How/when do I cut back on doubles?

High School Running

6 years ago 09/21/2017 7:58pm EDT

I'm a junior in high school who started doubling over this past summer. I got up to a consistent 5-6 days of doubling per week. Since school and XC started, I have been able to keep 3-4 double days a week.

These 3-4 days include an easy 3-4 miles on the treadmill in the morning and another 6-8 miles of varying intensity at XC practice.

I'm starting to get to the point in my season where I should be running faster. I'm wondering when I should start cutting back these doubles a bit. For reference I'm getting in around 55-65 mpw with about 10-15 of those miles being from morning treadmill runs. This week, I've already got in four doubles and during today's workout I was feeling beat up. Here's this week:

Mon: AM- Easy PM- Easy

Tues: AM- Easy PM Race

Wed: AM- Easy PM- Easy + Pool Workout (easy)

Thurs: AM- Easy PM- Hard Workout

Fri: AM- Easy PM- Nothing

Sat: AM- Race PM- Easy Mileage (if I feel like it)

That's a basic week, instead of a Tuesday race it's usually another hard workout. Today (Thursday above), I ran a not-so-good workout and my legs felt a bit sore. I'm wondering if it is because I've been doing a bit more running this week with some more intensity and heat at XC practice.

I have my conference meet next week and I want to be ready to roll on that Saturday morning. I feel like I should reduce the amount of doubles and mileage I'm doing a little as my XC practices start to become more intense and focused on the post-season. Here's my plan for next week (along with my coach's practice schedule):

Mon: Easy Long

Tues: AM- Easy PM- Hard Workout

Wed: AM- Nothing PM- Easy

Thurs: AM- Easy PM- Hard Workout

Fri: AM- Easy PM- Nothing

Sat: AM- Race PM- Easy (if I feel like it)

Thoughts? I still have about 5-6 more weeks of running and racing this season for reference. How do I move into the coming weeks? Thanks.

6 years ago 09/21/2017 9:15pm EDT

re: Relyk

Relyk wrote:
I'm a junior in high school who started doubling over this past summer. I got up to a consistent 5-6 days of doubling per week. Since school and XC started, I have been able to keep 3-4 double days a week.
These 3-4 days include an easy 3-4 miles on the treadmill in the morning and another 6-8 miles of varying intensity at XC practice.
I'm starting to get to the point in my season where I should be running faster. I'm wondering when I should start cutting back these doubles a bit. For reference I'm getting in around 55-65 mpw with about 10-15 of those miles being from morning treadmill runs. This week, I've already got in four doubles and during today's workout I was feeling beat up. Here's this week:
Mon: AM- Easy PM- Easy
Tues: AM- Easy PM Race
Wed: AM- Easy PM- Easy + Pool Workout (easy)
Thurs: AM- Easy PM- Hard Workout
Fri: AM- Easy PM- Nothing
Sat: AM- Race PM- Easy Mileage (if I feel like it)
That's a basic week, instead of a Tuesday race it's usually another hard workout. Today (Thursday above), I ran a not-so-good workout and my legs felt a bit sore. I'm wondering if it is because I've been doing a bit more running this week with some more intensity and heat at XC practice.
I have my conference meet next week and I want to be ready to roll on that Saturday morning. I feel like I should reduce the amount of doubles and mileage I'm doing a little as my XC practices start to become more intense and focused on the post-season. Here's my plan for next week (along with my coach's practice schedule):
Mon: Easy Long
Tues: AM- Easy PM- Hard Workout
Wed: AM- Nothing PM- Easy
Thurs: AM- Easy PM- Hard Workout
Fri: AM- Easy PM- Nothing
Sat: AM- Race PM- Easy (if I feel like it)
Thoughts? I still have about 5-6 more weeks of running and racing this season for reference. How do I move into the coming weeks? Thanks.

Since you've been doing these doubles consistently, I think you want to keep doing them as long as you can.

Shorten your morning runs to 2-3 miles. Think of them as warmups; keep them very easy and just aim to get loose.

6 years ago 09/21/2017 10:33pm EDT

re: Neftaric

Exactly! Don't cut out the double ever. You can make them shorter and easier as you get close to your big meets, but keep doing them. Even do them race morning unless your race is before 10 AM.

6 years ago 09/21/2017 11:58pm EDT

re: Relyk

Relyk wrote:
This week, I've already got in four doubles and during today's workout I was feeling beat up. Here's this week:
Mon: AM- Easy PM- Easy
Tues: AM- Easy PM Race
Wed: AM- Easy PM- Easy + Pool Workout (easy)
Thurs: AM- Easy PM- Hard Workout
Fri: AM- Easy PM- Nothing
Sat: AM- Race PM- Easy Mileage (if I feel like it)
Mon: Easy Long
Tues: AM- Easy PM- Hard Workout
Wed: AM- Nothing PM- Easy
Thurs: AM- Easy PM- Hard Workout
Fri: AM- Easy PM- Nothing
Sat: AM- Race PM- Easy (if I feel like it)

How hard you tried to go, just 2 days after the race? What does hard workout mean? I usually did the day after a race a long easy run, followed by a day off or a short session of hill sprints, and almost always the next workout after a race was a moderate run around the lactate threshold. Give your body enough time to recover after a race. Take a day off / a down week sometimes.

Your program is just too much for you, you have 2 races and a hard workout in between, in the first week. The doubles isn't the problem. At least skip 1 hard workout in the following week, and add a day off preferably in monday. Don't go too hard in your workouts especially when you race weekly

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