Zendurance · Endurance Training Bible
Zendurance

Endurance Training Bible

A living field guide to training the aerobic body and the quiet mind.

Yoko Zenji
This is a living book. It keeps changing as Yoko Zenji refines it — this page syncs from the source outline automatically. Read it the way you train: slowly, and more than once.

Prologue. How to use this "guide"

Chapter 011 min read

What this is and isn't

Is

Alive and changing

As we learn, more information gets added and/or edited. If something changes, I'll leave the old information but struck out so we can reference that is NOT the answer anymore.

How to do multisport as an art, with style, grace, and enjoying the bumps and scratches too.

Searchable, cross referenced. Try clicking on #bike and watch what happens.

Isn't

The final word.

To be blamed for your own injury or pain or loss. This information is suggestions only.

The Zen Approach

Chapter 022 min read

"Instead of fixing or adding, first try removing"

The problem is we try to fix a problem by trying MORE of the same or adding something else. Usually the best approach is to do less of something or not doing it at all. This is counterintuitive, since the human ego pushes us for more, bigger, and better.

A major tenet of Zen, doing less or nothing is often the solution unseen to the inexperienced eye. Don't inflate the problem and try this only as the last resort. Be Zen and try it first, getting to the fix far sooner than you would have otherwise.

Instead of adding yet another crazy diet fad, try just eating less. Instead of more running volume to gain improvements, try less for a while so you can recover more. Instead of more in-person meetings to resolve a conflict, try no meetings and give guidance through some brief emails. Brevity implies power. It signals you have better things to do. The other person will suddenly respect you more and will be more likely to do what you say.

"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast" - Training mantra of the U.S. Navy SEALS

Errors cost more time and pain than slowing down and doing it right the first time. The trick to learn is to enjoy the process as much or more than the result.

Results are brief. The process is the real joy and experience.

Crossing the finish line creates a feeling for just a short while, and then you're looking for another fix. It's the long miles, the effort, the pain, the sacrifices during the training and race day that you look back on so fondly. Learn to love the process; that where the real diamonds are.

"no hurry, no pause"

This phrase is something to repeat while working.

Steve Jobs describes "How to meditate" businessinsider.com/steve-jobs-zen-meditation-buddhism-2015-1

"If you just sit and observe, you will see how restless your mind is," Jobs told Isaacson. "If you try to calm it, it only makes things worse, but over time it does calm, and when it does, there's room to hear more subtle things — that's when your intuition starts to blossom and you start to see things more clearly and be in the present more. Your mind just slows down, and you see a tremendous expanse in the moment. You see so much more than you could see before. It's a discipline; you have to practice it."

Under Construction! Please be patient as I organize all this stuff for us! :)

Chapter 031 min read

INBOX:

Chapter 042 min read
  • "Complete your journey to emptiness today"

Two Zen paradoxes:

Empty desire, full contentment.

  • Empty mind, full of possibilities

Today's endurance bikes are probably faster than race bikes from just 15 years ago. If you weren't winning pro races then, you won't be now, so get a bike that feels good instead of slams you into a harsh-riding racing position.

Big Sigh is Real! Sign your body is so relaxed, it's ready to Focus. psypost.org/scientists-reveal-what-is-actually-happening-to-your-body-when-you-let-out-a-random-sigh/

New Insta360 X6! How to film video on the bike...

gizmochina.com/2026/07/26/insta360-x6-retail-box-leak-reveals-battery-life-accessories-and-price-ahead-of-launch/

“Remember to go for balance. Not just in workouts, but in life. You can only do so much without borrowing from work, school, and life. As you repeat weeks, you notice patterns and where you can do more and where you should do less. There is at least 7 ways to improve overall and per sport: More or less volume, more or less intensity, more rest, more efficiency, discipline, diet, and time management. Whenever you want to improve something, look at those aspects first and make sure you pick the right or easiest one to tweak before you strain and reach for weird solutions when you haven’t adjusted the basics first.”

Talk about rest and digest!

#moneysaver Going to add this hashtag into the flow!

Bike and running lights to be seen at night equals freedom and lower stress. You can take roads that you might have avoided before AND feel more relaxed while riding all roads. White light on front is particularly interesting. I didn't use one for two decades and then tried it and was surprised how much I like the safer feeling.

Keep eyeglasses and sunglasses from sliding off your face by cutting "Croakies" ends off and putting them on the ends of your earpieces.

Can also use any silicone or other brand glasses holder. Just cut out the middle!

  • Swim beat timer per 50 or 100 yards. ("Alert" on Garmin 945)

Short haircut has massive cooling effect. #heatmanagement I have A/B tested this many, many times. Letting hair grow out pretty long and then cutting it short. The difference is dramatic. I highly recommend cutting your hair very short for hot "A" races if you are able to do so.

Ice on run or rides massive cooling effect. Turns misery and failure into totally doable.

Why is mph useless on most rides.

Purposeful friction in life. shoulder lifting grocery bags. walking stairs instead of elevator. you become a person to chooses the hard way. #Bible

#thinking Momentum is Karma. And also any small push getting the heavy wheel turning is worth it. because the wheel is actually a giant productivity momentum flywheel. #Bible

Put in your Zentri #Bible that you’ve tried slow cadence. And while it works, and eventually slows you down too much. What works better is slow us except on hill climb spinning, fast uphill climbs is the right amount of dosage to up your cadence.

Great Video of how to be productive with Japanese Samurai and your own Marine Military Academy experience - engadget.com/apps/youtube-now-lets-you-hide-shorts-085538825.html

Place for new Ideas:

Chapter 051 min read

Biking - Started working the full spectrum of leg muscles due to listening to Norwegian Training method that Lower cadence works more muscle fibers and especially the slowtwitch ones.

Learned that if you slow down your cadence you can feeeeeel it working the full depth of the muscles.

Relaxing, you don't have to "work" as hard because mental load is less because you're not working your nervous system as much to do higher RPM.

So... Low stress low RPM looks to be the best way to do zone 2 rides. Creating and training far more mitochondria to turn resources into energy.

How much caffeine per hour during long races?

About 30 mg per hour after you're "topped off".

The double camelbak method for long races. "Hot swap" them out instead of filling up.

Happiness is doing 2 things at once

Both a joke, but seriously... it is.

The meaning of life, Happiness is having a goal bigger than you.

Gets you up in the morning.

Like trying to be Kona Qualifier, sub 10 ironman.

Happiness is HAVING A SYSTEM.

  • Makes you feel smart
  • Makes things efficient
  • Makes things predictable
  • Makes things a HABIT

The reason high volume with low intensity works is you never get stiff. You run better if you bike some the night before.

It's not the volume, it's the staying loose? So every workout is like you had a warmup already?

Creatine helps hydrate in hot conditions. Since it does 2 things (also puts on muscle) do it!

forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/Does_extra_water_weight_gain_from_creatine_help_in_hot_training/racing%3F_P7880954/#p7880954

Daily Eating and Nutrition

Chapter 061 min read

Fasting and low carb and Ketosis

Ketosis regenerates pancreas beta cells and can reverse diabetes. bbc.com/news/health-39070183

Steve Seiler - Study shows two workouts a day dramatically improves fat burning. Brett's opinion - it's because most people do that first workout before breakfast and that's a fat-burner.

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