Clinical proof CFE works zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I have to confess I fell asleep during the middle of Mike's post when he started citing scientific research to back up the legitimacy of CFE. I bought Power Speed and Endurance by Brian McKenzie (the father of CFE) about a month ago and he lost me on page 5 when he started discussing running form and scientific data. I understand that the scientific approach to exercise is completely legitimate and any successful champion  monitors heart rate, VO2 max, hermatocrit levels, but for me it kills the joy of sport.

I love exercise for many reasons and one is that it represents a non-intellectual side of my life - admittedly one of many non-intellectual areas. Just select the workout and go - don't worry about the numbers or scientific rational for why the workout makes sense. If you just have an inherent belief in what you are doing and it is grounded in some sort of logic (ie run a fast 7 miles over and over and you will  logically be able to run a fast 13 miles), then you will be able to perform. It's about confidence.This is why I have this magical affinity to running a minimum of 30 miles a week. It represents the specific numbers - an average of 7.5 miles/ run (assuming four run/week) or one hour  (assuming 8 minute mile - the minimum pace to be a running stud in my book which is a 3.30 marathon pace) or 1,560 miles/year (I once read that an endurance runner does a minimum of 1,500/miles year). I hit these numbers and I am confident that I have attained a minimum level of fitness. I have proof this works but there is no science behind it.

So while Mike does a number of different workouts to gain some mensa level of marathon fitness, I will just use the brainless approach of fast runs at distances increasingly close the distance at which we will be racing. And my 5k time is currently kicking Mike's time's ass