High Mileage and real improvements

80-110 miles per week:

8:40 3k, 15:13 5k, 25:29 8k

3 years of 40-55 miles per week:

15:12 5k, 25:02 8k, 31:30 10k, 2:29 marathon

-High mileage doesn't work for everybody. I gave it a good 4 years and got nothing but tired and sick.

-I do high-end aerobic runs almost daily now (no slower than six minute pace out of shape)

-I still avoid frequent high intensity VO2 type work most of the year.

-I still do a weekly 90-120 minute run (@ 5:40-6 min pace)

-For those who are still in college, avoid the mistake I made.....forget about the number in the log book----get in that high end aerobic running several times per week, jog a little on the in between days....

-I recognize that there are people out there can do well on high, slow mileage, but I believe that many others (like me) do well on "mileage irrelavent" schedules...

Think the incorporation of hills is a good point. I'm an old fart with no desire to try to get my sorry-ass, grissled butt on the track, but I also can get lulled into too many slow junk miles on the flat tow-path. (It's 1/2 mile away from my doorstep, goes many miles in both directions, no traffic, bucolic, etc.)

Anyway, getting the hill work done consistently always helps. Also, consistent weight and stretching at the gym helps me absorb the mileage, which for me, is about 80.

Interesting. I had the reverse experience. In college I ran 60-70 mpw regularly most of it very intense and got down to a 8:59 3k (track), 15:59 5k (roads), 26:16 8k (roads).

Years later, trying to run well again (after years of running on and off) I found I couldn't do that regimen anymore. I couldn't replicate the intensity and frequently got injured when I tried. Hadn't gained weight or anything, I just couldn't do it. I definitely couldn't come close to my old PRs.

So I drastically increased the volume to 120+ and lowered the intensity. Suddenly, within a matter of 4-6 weeks, I was running those times again. I admit I haven't broken any of them yet, but I've come within a couple seconds of all of them many times. I'm a 36-year-old trying to compete with my 22-year-old self so it's more than I expected. What's more I can do it with some regularity now which I could not do in college.

Tapper, where are you? He's a college teammate that couldn't break 12 minutes for 3200 in high school. He probably ran 30-31 for 8k his freshman year of x-c. Then he gradually started increasing his mileage. Not sure what the rest of his PRs are, but he ran 2:25 at TCM last Oct. I believe he had a few weeks at 140 before the race.

Zeke

I am a little curious. Those of you who have improved as a result of high mileage, did you lose any body fat(weight) from running so many miles.

The reason I ask is because I feel that by doing high mileage, you burn more calories, and eventually become leaner. As the weight comes off, you will naturally produce better times.

A good example would be Sebastian Coe. They guy was 5'10'' tall and only weighted 119 pounds. He wasn't really into the high mileage system, but was able to produce some amazing times.

So, my theory is that people who made significant improvements from running high mileage was probably as result of their body fat reduction.[

Senior year of highschool XC 5k Best of 16:29 off of very little mileage 20-30mpw. Summer going into my first year of college cross I averaged 85 miles a week for 10 weeks. I had a 10k XC best of 33:04.

Freshman 50-65 mpw 5k=16:25 10k=35:?? 8k-xc=28:00

Sophmore 70-100 mpw 5k=15:47 10k=32:01 8k-xc=26:69

Junior 85-140 mpw 5k=15:19 10k=coming 8k-xc=25:48

I have steadily increased my mileage over the last few years and have steadily seen improvements.

Supposed to be Sophmore 8k xc 26:59

What about for 800m?

After 16 week base of 100 - 140 mpw, I dropped from 34:10 10K to 32:16. Peaked later that year, next summer same thing..100 mpw base for 16 weeks...dropped 10K to 30:50.

Prior to that improvement, I averaged 50-60 mpw. This from age 20-22.

I have never been able to get over 50+ mpw without getting sick (flu, bronchitis) so cannot personnally address this post if 75+mpw is considered high.

I can anecdotally mention one guy I know of. He was a regular 60-70MPW runner (2:42-44 for the marathon consistently, but he rarely ran shorter events). One year he blocked out six months Nov-Apr to focus on Boston. He average 97MPW for that time frame and ran a <2:32 finishing 97th the year Bordin won.

I have seen very small improvements in the 800, it's not an event I concentrate on, but I run 4x800's for speed. I ran 2:07 in high school, and now as a junior in college I have run 2:06.9, so the mileage didn't appear to help me there. However it must be considered that in high school I was training specifically for the 3200, and was doing a lot of 400 workouts, now I concentrate on 10k, and run moslty tempo and interval type workouts. If I did more rep workouts I think I could run 2:02 - 2:04, but still that is not much improvement. I simply do not have the speed for an 800. My 400 PR is 58.

bump. Very interesting thread.

bump

bump

i went from 18:10 on 55-60 mpw to 16:20 on 90-95 mpw