In a WhatsApp running group, one of our friends recently shared an article from Menâs Journal Magazine praising the benefits of training in a fasted state. The sub-title alone was promising: The Science-Backed Benefits of Running on Empty, by Spenser Mestel.
I opened it as I thought of how pseudo-science has affected even the most mundane, easy runs lately. Most come from unqualified social media influencers or studies commissioned by companies that will benefit from their results. Dr. Tim Noakes is famous for questioning Gatoradeâs science-based recommendations about the benefits of consuming Gatorade. And like that, examples are plenty.
Running on empty has its scientifically proven benefits (Image by ChatGPT)
We tend to forget that humans have been running for thousands of years. Hunted gatherers did so for hours while chasing an animal until it collapsed. Yet, they were able to pick it up and take it home to feed their families. They didnât carry water packs to replenish every drop of sweat. They didnât carry chews or gels to replace every calorie they burned.
Sure, we have evolved in those thousands of years. The bushmen of the Kalahari were not used to spending their day under air conditioning, sitting in front of a computer, or wearing shoes before they went hunting. But we havenât entered devolution either. Our bodies were built to withstand a certain level of dehydration and caloric deficit.
I want to leave no room for doubt that I am not advocating against electrolyte replenishment, chews, gels, or any other product. God knows I could not have finished my last few marathons without the help of Maurten gels. What I am advocating against is their overuse, to the point where our bodies become unable to learn how to use their own resources.
Running on an empty stomach is not a fad passed around by social media influencers. Based on the article in question and the study on which it was grounded, it is a well-rounded premise that âfasted cardioâ and âlow-glycogenâ training are similar but distinct practices that can offer real metabolic advantages if done right.
While skipping breakfast can be beneficial, you don’t have to do it for every run (Photo Pexels)
Mestel brings in Professor Richard J. Bloomer, Dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Memphis, to clarify the lingo. According to him, a âfasted stateâ can simply mean not eating for 10â12 hours, like overnight. But low-glycogen training goes further. It implies depleting your muscle glycogen stores, typically by limiting carbs over a longer period. Both approaches can shift your bodyâs fuel source away from sugar and toward fat, especially during lower-intensity sessions.
According to the study, these are some of the benefits:
Fat Adaptation: By skipping that pre-run snack or breakfast, your body is nudged into burning fat for fuel. Studies cited in the article showed that both men and women increased fat oxidation after exercising in a fasted state. Simply put, youâre teaching your body to tap into a steadier, more abundant fuel source.
Less Stomach Drama: Fasted runs can reduce gastric discomfort for those with fussy guts. No food means nothing sloshing around in there. Itâs a win for morning runners whoâd rather not eat at 5:00 AM just to avoid bonking at 6:00.
Convenience: This one isnât science; itâs life. Rolling out of bed, lacing up, and getting it done before breakfast is just easier sometimes.
The science goes even deeper. In a 2010 study from the Journal of Applied Physiology, Beneficial Metabolic Adaptations Due to Endurance Exercise Training in the Fasted State by Van Proeyen et al., this wasnât anecdotal evidence; it was a tightly controlled experiment. Two groups trained identically on bikes for six weeks. One ate carbs before and during workouts; the other trained fasted.
The result? While both groups got fitter, the fasted group showed superior metabolic adaptations. Their muscles improved at burning fat, their ability to use stored fat (even deep in the muscle) improved, and they kept blood sugar stable over long workouts. The carb-fed group? They didnât show those perks.
Conclusion
It is not about skipping breakfast forever or starting every workout on an empty stomach. But if you mix in a couple of easy runs each week without eating beforehand, especially when effort is low and stakes are even lower, your body might thank you. Youâll become more metabolically flexible, able to use fat when needed and carbs when it matters most.
Donât go overboard. Itâs about teaching your body to adapt so it can rise to the occasion, whether chasing a PR or just running for joy.
Curious to try it? Leave a comment and let me know your experience. And donât forget to subscribe to the Foultips.Run newsletter by clicking the button below.
In the last post, we discussed the importance of building a strong aerobic base, one on which everything else can solidly rest. That post sparked valuable feedback. Many readers asked, “So, what comes after the boring stuff?”
Now that the foundation is in place, we build on it to get stronger and faster. Opposed to “the boring stuff” is what we Iâve heard called as “The Sexy Stuff”.
Speed over long periods/distances cannot stand alone. Adding speed work doesn’t mean abandoning the easy miles. It means balancing them with strategic sessions designed to improve strength, efficiency, pacing, and recovery.
Speed work isn’t a shortcut; it’s a complement. When done correctly and in harmony with your base mileage, it helps you become the strongest, smartest, and most resilient version of your running self.
