Broken Endurance: The Smartest Way to Run Faster for Longer with Bobby McGee
In this episode, running coach Bobby McGee is back to help us understand the revolutionary concept of "broken endurance" - a strategic run-walk approach that challenges everything we think we know about endurance racing.
As Bobby said "This is absolutely a performance tool, a performance approach. It is not a concession. You know, when people view it as a concession, then the whole mindset goes... You will perform better utilising this, not only as a training strategy, but very, very definitely for the large majority of endurance athletes, as a racing strategy, as a superior racing strategy." - Bobby McGee
In the conversation we talk about psychological barriers that prevent runners from adopting this approach, some compelling success stories, and we have some practical guidance on how to implement broken endurance in both your training and racing.
Key Points Discussed:
Broken endurance as a performance tool: This isn't a concession - it's a strategic approach that allows athletes to perform better, cover longer distances, and recover faster than continuous running.
The physiological benefits: Better heat management, improved cardiac drift control, enhanced fluid absorption, superior blood circulation during walk breaks, and reduced neurological fatigue.
Real-world success stories: From a 2:40 marathoner who ran 2:22 using walk-run, to age group athletes consistently outperforming their continuous running times by 4-5 minutes.
Overcoming the ego barrier: Why cultural perceptions of endurance and the "Iron Man" mentality prevent athletes from adopting superior racing strategies.
Practical implementation: How to find your optimal run-walk ratio (starting with 4:1 or 3:1), the importance of systematic data collection, and adapting intervals based on conditions.
Walking technique matters: Maintaining 14-17 minute mile pace during walk breaks, keeping rhythm and cadence, and using the walk as active recovery rather than collapse.
Recovery advantages: Dramatically reduced post-workout fatigue, ability to maintain higher training frequency, and reduced injury risk from better form maintenance.
Connect with Bobby McGee:
Website - bobbymcgee.com
Instagram - bobbymcgeerunning
Bobby also recommends the following books
Endure - Alex Hutchinson
The Transformational Power of Pure Intelligence Cory Reich
Bobby is a consultant for STRYD power meters, He highly recommends the Duo if you want state of the art mechanical data to work on your run
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