Karin Peters is not the most likely of Boston Marathon and Ironman World Championship qualifiers. A 54-year-old mother of four, she did not participate in any sports while growing up in her native Sweden and started running in 2009 as a way to lose weight. Two years later, she used the low-volume FIRST program to…

It is an under-appreciated fact of endurance training that you don’t need to wait for your hardest workouts, much less formal testing sessions, to know you’re getting fitter. Even a simple Foundation Run or Recovery Ride can tell you all you need to know about the progress you’re making. Just ask Damon Lebeouf, a 40-year-old…

Charlotte Burleson is a beacon of hope for all of the aspiring endurance athletes out there whose knees have been messed up by years of showing horses. We’re only half-joking. In high school, Charlotte, who now lives in Axtell, Texas, with her husband, Jon, with whom she has three children, ran track and showed horses,…

Some people start running because a friend talks them into it. Others start running on their own initiative. Jacques Van Wyk started running on doctor’s orders. Having just undergone surgery to repair a couple of burst vertebrae in his spine, Jacques was told that exercise would help in his recovery. An independent financial director in…

Many endurance athletes share a belief that volume and intensity are interchangeable in training. If you train hard enough, you don’t need to train a lot. This isn’t true, of course—whether you train a lot or a little, you’ll get better results if you follow the 80/20 Rule—and most athletes figure this out sooner or…

Many if not most 80/20 newbies find it hard to believe initially that training slower will help them race faster…

It has been said that childbirth is an endurance test unto itself. It certainly was for Cassie Watt, 37, who owns a toy and bookstore in Marblehead, Massachusetts, where she lives with her husband and three children. During her first labor in 2012, Cassie, a former all-state high school runner turned casual road racer, suffered…

The typical Athlete Spotlight story goes something like this: An athlete trains too intensely and becomes injured, burned out, or frustrated. The athlete then discovers and tries the 80/20 method, experiences a huge breakthrough, and lives happily ever after. We love these stories. But you know what we love even more? Winston Bryn’s story! What’s…

Paul Fitzpatrick’s athletic journey began on the high school gridiron. What he lacked in stature he made up for in speed and strength, allowing him to excel as a young football player. After earning his diploma, Paul, who is now a married 29-year-old Army officer and helicopter pilot living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, went to…

People take up triathlon for all kinds of reasons. Bob Willig’s reason was twofold: 1) He didn’t want to die prematurely of a heart attack like his father, and 2) a neighbor of his who happened to be a former Olympic triathlete suggested he give triathlon a try. Bob prepared for his debut sprint race…