Now that we have a base, it is time to work on speed (Image by CoPilot)
There are many types of speed workouts, each one with its own merits to help you run faster, with purpose, and without risking injury. The key is understanding that speed development isn’t about hammering every run to exhaustion. It’s about running with intention. Your easy runs remain the backbone of your training. But now, we are layering specific efforts designed for growth. To get faster, you need to run faster, but only when the time is right.
Examples of “sexy stuff” are the following:
1. Interval Training – Alternate fast running with recovery periods. They challenge your body to hold higher intensities and then bounce back. An example is short bursts of 200 or 400 meters at strong effort, followed by slow jogging. It’s tough but builds both strength and endurance quickly.
2. Fartlek – Fartlek means mixing in bursts of speed during a steady run. There’s no set structure. Just pick a landmark and push the pace, then ease up. It’s a fun, flexible way to teach your body how to change gears mid-run.
3. Tempo Runs – This is your chance to run at a challenging, steady pace that builds endurance and raises your limits. You should feel strong but unable to talk easily. These runs help you sustain faster efforts over longer distances without crashing.
4. Progressions – They are all about finishing fast. Start your run at a relaxed pace, then pick it up gradually. The goal is to finish the last stretch of the run feeling strong and in control, without gasping for air.
5. Hill Running – Short hill sprints build explosive power in your legs, improve form, and speed up your heart rate. They’re good for runners who want to boost their cadence and efficiency. Hills are strength work in disguise.
Other workouts such as Vo2Max, lactate threshold, double threshold etc., require a deeper knowledge of the science and physiology behind them before being tackled. Focus on what you know and understand, not on what the elite Kenyans are doing.
Cross-training is key to remaining healthy while running, especially as you age (Photo Pexels)
But that’s not all there is. To get faster and remain injury-free, you must do work beyond running. Some examples are:
6. Strength Training – Incorporating 2â3 strength sessions per week will make you stronger and, thus, faster. Full-body and compound movements will help with running economy and injury prevention. Think of squats, lunges, deadlifts, and core work.
7. Cross-training â Non-running activities like cycling, swimming, or yoga improve fitness, build strength, and reduce injury risk by working different muscles without the repetitiveness of movement and pounding of running.
8. Plyometrics – These exercises involve jumping and explosive movement to help improve your power and coordination. A few well-timed sets of bounding, hops, or box jumps before your run can sharpen your stride and reduce contact time with the ground.
9. Prioritizing Recovery –Your body needs time to adapt. Without quality recovery, your speed won’t stick, and you’re more likely to burn out or get injured. Sleep well, eat right, foam roll, and stretch as necessary. Gains don’t happen during training, they happen during recovery, where your body adapts and grows stronger.
10. Mental Strategies – Running fast requires mental fortitude. Breaking a tough run into small segments, repeating a mantra, visualizing success or adjusting your thought process may be just as important as the way you train.
Speed work is the exciting part of training, but it only works when done right and is well supported by your solid base. Both elements must work in harmony, complementing each other rather than competing between them. As you start integrating faster sessions into your week, keep your easy runs sacred, your recovery intentional, and your mindset focused on progress, not perfection. When done right, it is this balance what will make you a faster, stronger, and more injury-resistant runner.
Talking about our great workouts and spectacular results is a favorite topic of runners’ conversation. “Johnny’s mile repeats are spot on for a 5K PR!”, “Jimmy is crushing his track workouts.”, “Helen swears by her Fartlek sessions.” So, why am I not doing any of this stuff? Why does my coach have me doing boring stuff?
If you are training for long-distance running, your base is the key. The aerobic base, that is. A skyscraper stands on a solid footing for the same reason the pyramids have stood on their wide bases for 4500 years. They both have a solid foundation to bear the load. The same principle applies to a long-distance runner. Your aerobic base is the foundation of your running. It’s what every training block builds upon, and what ultimately supports your ability to perform. What good comes from running 400 meters in 62 seconds if that is all you can hold, but you are racing a 5K?
To understand the importance of an aerobic base for a long-distance runner, know that even the fittest and fastest Kenyan elite runner runs a marathon 99% aerobically. Even Olympic 5000-meter champions require about a 90% aerobic effort to compete at that level. You’ll likely never be there, but this doesn’t preclude you from the reality of human physiology.
In his “Guide to Coaching”, Coach Steve Magness states: “We have a temptation to want to skip to the ‘cool, sexy’ stuff. It’s boring to do endless easy runs or to spend hours working on the starting position in the sprints. But the ‘boring’ work serves as our foundation. We need a firm understanding of the basics before we move on to the next step. And once we have moved on, we must continually go back to the basics to ensure that they are ingrained.”
Is this clear enough?
