I've been running about a year and a half, and the max mileage I've ever done is 70 mpw. Any suggestions on how to get this higher? The problem is not the time available in the day. It's just that after about 110 km in one week I feel pretty destroyed.
I really want to get to at least 85 mpw by April. How should I do this peeps.
run doubles
end thread.
Do doubles. For the second run of the day (the shorter one, whether in the am or pm), jog super easy.
I already do doubles just to get to 70 mpw. I run doubles 4-5x a week with a run of ~3 in the morning and 7 in the afternoon. Then a long run and an easier day.
this is going to sound stupid, but it worked for me - ipod. Use it for the medium long runs. Either music or podcasts like This American Life and The Moth.
If it really is "destroyed" legs and not just the tediousness of running, get more sleep and refuel properly. Ignore people who say doubles. They're pussies. Sleep more and make sure to refuel within 30 minutes of runs.
Here's what you should do:
Stop doubling. You need to be able to run 70 miles per week before you can run 85 miles per week. If you're doing 12-15 miles a week in doubles, then it's almost like you're only running 55-58 actual miles. The way to make yourself be able to run more is to actually run more, in terms of distance at one time. Try this for a 70 mile week:
14, 7, 9, 12, 9, 7, 12
If you can do this, then do it for 3 more weeks. After you've done that for 4 weeks, bump your mileage to 75. Then bump to 80 after another 4 weeks, and 85 after another 4.
90 minutes a day should get you into the between 80-90 miles depending on how fast you are, if you swing a two hour long run you could get close to 100.
30/60 is a pretty easy double, you can do that 3-4 time a week
(try to get to where you can do a 90 minute single more frequently, 90 minutes is a lot better for you then a 30/60 double)
1 long run of 90 minutes to 2 hours
2 workouts with a 2-3 mile warm up and cool down should get you the rest (you can also double on these days for more mileage)
90 minutes a day is just a good rule of thumb for your mileage.
Cheeeeeekon wrote:
I already do doubles just to get to 70 mpw. I run doubles 4-5x a week with a run of ~3 in the morning and 7 in the afternoon. Then a long run and an easier day.
Don't do 3 mile runs. Make 4 or 5 miles your minimum, that'll help a bit.
Listen to your body, if you can't handle over 70 miles...don't do it.
I agree with the Podcasts. Some days I'm looking forward to the podcast and the run is just a side benefit.
My first few weeks at 70 on singles was definitely a shock to my system. I used the pfitzinger Advanced and most of his recovery runs are 6ish miles. That means a 13 miler or more mid-week which was tough to get in at first, but it just means getting out of bed.
1) slow down
2) Keep doing doubles. They are good.
3) If it still feels difficult to go over 70mpw, then DON'T! Your body is talking. You should listen.
You've only been running a year and a half. Give it some time.
If you are feeling stale at 70, back down for a week or two and then try again. Or, if you are trying to get over 70, go over for one week then under for the next. Try something like this
75
60
75
65
75
75
65
80
65
80
....
Giving your body some time to recover a bit never hurts
777 wrote:
1) slow down
Winner!!!
I am fairly new to running myself (three years just gone) and understand your enthusiasm and ambition. However, you need to be patient and understand that your development as a runner is a long term process which cannot be hurried by hitting arbitrary mileage numbers.
In my opinion, if you are training at a volume that is already demanding, then you should stick at that. Following principles of adaptation to training stress, over time your body will begin to find your current volume easier and it is only then that you should consider bumping your mileage. Runners are only cheating themselves out of aerobic improvement during base periods if they train at a volume below their ability. There is not a magic number to hit where you will become a world-beater - no matter how tempting that thinking might be!
From my own experience, at the beginning of this past summer, I aimed to hit 60 mpw and this felt ambitious (I was coming back from an ankle injury too). By the end of the summer, this volume felt much more manageable and I was able to bump things up to 70-75 mpw in September. I am still in a base training phase right now and have set new personal bests over 10M, HM and 10K in the past 8 weeks. Now of course, 60 mpw is a 'down week' that I can take in my stride.
What kind of feedback have you been getting from your racing and training since you upped your mileage to 70 mpw? You may already be improving.
