Pacing the Training Run.

This Long Slow Run idea has me intrigued, trying to figure out exactly what it's about.

Comes now Google, leading me to this fine page describing the differences between Continous Runs and Interval Runs. The link is here, but I always get lost in the woods when words are so thick and sentences so dense. Here's a reformatted version, slightly edited. Go the original if you want the full deal. (Thanks to Brian Mackenzie for sharing this information in this outline form online.)

Continuous Training can be broken down into the following sub-divisions:

50 to 60% HRmax--very easy pace
Metabolizes fat
Aerobic
Duration: 60 minutes plus
Useful for: joggers & ultra-distance runners.

60 to 70% HRmax--slightly faster pace
Burns glycogen and fat
Aerobic
Duration: 45 to 90 minutes
Useful: marathon runners.
Improves
Cardiovascular system (builds capillaries).

70 to 80% HRmax--10km pace
Burns glycogen
Aerobic
Duration: 30 to 45 minutes
Useful: 10km and marathon runners.
Improves
Cardiovascular system (builds capillaries)
Glycogen burning.

80 to 90% HRmax--5km pace
Burns glycogen
Anaerobic
Duration: 10 to 20 minutes
Useful: 5km to marathon runners.
Improves
Cardiovascular system (builds capillaries)
Glycogen burning
Lactate tolerance and removal.

90 to 100% HRmax--800/1500m pace
Burns glycogen
Anaerobic
Duration: 1 to 5 minutes
Useful: 800 to 5km.
Improves
Glycogen burning
Lactate tolerance and removal.

Running at different rates has slightly different effects upon the energy pathways. This linked page is technical enough I'll wait for Coach to translate it for me, but I think the gist of it is something like this:

• Really slow continuous runs burn fat.
• Sort of slow continuous runs build capillaries to support blood flow.
• Faster continuous runs build energy and ability to stay in breath.
• 5k pace--80-90%HRmax--combines several great benefits.

Is that the way you read it?