Do any masters here run doubles?

Do you mean "baby' doubles or "real" doubles. Running a few in the morning and only moderate overall milage is not what I would call "real" doubles.

It's been debated before, but if you're not running over around 70 MPW....what's the point of doubles.

I am a master and will actually be running my first doubles (over 70MPW) next week....so yes.

I'm in my late 50's, and I generally run doubles 2-4 times a week. My "extra" runs are usually around four miles. I'm not sure that I'm benefiting much, but I enjoy doing them.

biggus, why don't you reserve your "yes" until after you actually run the "real" doubles next week.

biggus dickus wrote:

It's been debated before, but if you're not running over around 70 MPW....what's the point of doubles.

The same point as if you are running over 70 miles a week.

I forget who it was, but I saw a training schedule for a guy who was in his early fifties and ran elite times for his age group. He did a lot of doubles. But he also cross trained at least once or twice a week (cycle, swim etc.). So, his mileage was almost always under 70. But if he ran instead of cross training, he would have been around 100. It is an interesting approach.

Due to my screwy work schedule I need to run doubles a few times a week to get my mileage in (around 60 mpw) and it's never a problem. I do my hard workouts in the morning and an easy recovery run in the evening.

I sure hope so, otherwise I'm going to have to cut out half my sessions next spring.

The secret is to arrange your life to run to work and back. This may take ten years or more of careful scheming, career moves, house moves disguised as getting into the right school catchment area etc, but it's worth it. My shortest route (3m) is actually quicker than either waiting for the bus, or battling through the traffic. My favourite one is 6m (soft surfaces, hurts less) and nobody really notices the extra 20min.

If I had to wake up at 5am to get in the second run, I wouldn't bother.

Huh? How screwy is your work schedule that you can fit in two runs but can not get the mileage in singles?

ATHiker07 wrote:

Due to my screwy work schedule I need to run doubles a few times a week to get my mileage in (around 60 mpw) and it's never a problem. I do my hard workouts in the morning and an easy recovery run in the evening.

OldXCguy wrote:

I'm in my late 50's, and I generally run doubles 2-4 times a week. My "extra" runs are usually around four miles. I'm not sure that I'm benefiting much, but I enjoy doing them.

Similar here, 3-5 doubles/week, more because I like the rhythm they give the day than anything else.

I'm 45. The past year my mileage has been quite light, maxing out around 55-60 miles, likely averaging more like 40-45. So while I have run some second runs (maybe once a week on average) I wouldn't say I am typically "running doubles" these days.

That said, until last fall, the previous 4-5 years I average more like 65 mpw, generally with a handful of 100+ weeks per year. I typically ran 8-12 times per week during that period. That I would characterize as "running doubles" as a master for a few years.

I hope to ease my mileage back up over the next few months, and this will include some second daily runs.

Since I max out in 50 mile range, my doubles are the 2 days a week I head to gym and lift weights for 30 minutes then do a 45 minute spin class then home for a well deserved brewski!

Run in the mornings primarily, almost never after work.

I ran doubles as a 45-50 year old. But I ran every other day. So it was not unusual for me to run 10-12 one day and nothing the next. The doubles were usually 4-5 in the morning and 6-8 at lunch.

Funny, I just started doing doubles this week. It was every bit as hard as I thought it would be. I turned 50 this summer and want to see if the doubles will help my mile time next summer. A couple of rules of thumb about doubles that I got from Dave Wottle back in the 70's, no less than 4 miles and the runs need to be 6 hours apart.

Yup - 4-6 times a week. First run is usually 5 miles, and is a shakeout for the later run. Total mileage is in the 70-80 mpw range.

Tuesday thru Friday I try to run 8-10 in the morning and at least three of those days I try to run 4-5 on the way home from work. Not a year round thing but three months in the winter and three months summer into fall. The first few weeks are toughest but I do sleep well.

Thank you for your comments. It's good to know what others are doing. I will start off doing 2 doubles a week and then work up to 4 doubles a week.

Listen to your body. You may want to start by doing a few weeks with doubles than a week off. Try that pattern for awhile to keep injuries at bay.

I have been doing 2-3 doubles usually T, Th, and maybe Sa. I plan on adding 5 miles at night on the treadmill. Has anyone done it this way is it better to just run outside with a headlamp?

sactomaster wrote:

Listen to your body. You may want to start by doing a few weeks with doubles than a week off. Try that pattern for awhile to keep injuries at bay.

Got it! Good advice. Thanks.