Before I cover “What” the Five/Three Method is, I should start with “Why” there was even a Method required. One simple word: Hundred. Before that word was ever uttered to me, I knew I could run any distance up to 20 miles on a whim. However, anything beyond that was murky. Literally, my mind starts wandering after 2 hours and I lose interest. Running becomes boring. Thus, when I signed up for my first Hundred Mile race, I needed a plan… Necessity is the mother of invention.

The thought of running 20 miles and then walking 80 miles was not gonna work. Not only would I not be proud of finishing a hundred mile race in this fashion, I would likely not meet the cut-off time requirement. However, I knew from years of trail running that there would be some level of walking involved simply due to the complexities of race terrain and elevation. So how would I manage the mileage? Was there a way to control my pacing (and heart rate) to go the distance? To find the answers, I went back to the basics.

My favorite interval run from years of coaching was the following: Run 1min ON / 1min OFF. Repeat to cover 2 miles. Technically, I could have repeated this workout fifty times to finish my hundred miler, but I would have likely lost interest in less than an hour. However, the theory was sound. Work interval equal to rest interval is the foundation of all aerobic training. What if I expanded this on an ultra scale, literally? Could I Run 1hour ON / 1hour OFF, and Repeat? Yeah, that sounded very manageable. Now Entering: The Five/Three Method.

For me personally, a nice comfortable (easy) run is done at a 12 min/mile pace. Thus, over the course of an hour, I would complete 5 miles. Next, a comfortable (easy) walking pace is done at a 20 min/mile pace. Thus, over the course of another hour, I would complete 3 miles. Repeat. BOOM! If you follow this pacing strategy you can finish a marathon in just over 6 hours; you can finish an ultra marathon [50K] in less than 8 hours; you can finish a hundred miles in less than 25 hours. OMG!!!

Is this Method gonna win First Place at the Race? Likely not. There are some crazy fast runners out there. But this Method does work, and it’s available to everyone. And I haven’t even touched on the best part: Your times actually get faster as you practice this protocol. And when you couple this method with a solid strength training regimen, well, that hundred miler looks a lot more achievable than anything you dreamed before. 24-Hour Buckle? Why not?! So there you have it, Five Paragraphs to get you started. Need a strength program too? Contact us for membership options!