The Boring Stuff
It is counterintuitive to accept that you must run slow so you can run fast. Yet this is one of those things you must accept, trust the science, and move forward with if you aspire to become a successful long-distance runner.
The slow (boring) stuff is the key to becoming a strong runner (ChatGPT Image)
Training at slower paces is the foundation of endurance because, among other things, it enhances mitochondrial density (improving oxygen delivery to the muscles), enhances capillary development, and increases fat utilization as fuel, which will make you a more efficient athlete. Low-intensity training also stimulates aerobic enzymes without overstressing the body, allowing more consistent training and better recovery. Over time, these physiological improvements will enable you to maintain faster paces with less effort.
Structured properly within your training, slow runs support speed, stamina and contribute to a better race-day performance. And this takes time. It doesn’t happen by running slow for a week or a month. If you trust the process and keep a written record of your workouts, before you know it, you will be running longer, easier and faster with the same effort. What once was your pushing pace, will now be your warmup pace.
The Sexy Stuff
Now that you have a strong base, we build on it.
Do you want to enjoy the runner’s highs? Build a base (Photo Pexels)
I often compare runners with F1 engines. They can do amazing things, but they require a lot of work, constant modifications and adjustments. The engine is the base, which is solid, but it can’t perform at the expected level without testing, tweaking and failures.
Short intervals, long intervals, Fartlek, mile-repeats, track, threshold, VO2Max, progressions, and so many more are part of the arsenal of workouts you have at your disposal to become a faster runner. These workouts will leave you pleasantly exhausted, provide you with that exhilarating feeling we have learned to love, and get you to enjoy the sweets of a runner’s high.
But be warned. These should be just a fraction of your workouts. You shouldn’t do them day after day after day just because you built a solid base. Maintaining and solidifying the base is a lifetime pursuit. The base of the Eiffel Tower has been constantly maintained since 1889, and thus, still stands strong.
Speed work is essential to becoming a faster runner, but easy recovery runs in between hard workouts and the ubiquitous long run should not be skipped. It should all be in balance.
So, next time your coach asks you to slow down, be patient, or play the long game, understand he/she is not doing so because he/she is mean. There are proven scientific and physiological reasons behind it. So, embrace the boring stuff and become a better, faster runner.
Can you share your slow running experience in the comment box below?
Let’s start by stating something basic that even veteran runners tend to forget: The Marathon is a 99% aerobic event. Yes, even Ekiud Kipchoge and the East Africans who run around him run the marathon as an aerobic endeavor.
Having a solid aerobic base to sustain continuous action for 26.2 miles is one of the keys to a successful marathon. And when I state “successful,” I don’t mean setting a PR; I mean finish. Sure, we all know someone who has finished a marathon without training, but those are outliers, and most of those go through a sufferfest during their race. So,don’tt take any cues from them.
Race at 100% but only train at 80% (Photo Pexels)
Your aerobic base is the cornerstone of your long-distance running journey. Think of it as a pyramid’s broad, solid foundation, supporting the peak over which speed and performance are built.
Developing an aerobic base requires time, work, and patience. It covers hundreds, if not thousands, of miles and comes from years of engaging in activities that keep your heart rate elevated for long periods. Many runners achieve this base through previous activities in sports like soccer or swimming, while others have honed it just by running over the years. A strong aerobic base is essential to improving your speed and excelling in endurance events.
Running beyond the correct rate of perceived effort, performing all your long runs at race pace every single week or running your repetitions and intervals with all your might are not conducive to developing a solid aerobic base. It is counterproductive and not only won’t make you faster in the long run, it may lead to injury.
The aerobic base can be developed by: ⢠Running consistently ⢠Learning where your conversational pace lies ⢠Accepting you must go slow to run fast ⢠Trusting the process
 As your aerobic base develops, you will: ⢠Become a more efficient runner ⢠Become a faster runner ⢠Improve the rate of lactate removal ⢠Improve muscle and energy output
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Train at 80%, Race at 100%
Running every rep at max effort is not conducive to sustainable running (Photo: Caique Araujo, Pexels)
I firmly believe you shouldn’t go all out on your training runs, drills, and reps. Since your body needs to recover to realize the adaptations of your efforts and still keep the training moving forward, ending a rep or a training session on the verge of collapse is not the best practice. When you do so, you put your body through extreme stress, which will require a longer period of recovery. It would be best if you ended the rep knowing you could have gone even faster. Finish the workout knowing you could have gone an extra rep or two is a better strategy.
When you train for a race, that effort is in the future; you are working towards that goal. This means you train at today’s fitness level, not at the level you expect to be at race time. Focus on the prize.
