How fast can I get off 2-3 runs per week?

I'm 53 and running 20s in the 5K on 3 runs per week.

My lower legs were the bane of my existence too.

You didn’t mention trying to work on your mechanics or volume/intensity mix? Maybe you did . If you prefer running don’t give up on finding out why you are trashing your lower legs.

Also , hiking and walking can be useful.

I’ll spin , but I think walking in variious schemes of time and effort is useful. Honestly I would do 50/50 spinning and walking days with some of the walks being longer duration as you get it sorted out, with a goal of getting back to mostly all running. The walking is more conducive to fixing your running mechanics problems in the long term than the cycling is.

Be careful when you spin not to over work your calf muscles. I don’t wesr my clipless shoes too often but rather regular shoes. Keeping flat footed on the bike has helped with calf and Achilles problems.

Wowzers wrote:

Unless you have done a good bit of cycling recently I would try to ease into the bike. My experience is that it is much harder on your legs (or at least different muscles), until you get used to it. Early on if I went hard on the bike my legs were pretty shot for a day or so.

I am fairly well used to biking at this point. I can do 40 mile rides on my road bike and not have problems from getting trashed so I am not too worried about that at this point

Yeah I have tried working on all of those.

I never have calf problems from cycling whether wearing my clipless shoes or sneakers on an indoor bike

I am not convinced about the benefits of walking over cycling

ok its day 0 of my 5 days of running every 2 weeks plan.

Cycling

17.75 miles

630 ft gain

1:08:37

149 BPM average HR

Harrier98 wrote:

A good chunk of the 16:20-17:10/34:30-35:00 guys at our Uni/Amateur Athletic club only a max of 4 days per week. A lot of the times they only do track sessions and races. Maybe one or two easy runs on their own. Actually really frustrating and impressive lol.

I am assuming you are British and referring to Brit. university harriers ? Right ?

Day 2

Running

3.19 miles

24:34 minutes

7:42 min/mile

164 BPM average HR

I wonder if Ryan Trahan will chime in? Didn't he run like a 2:36 marathon running 1-2 times per week?

That's if you believe everything you hear/see/read on the internet...

You will run a minute slower in the 5k than if you were training 6 days per week. so if you are capable of 14 minutes, you will only run 15 minutes which won't cut it in D1.

bazap wrote:

ok its day 0 of my 5 days of running every 2 weeks plan.

Cycling

17.75 miles

630 ft gain

1:08:37

149 BPM average HR

PLEASE don't log every day of your 3-day-a-week hobbyjogging here. Take it to a hobbyjogger community like RunnersWorld or Reddit. Come back here when you're ready to train seriously. Thank you.

Predictor wrote:

You will run a minute slower in the 5k than if you were training 6 days per week. so if you are capable of 14 minutes, you will only run 15 minutes which won't cut it in D1.

This is none sense....

replacing to the OP I know a guy who in high school dealt with stress fractures all the time. His body was made of glass. He bikes and did the workout sessions and every other week did a long run. ran 9:14 3200 was really talented though. I would not suggest doing bike workouts if you are trying to run races. The speed and turn over that gives you neurological benefit plus running specific VO2 etc that you get from doing those sessions are needed to run fast. I would replace all recovery runs with biking. off season do a running threshold mid week and long run at the end of the week. in season do the workouts and long run every other week.

also If you don't get you body use to the pounding it takes running at a specific pace you run the risk of getting hurt during the season from racing.

Just my opinion and understand of training though.

I do not think it matters how many times a week you run, you can normaly get off after 2-5 minutes.

bazap wrote:

I've tried everything from stretching, pt orthotics, PRI, heavy weights, low weights, graston, massage, ART, etc but things always seem to cause a problem as I get into any decent type of mileage.

Not saying it would be the only cure, but have you tried cutting down on intensity instead of volume? (Maybe you have but didn't mention it.)

Like, no fast running apart from easy strides. Add 1 min/mi to your previous easy pace and build up to running every day (start with 4 miles easy daily). Then make your runs longer three days a week (still no intensity). Keep increasing slowly until where you need/want to be mukeage-wise and only then add one workout per week back in, then two per week, then a long run. Be patient. More patient than you think.

Increase slowly wrote:

Not saying it would be the only cure, but have you tried cutting down on intensity instead of volume? (Maybe you have but didn't mention it.)

Like, no fast running apart from easy strides. Add 1 min/mi to your previous easy pace and build up to running every day (start with 4 miles easy daily). Then make your runs longer three days a week (still no intensity). Keep increasing slowly until where you need/want to be mukeage-wise and only then add one workout per week back in, then two per week, then a long run. Be patient. More patient than you think.

Thanks for the suggestion but yes even when just doing easy mileage I have had the problems come up.

I think I am still going to go down this route of a 5 days of running every two weeks as I have discussed with my coach but I'll see how I can apply that to my plan

Day 3

Erg

15 minutes

~2:10 per 500m

154 BPM avg HR

Spinning

30 minutes

142 BPM avg HR

Managed to roll my ankle on my first day of running yesterday - just my luck. Got it checked out by the trainer and its nothing bad but a bit painful to walk run right now. We'll see how it goes but I'm guessing at least a week until more running - really annoying right as I am starting. Luckily with only running 5 days in 2 weeks I'm not missing much running anyway.

HobbyJoggerSpotted wrote:

PLEASE don't log every day of your 3-day-a-week hobbyjogging here. Take it to a hobbyjogger community like RunnersWorld or Reddit. Come back here when you're ready to train seriously. Thank you.

I really hope you have read the posts on this thread and actually understand how much I have tried to get at a reasonable point. I am not super fast right now but I'm pretty serious about this and trying everything I can

bazap wrote:

HobbyJoggerSpotted wrote:

PLEASE don't log every day of your 3-day-a-week hobbyjogging here. Take it to a hobbyjogger community like RunnersWorld or Reddit. Come back here when you're ready to train seriously. Thank you.

I really hope you have read the posts on this thread and actually understand how much I have tried to get at a reasonable point. I am not super fast right now but I'm pretty serious about this and trying everything I can

If you are serious, do not diminish the number of sessions. Increase them.

All you do, from taking a shower (making it long, very hot, letting the water find the bad spots), to getting up from bed (stretching all muscles, go into childpose, slide back so your backhead touches the pillow, slide forward and do a minute or two plank followed by as fast as possible as many pushups, slide into buddha bow your head in any position to get good stretch of back and hips, get up and do 50 fast jumping-ropes, days begin, and this is it all you do is about one thing to stay healthy, keep healthy , increasing strength and movement so your 18 year old you would be ashamed, a lot of red and white fish, vegetables, a lot of swimming and for your legs, swim and run in water, and do elliptical, continue biking, insert mountain hiking and at winter crosscountry skiing, also in winter time speedwalk at steepest elevation at the treadmill.

Basically ideas. Pick and choose, pick and use.

SprintTriathlon wrote:

If you are serious, do not diminish the number of sessions. Increase them.

You're referring to increasing non-running session right?

Day 4

Erg

20 minutes

2:12 per 500m

4546m

Spinning

25 minutes

136 BPM average HR

Ankle feeling a good bit better today.

Day 5

Erg

30 minutes

2:11 per 500m

6865m

21 strokes per minute

142 BPM average HR

Spinning

15 minutes

135 BPM average HR

Ankle feels nearly fine just pushing off todays run to tomorrow since theres no point rushing it at this point.

The normal schedule would be running Tuesday and Friday and alternating saturday runs.