Putting Technique in Its Proper Place
I enjoy exploring different perspectives on sports coaching, yoga, and meditation—fields where it’s all too easy to let technique alone be our guide. For me, putting technique in its proper place is almost a political act in a technocratic society that has turned it into an end in itself, forgetting its true purpose.
For what is the real purpose of yoga postures, running training methods, or meditative mindfulness practices?
I don’t believe that performance is the answer. On the contrary, if technique served only to make us more efficient, it would risk dehumanizing us even further. Methods are useful, of course, but they remain merely means to an end. The essence lies elsewhere: in what they reveal within us.
Let’s take running as an example. We can spend hours following training plans, with the vague hope of one day becoming faster. But what are we really seeking behind this quest for speed? And above all: is it worth “pushing ourselves to the limit” to satisfy a poorly defined desire projected into an uncertain future?
Beyond Performance: Ease
Let’s return to this question: what are we really seeking beyond speed? A fairly universal answer, it seems to me, is ease. Ease with oneself, which comes from recognizing our own potential; ease in running, where the effort becomes fluid, almost effortless.
So why put off this ease until later? Why continue to cling to the belief that “I’m suffering now, but it will be easier someday”?
I’d like to offer another perspective: don’t put off that ease—invite it in right now. Make training—even intense training—a space for adaptation and variation.
Moving Beyond “Hard”
Let’s take a concrete example: a VO2 max speed session consisting of 6 repetitions of 2 minutes of effort followed by 2 minutes of recovery. Instinctively, our attention focuses on the “hard” part. We try to quantify it: a specific pace, a heart rate, an objective and reassuring metric.
But the reality is more nuanced. These metrics remain imperfect, and we are not machines. Our energy levels vary from day to day; our perception of effort fluctuates depending on our physical, emotional, and mental state. Véronique Billat’s research has clearly shown this: indicators like VMA are not absolute benchmarks.
So, how should we approach this so-called “hard” level?
Perhaps by simply stopping to call it that. Instead, we should view it as a range of intensity, specific to our current state. A range, not a fixed value: a space within which we can adjust.
In practical terms, during these 2 minutes of effort, you could gradually accelerate until reaching a high intensity, then slow down gently toward the end of the interval. Research shows that this modulation allows you to stay at VO₂ max, even as you slow down.
The Importance of How It Feels
But beyond physiology, the psychological aspect is essential. Allowing yourself to slow down creates a genuine sense of relaxation—sometimes profound—while still providing intense stimulation to the body. Training then becomes a space for self-awareness.
Seen from this perspective, interval training is no longer an ordeal to endure, but a space for exploration. It helps develop a nuanced sense of effort and an understanding of the body. Neither complacency nor mechanical rigidity: just precision.
I’m not suggesting we discard these methods, but rather that we approach them differently. Within a structure, what matters is the ability to adapt, to vary, to find the right nuances—to create, in short, your own melody.
Entering into the Living
Because it is our very existence that is at stake. And life is never linear: it is made up of adjustments, self-regulation, and movement. Life is a dynamic, profoundly intelligent process.
We might as well dive right in—even at a run.