mileage and doubles

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14 years ago 08/24/2009 8:48pm EDT

I'm a female college runner with zero talent besides my inability to get injured. In High School i ran about 55-60 mpw in singles and ran a 10:47 3200 and an 18:20 5k. Now I'm really trying to improve going into my sophomore year and have increased my mileage to 75 mpw. I do a lot of 4/8 mile doubles and a 13 mile long run. Will the mileage increase and doubles make me faster? Also, I've gained 10 pounds since HS (but still at a lowish healthy weight 18.5 bmi) will the weight gain counteract any improvements from mileage increase? is there anything wrong w/ running this kind of mileage. most girls get injured, but i don't. Would it benefit me to run even higher mileage, assuming I don't get injured? I am a bit tired right now, but am thinking its normal and i will acclimate. Is there any way the mileage increase will make me WORSE?

14 years ago 08/24/2009 8:58pm EDT

re: slow but sturdy

Zero talent, are you serious? No way, those times you ran in high school are great (HS elite times...)... I ran 60-70 mpw in high school and couldn't break 11:30 in the 3200. Though my times are now definitely better in college (off of ~90 mpw now).

14 years ago 08/24/2009 9:11pm EDT

re: slow but sturdy

Before adding miles, make sure that you can run the majority of the current amount with good quality. According to Renato Canova, this means 30-40% slower than your 1500m pace or 15-25% slower than your 5k or 10k pace, which ever one you're focusing on.

I'd also second the previous poster. 10:47 3200 for a girl is not slow. Give your talent some credit.

Adding UNNECESSARY weight will slow you down. However, denying your body enough nutrients will certainly lead to injury and cause more significant problems. Only consult knowledgeable people that know you personally for what would be an optimal weight for you.

14 years ago 08/24/2009 9:43pm EDT

re: turkey leg

I agree with the other posters about your talent level, but that's not the point. To answer your question, If this was at the beginning of August, or middle of July, I would say that you should just keep trucking along at 85 mpw until season starts. However, because you will have to be able to pound out workouts and RACE well within the next few weeks, I would recommend starting to add quality into your 85 mile weeks, or cutting down to the MAXIMUM mileage you can sustain while adding in 2-3 quality sessions. Being tired isn't all that bad, unless you feel burnt (which I'm assuming you don't, because you haven't been doing workouts).

How long have you been doing this mileage for and when did you plan on cutting back for season?

Oh, and as a side note, if anything I would say the weight gain is more HELPFUL than anything, considering your current BMI. Hope this helps.

14 years ago 08/24/2009 9:57pm EDT

re: ya.....

false modesty is lame.

14 years ago 08/24/2009 10:33pm EDT

re: slow but sturdy

I would 100% recommend if you're going to have any mileage increase, you need to get on a daily iron supplement. A lot of women (and men too) neglect this. When you're putting in more miles, your feet are pounding the ground more too, which means footstrike hemolysis (loss of red blood cells). This could lead to anemia later in the season. You can pick up a bottle of liquid ferrous sulfate elixir from any local pharmacist (1 pint/16 oz. bottle, add 1-2 tsp to orange juice daily on an empty stomach or with food if it causes GI problems).

14 years ago 08/25/2009 8:12am EDT

re: slow but sturdy

okay so perhaps i do have SOME talent, compared the the average individual. it just seems like I don't because i'm running D1 and surrounded by studs all the time. I was running around 65 mpw in the spring, took a couple weeks off after track, started back up very gradually until I reached 65 mpw the first week of august. Ran 70 mpw the 2nd week of aug and 75 the 3rd week. I plan to hold most of the mileage through september. This week i start adding minimal quality (200s at 38 pace, 4xmile at tempo pace) ANd the quality will pick up, but nothing faster than race pace until october. Glad to hear the weight gain may not be a problem.

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