If you could only do ONE run a week, what would you do to maximise progression?

If my goal race is marathon or half, I'd do a long progression run in one week and a steady pace long run in the next week.

Marathon: 16 mile progression / 20 mile steady pace in alternate weeks.

Half marathon: 12 miles progression / 16 mile steady pace in alternate weeks.

If my goal race is 10k, I would do a threshold run, followed by a long "cool down."

If my goal race is 5k, I would alternate the above with a VO2 session with a long cool down.

WU (2 miles), 5 x 1 mile (T pace), CD (5 miles).

WU (2 miles), 5 x 1000m (I pace), CD (6 miles).

Im assuming starting from relative scratch? Increasing distance with strides at end? Im.just thinking purely physiological. Just a progression of aerobic development and turn the legs over. Or if the strides are not allowed then progression run sure. Needless to say my answer would be different for 800 with lots of natural speed etc...

I think.you can slowly and limited

Couch potato vs Hobbs

10 miles easy with some strides.

If hoping for any “progression” I’d better be doing a whole lot of other aerobic work (bike, elliptical, arc trainer, swim - including thresholds, intervals, long). The lone weekly run would serve to maintain basic neuromuscular coordination more than anything else, so I’d probably use that run to do a reasonable amount of work right around goal race pace.

fartlek, 45 minutes walk and run, walk/jog as soon as you feel "tired" for a minute, and continue with 15 minutes steady and walk/jog and 50 steps fast jog 1 minute doing 10 of these.

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The training of Yoshihisa Hosaka

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At high school Yoshihisa Hosaka was a champion track athlete. After several years devoted to surfing, he began running again in his mid-thirties, focussing on short road races, but did not seriousl…

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This guy did these two workouts every day. Maybe your once/wk version could incorporate some of what he did in each workout.

A race

I won't run I would bike 4 hours or the maximum possible

Is that even possible?

I guess with a long enough recovery

What " national championship" was this?

🎱 A beer 🍻 run at the famous Bar-a-thon in New Orleans

🎱 A beer 🍻 run at the famous Bar-a-thon in New Orleans

Are you new here or something?

its more complex and game theory ish and fun if you make it 2 days a week (3 is too much)
and you can spread them out whatever distance, so Monday and Tuesday orTuesday Sunday....that seems more realistic also with actually being in some shape. 1 day a week would suck and not work. 2 might...

what would you do with 2?

id do a 20x 1k at 10k pace with 4mins rest followed by all out 800, 10mins rest, 400m, 200m 10mins rest, 100m

that’s Mondays. Totally doable.

then Thursday is 20miler as fast as you can go but not race so just the classic “those boys hammer that long run” then 20mins after 4x400m 1min rest, however days you can go and not get injured.

common that’s more fun of a thread. What would you do? Also this is testable, nobody wants to test 1day a week…but 2 could maybe work?? No?

One stupidly hard workout run per week is a recipe for disaster and burnout.

If I had to run just once a week, I'd probably do 8-12 miles easy, with some strides and drills.. maybe a light fartlek add in every couple of weeks.

Hard workouts should only really come into the schedule on top of several easy paced days per week imho

Dave Bedford's famous workout

The 50 X 1 mile at 10 mile pace