Once race day is here, after a tapering period during which you are recovered and ready to go, you give it your all on race day. You are not saving anything for tomorrow. You invested your mind, body, and resources through a test of fitness and will. Then, you cross the finish line at the edge of your endurance limit.
In Conclusion
Running slow is counterintuitive. It feels weird when you know you could be running faster. It takes practice to go slow. Anyone can run itself to the ground by sprinting every day and racing their training runs. There is no merit in that. What takes guts is to accept that you must be patient, play the long game, and be willing to defer your gratification so you can enjoy your running for a very long time.
Sure, these are fundamental concepts for most runners, but we all need to be reminded of the obvious at one point or another to remain grounded during a difficult training cycle.
Feel free to like this post or leave a comment in the box below.
 This is a broad question that all runners have asked themselves at one point or another. Running and pain have a complex relationship. It is a rare occasion when thereâs not a little pain here or a kink there that worries us after a hard workout, or as a race approaches. Most of these come with the territory of being a runner. Comedian Dana Carvey wisely said: âIf I only ran when nothing hurts, I would never runâ.
By the way: I am stating here that I am not a medical doctor, nor a physical therapist, nor a practitioner of any of the medical sciences. These are just suggestions based on 40+ years of experience as a runner. Consult your physician before making any health decision. Donât base them on what you read here. With that out of the way, I continue.
Be smart when dealing with pain and you will avoid injuries (Photo Pexels: Kindel Media)
Most of our daily aches and pains are usually a product of the normal wear and tear from practicing our sport, and many times it is OK to run through them. But beware. The era of the âno pain, no gainâ approach to running is long gone. The ânothing can stop meâ macho attitude is not conducive to a long or a healthy running career. It is not the same to finish a marathon when you started limping at mile 25, than running through that same limp since mile 7. Aches and pains can be red flags and we must be able to identify them on the fly.
Most running injuries happen from a combination of repetitive movement and/or not enough recovery. When we approach this place in our training, our body usually provides us with warning signs. The more in tune we are with our bodies, the clearer we receive such communications. And the only way to be in tune with your bodyâs signals is to acquire more experience by running more.
 When can we run through pain?
1 â When your pain is a product of basic muscle soreness: By running we put an extraordinary amount of stress into our musculoskeletal structure. Muscle soreness is a natural byproduct of it. The more experience you gain as a runner, the more you will be able to discern on the source and type of your pains. Some muscle soreness if normal. If you donât have to compensate and/or change your form, you should be ok by running through minor discomfort.
2 â If pain subsides or decreases as you warm up: It is normal to feel some pain and discomfort as you initiate your run. If you just woke up or spent an extended period sitting down, this is normal. Muscles, tendons and ligaments need to get back into shape to carry you through. Resetting your range of motion with exercises such as the lunge matrix, and/or warming up properly should help you accomplish this, and allow you to have a good session.
If you have determined that you will run through the pain and discomfort, donât be afraid to adjust your training session to the current situation. Donât be afraid to go slower, cut the run short, or dial back the intensity if needed. Always have in mind that no one training session will make you or break you. It is the small, consistent gains whatâs will make you better. And you wonât be able to compile them if you are out of commission with a preventable injury.
When should we not run through pain?
1 â If there is excessive fatigue: It is normal to be tired from training, especially when you are increasing your mileage, add weight training, or you approach the peak portion of your race program. What is not normal is to wake up so beat up that you are not sure if you can complete your session for the day. This is a clear sign that it is time to dial back and recover before you get overtrained or injured.
2 â When it forces you to alter your form: Minor aches or discomfort is one thing, altering and adjusting your form because pain is too severe is a red flag and you should stop immediately. If you keep going, you could damage something else by moving in a way your body wasnât designed for or by adding stress to structures unprepared to sustain it at the time.
3 â If it gets worse as you run: If whatever you feel increases as you go through your training session, stop immediately. It is not going to get better by running further. Assess the situation and figure out if it needs professional consultation.
4 â Through intense pain: Regardless of how seasoned you are as a runner, you should be able to discern what intense pain is. You know what a normal nuisance is. Use common sense to identify the types and levels of pain you are not supposed to run through. If it hurts that bad, something must be wrong. Stop. Assess. Consult a professional.
Have in mind that running is an impact sport. You are hitting the ground with about 300% of your body weight about 800 times per leg, per mile. This causse muscle and soft tissue damage. So, something is usually going to ache or be sore. It is when the body repairs itself from that stress that you become fitter and stronger.
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2 â When it forces you to alter your form: Minor aches or discomfort is one thing, altering and adjusting your form because pain is too severe is a red flag and you should stop immediately. If you keep going, you could damage something else by moving in a way your body wasnât designed for or by adding stress to structures unprepared to sustain it at the time.