Training for Runners by Volume, Effort, or both? - Seth James DeMoor

Aug 13, 2025

Intro: This is a quick summary of Training for Runners by Volume, Effort, or both? from Seth James DeMoor. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the ideas today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points:

Volume vs. effort: Volume can be measured in miles/kilometers, minutes, or vertical gain. Effort is how hard each mile feels, which changes with hills, altitude, and terrain.
Effort matters more than raw mileage: Two runners can log the same miles but vastly different effort if one runs 5,000 ft of vertical gain versus flat terrain.
Elite examples: East African marathoners and ultra‑runner Jason Sharpe run 120‑145 mi (≈200 km) per week, but many have cut volume in half while keeping performance.
Personal example: 7‑mile run (≈2 h) with 3,900 ft (1,100 m) vertical gain, felt like 14‑15 mi due to steep terrain and speed‑hiking.
Practical tip: Track both distance and vertical gain in Strava (or similar) and use perceived effort (e.g., “90 % effort”) to guide training.

Workout Example:

7‑mile (11.3 km) hill workout (speed‑cross 5/4 style)
- Warm‑up: 1 mi easy on flat ground.
- Main set: 3.5 mi (5 km) uphill at ~90 % effort (speed‑cross 5 shoes), focus on steady effort on the climb.
- Recovery: 1 mi easy downhill.
- Repeat the 3.5 mi climb a second time (speed‑cross 4 shoes if you prefer a slightly easier effort).
- Cool‑down: 1 mi easy.
Total: ~7 mi with ~3,900 ft (1,100 m) vertical gain. Adjust paces to match your current fitness—use the Pacing app to convert the effort to your own target pace.

Closing Note: Give this hill‑interval workout a try, tweak the distances and effort to fit your own training level, and track your volume and effort in the Pacing app. Have fun, stay safe, and keep loving the run! 🚀