How to increase mileage with injury-prone runner

Sodium Fine wrote:

...everyone on letsrun can throw down 100mpw...

Yeah right!!

Easiest and best way to increase mileage is to slow your ass down and just tick up the miles.

I'm not joking, speed kills.

Sodium Fine wrote:

cross train at least twice a week,

There's your problem. If you are on really low mileage, you should be able to cross train 5 or 6 days a week or more. Maybe even do really hard workouts on an elliptical where there is no impact and you are using a little different muscles than running but getting a great aerobic benefit.

If you can't do mileage then increase the quality and speed. And if you are always getting injured then you are doing something wrong.

Spend some time running on grass and/or sand and/or uphill and/or barefoot/minimalist every day.

That does not mean go out and run 4 miles up deep sand dunes tomorrow. More like 4 x 30 sec even less to start.

That does not mean you are ever going to try to run a significant number of miles on grass and/or sand and/or uphill and/or barefoot/minimalist.

It means you want to very slowly develop the correct timing of your strides. All your rehab/strength training means you are strong enough, not that you should let it go, just don't increase it any more.

How did I run 100mpw? I took a year to get to 50 mpw slowly. I worked construction 40 hours a week and built up everything else at the same time. Then, I doubled my mileage one week to the next and held on for the rest of the summer. I was 14 and mileage was my talent.

Given you are an experienced runner, running on grass is your first step. Less-experienced runners can experience achilles issues or plantar stabilisation issues - tib ant and post, fibularis longus and brevis and extrinsic flexors and extensors of the digits are underdeveloped and they are prone to shin splints and ankle sprains. Yours are not, grass gives the same peak load but that load is spread over a longer time period. It's a no-brainer.

Try and NOT run on consecutive days if you can. This is usually for less experienced runners again - for you perhaps not running more than three days in a row is indicated, or taking weekends off. It's crap, but injury is crap too. You might just have to suck it up.

Reduce mileage every fourth week. Some say 50 per cent... *again*, you are an experienced runner, so toy with this. But a reduction every fourth week is very wise for most runners to be honest.

Most runners benefit from increased cadence. It reduces peak load again. A good analogy is a hypothetical 5k - theoretically, the net impact load for the race as a whole is the same with 4000 strides or 6000 strides. But increased total impacts means the load for each individual impact is smaller. An easier analogy is doing it in five gigantic, superhuman leaps. Imagine the impact for each. Then imagine doing it with 10,000 tiny little mincing strides. Just take that idea and scale it back. It also tends to cut down on overstriding. Be very careful changing biomechanics. It can introduce new problems.

Sodium Fine wrote:

I am a D1 runner with decent accolades, but I want more. I have been on obscenely low mileage for my whole life, and can't seem to break out of the injury cycle- even on this low mileage regimen. Yes, I lift, do rehab in the training room, cross train at least twice a week, eat healthfully, etc.

Is there anything you did to become less prone to injury? I know my potential remains relatively untapped due to my need to maintain low mileage to prevent injuries. Seems like everyone on letsrun can throw down 100mpw... How do you do it?

I doubt most run more than 60 mpw.