Motorbreath wrote:
I am fairly new to running myself (three years just gone) and understand your enthusiasm and ambition. However, you need to be patient and understand that your development as a runner is a long term process which cannot be hurried by hitting arbitrary mileage numbers.
In my opinion, if you are training at a volume that is already demanding, then you should stick at that. Following principles of adaptation to training stress, over time your body will begin to find your current volume easier and it is only then that you should consider bumping your mileage. Runners are only cheating themselves out of aerobic improvement during base periods if they train at a volume below their ability. There is not a magic number to hit where you will become a world-beater - no matter how tempting that thinking might be!
From my own experience, at the beginning of this past summer, I aimed to hit 60 mpw and this felt ambitious (I was coming back from an ankle injury too). By the end of the summer, this volume felt much more manageable and I was able to bump things up to 70-75 mpw in September. I am still in a base training phase right now and have set new personal bests over 10M, HM and 10K in the past 8 weeks. Now of course, 60 mpw is a 'down week' that I can take in my stride.
What kind of feedback have you been getting from your racing and training since you upped your mileage to 70 mpw? You may already be improving.
Thanks a lot for the great advice. In terms of feedback, I can definitely sense that I'm getting stronger aerobically. I find the 90 minute long run especially appears to really boost my fitness, so it seems. I get to around 110km, and it's just like there's nothing left in the tank. I think you are definitely correct about listening to your body, but I definitely want to get past last year's peak mileage, which was 70 mpw. I think 85 or so would be a good idea, do you?
I believe I read somewhere that from year to year your peak mileage should only increase by 10-20 percent. I think 85 may be too much.
I spent a summer doing too much, it ruined my season. If you feel 70 is manageable but any more is not, then stay there. However, I agree with the poster that says do 70 in singles. If you can do 70 in singles first, then you can bump to 80-85 with 2-3 4 mile secondaries. Running 10 miles in one run is much different than doing 7 and then 3 later.
I think if you are still in HS or early in college, 70 may be plenty. I ran well for an 8k off of 70 mpw and I do not think anymore would have helped me a whole lot since I needed the recovery from the workouts. It is important to slowly transition to give your body time to adjust to the new training. I know sometimes someone telling you to slow down isn't what you want to hear, but its sound advice as others have mentioned here.
Why do you want to run 85 mpw?
So you can see that number in your log?
If you feel pretty destroyed in your current training then it sounds like you are about maxed out for now.
Take it as it comes.
answer wrote:
If you're doing 12-15 miles a week in doubles, then it's almost like you're only running 55-58 actual miles.
Anyone agree with this comment? I run 75 mpw with 3 morning doubles of 5 miles. I double on workout days, which means by the time I actually start my hard running in the evening I already have 8-9 under my belt for the day. Surely that counts for something, right?
mahalo wrote:
answer wrote:If you're doing 12-15 miles a week in doubles, then it's almost like you're only running 55-58 actual miles.
Anyone agree with this comment? I run 75 mpw with 3 morning doubles of 5 miles. I double on workout days, which means by the time I actually start my hard running in the evening I already have 8-9 under my belt for the day. Surely that counts for something, right?
Nope, only uneducated morons believe this guy's "answer." I say, to the OP, that you're doing fine. General rule of thumb. Find where your body breaks down and train just south of it. Everything in running is based arbitrarily around what people have done in the past and ideals that don't fit with 90% of runners. I know great runners who have only put in 50-60 miles a week and still made cross all-american. I have to put in 120-130 to accomplish the same feat. If you can't seem to get your body to push itself over that hump then maybe you shouldn't move there. At the very least be happy and run comfortably with where you are and try and push up after a couple more months. Didn't work? Don't try again right away but wait another couple months. Eventually you might find you've acclimated enough to go the distance. If not that's ok too because your body simply can't go that high and you're only going to hurt your training.
If you find it hard getting over 70 mpw, then you are not ready to run over 70 mpw yet. You are better off staying at whatever level you are at and with consistency, then you can bump it up when it becomes easier for you. Right now, doing a 75 mile week would not help you as much as doing a 55 mile week if it breaks you down so much. Don't go crazy about mileage so much. There's more to training than that, and you need to be patient when increasing the volume. Be glad that you are running healthy, because you are asking for an injury by trying to increase your mileage beyond a point that you can handle.