear during video a.n.a.lysis, you are overengaging your quads and therefore your hip flexors. Aim to be as quiet as possible.

If you watch the end of a 10K and listen to the loudness of footfalls, you'll find that the first finishers are the quietest, then you have louder runners, followed by the loudest runners, followed by the walkers. The better the runner, the quieter they are.

What should I do if I get fatigued during intervals and my form starts to fail?

If you find your form deteriorating, focus on keeping turn-over (stride rate) high.

What type of diet do you follow while in training?

The biggest problem in endurance sports is, hands down, nutrition. I've seen people finish the 135-mile Badwater Ultra in the top 10 who had no business being in the top 10. One of my runners PR'd [set a personal record] in nine hours off of nutrition alone. Most runners subsist on drinking Gatorade and eating gels. The high-carb diet is c.r.a.p. You need to replenish glycogen, but that doesn't mean you need to eat pizza and pasta, or cereal and bread, during training.

I follow, and suggest my athletes follow, a Paleolithic or "paleo" diet, which omits starches, grains, and beans. It consists of lean protein, vegetables, a little fruit, a sh** ton of fat and nothing else. The most critical thing a runner or athlete can do is record three days of food logs, which includes weighing their food. This will give you a clear idea of baseline.

Do you take anything in particular post-workout?

This time window is a paleo exception.

I consume GENr8 Vitargo S2, a carbohydrate supplement, which allows me to replenish glycogen faster than any other product I've used. Some athletes can consume 1,100 calories an hour of Vitargo, if needed, versus 200600 calories of carbs from whole foods.

If I'm able to consume Vitargo within ten minutes of my workout, I usually take 70 grams. If more than ten minutes have pa.s.sed, 35 grams. I'll also consume Vitargo for the first 34 hours of a race, after which I move to whole food.

FORCED EVOLUTION.

Brian's protocol, 12 weeks of murderous intent (but not volume), has worked for nearly everyone who's done it to the letter.

Did it work for me? Enzymes notwithstanding, was I able to create a 50K ultrarunner out of a huffing and puffing mess?

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"It's important to train the body to process food during movement, and you should practice this during your longer training runs. Aim to consume one gram of carbohydrate (CHO) per hour, per kilogram body weight. For example, if you weigh 110 lbs. (50 kg), you would aim for 50 grams of CHO per hour.... Most bananas are approximately 25 g of CHO, so, in this example, you could eat two bananas per hour. But don't eat all your carbs at once. Consume 25 g, in this bodyweight example, every 2030 minutes and gulp water at the same time. Why gulping? Gulping, and the subsequent pressure in the stomach, is an important trigger for gastric emptying. Sipping doesn't have the same effect."

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4:00 A.M A.M., Daly City, California Dean Karnazes didn't know how long he'd been running. In fact, he wasn't sure where he was. The tequila was wearing off and he came to three realizations all at once:

1. He had just turned 30, which explained the tequila the night before. Normal.

2. He was not wearing pants and was running in his underwear. Not normal.

3. He felt more alive than he had in 15 years, when he last ran in high school.

So he kept going.

He later called his wife from a 7-Eleven parking lot in Santa Cruz, 30 miles south of where he'd started: on his porch in San Francisco, grabbing old sneakers he'd used for mowing the lawn. She was a bit confused, especially by the underwear part. Dean, on the other hand, had achieved ultimate lucidity. The corporate life, even with the new Lexus and the perks of indoor servitude, was not for him. Things needed to change.

Change they did.

From cubicle dweller, he transformed into a mainstream demiG.o.d in the world of ultramarathoning. If running 135 miles nonstop in the 120-degree heat of Death Valley28 weren't enough, he also decided running 26.2 miles at 40 around the South Pole would be a challenge. (It was, especially in tennis shoes; he was the only one to spurn snowshoes.) To bring national media attention to childhood obesity and exercise, he then ran 50 marathons in 50 consecutive days in all 50 states. weren't enough, he also decided running 26.2 miles at 40 around the South Pole would be a challenge. (It was, especially in tennis shoes; he was the only one to spurn snowshoes.) To bring national media attention to childhood obesity and exercise, he then ran 50 marathons in 50 consecutive days in all 50 states.

In other words, Dean sees more marathons in a year than most will see in a lifetime. He competes almost every weekend.

Here are Dean's top-5 lists of must-run and must-experience marathons for newbies and pros alike.

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New York City (www.ingnycmarathon.org): The most culturally and ethnically diverse marathon in the world. The most culturally and ethnically diverse marathon in the world.Portland (www.portlandmarathon.org): The lore of Oregon running pervades this marathon. The lore of Oregon running pervades this marathon.Marine Corps Marathon (www.marinemarathon.com): Running through the nation's capital will give you the chills. Running through the nation's capital will give you the chills.Rock 'n' Roll San Diego (www.rnrmarathon.com): Who needs an iPod when there's a live band every mile? Who needs an iPod when there's a live band every mile?Boston (www.bostonmarathon.org): Hey, it's Boston. 'Nough said. Hey, it's Boston. 'Nough said.

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Napa Valley (www.napavalleymarathon.org): Flat course, cool temperatures, wine waiting at the finish! Flat course, cool temperatures, wine waiting at the finish!Hartford (www.hartfordmarathon.com): Perfect big-city marathon for first-timers. Perfect big-city marathon for first-timers.Fargo (www.fargomarathon.com): Great aid-stations along the course and terrific crowd support. Great aid-stations along the course and terrific crowd support.Dallas White Rock (www.runtherock.com): The Texan hospitality doesn't get much better. The Texan hospitality doesn't get much better.Disney (http://bit.ly/3chiv): No denying it, the Disney people do a great job in creating a wonderful marathon experience. No denying it, the Disney people do a great job in creating a wonderful marathon experience.

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Big Sur (www.bsim.org): Unparalleled coastal scenery. Unparalleled coastal scenery.Boulder Backroads (www.bouldermarathon.com): If you're lucky, there'll already be snow covering the nearby mountain peaks. If you're lucky, there'll already be snow covering the nearby mountain peaks.Myrtle Beach (www.mbmarathon.com): The course runs along the beach almost the entire way. Surf's up! The course runs along the beach almost the entire way. Surf's up!St. George (www.stgeorgemarathon.com): The bonfires at the start are unforgettable. The bonfires at the start are unforgettable.Kauai (www.thekauaimarathon.com): The Aloha Spirit shines through all the way. The Aloha Spirit shines through all the way.

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www.fourhourbody.com/marathonwww.fourhourbody.com/race-finder [image]