Running high mileage is significantly easier than people think

As someone who loves running but has struggled with running injuries all my life (I am almost 62 now), I feel a lot of people posting on this thread have an unreasonable idea of what's possible for the average person.

In my opinion, the average person CANNOT run every day, no matter how slowly, without getting injured. For the average person, IMO, running every other day is probably safer, and 3x/week is even better.

As another person already posted, there is no such thing as a "recovery run" for me. The only way I can recover from a run, is by not running the next day. Running slower is not recovering.

It's not that I am too tired to run every day. And I have enough time. But whenever I get carried away, and start running multiple days in a row, BOOM, something really starts to hurt bad, and usually quite soon. Hamstring, or hip, or knee, or back. Something. And I have to back off.

Believe me, I do a ton of stretching, a ton of strengthening, and my BMI is about 19.0. My long-suffering wife even gives me some massage. Probably I should use a foam roller too, but my point is, I already do a ton of extra work to try to keep myself healthy and running regularly.

Bottom line: For many people, probably most people, it's not lack of time that prevents running high mileage. It's wear and tear on the body, IMO.

Grassrunner wrote:

For most serious runners, there's more to running high mileage than just the running. There's also the strength training, the core work, massage/foam roller, etc.. Not saying it can't be done by the full time worker but the schedule is tighter than made out to be here.

Those extra stuffs add little your running ability. Pros do that because they have plenty of time to kill. But if you don't have enough time to run high mileage, it's better to skip them.

the problem on letsrun is people talk like everybody should be doing what the pros are doing. but the pros are in a different world where everything is handled for them from the nutrition to medical, and every part of their day is entirely focused around their running training. they don't have distractions and aren't dealing with a job. somebody working on their feet for 8 hours a day needs to factor that into their mileage - even if they are not moving forwards much e.g. standing behind a counter, the time on feet alone must be the equivalent of a few miles on the leg muscles, just by itself.

particularly in terms of injury prevention, I find it best to do relatively low running mileage, and cross train for general fitness, vo2 max gains, etc. the amount of miles you run only needs to be enough to attain muscle/lactate endurance/threshold. the pros can run more and cross-train less because their bodies have been nurtured and fed and rested in a way that it is very hard for normal people to perfect.

easy runs can easily be subbed for the elliptical machine, there's little difference and far less impact. just take your hands off the handles and swing your arms as you would when running.

easy runs can easily be subbed for the elliptical machine, there's little difference and far less impact. just take your hands off the handles and swing your arms as you would when running.

It sounds just like Alberto Salazar's running form.

I agree with the sentiment, but completely disagree with the example.

Obviously, some people will get injured more easily than others due to their weight, age, diet, sleep and running form.

However, I believe ANYONE could run 100MPW if they ran slow enough. I mean, have you ever been injured on a walk? I doubt it. But the difference is, some people would have to go slower than others.

Also, the idea that some people couldn't run every day is bonkers. If you only ran 4 miles per day, there's no way that would cause an overuse injury unless you suffered from some physical disability.

god the real one wrote:

You Use to be why I can no longer stand Strava. Bunch of 25 MPW people with 22min 5k prs running every easy run at 7 min pace. And they all compliment each other for how fast they are every day and probably look down on actual fast runners who take easy days slowly.

Strava is great if you know who to follow, i.e. the pros, and amateur runners who know how to train properly, i.e. a lot of individuals on the various weekly Training Threads. I have made many friends on Strava through the app itself and those weekly training threads here on LRC.

Long story short, don't follow those idiots on Strava haha

Do you enjoy your life?

You live like a monk..... If you are not a pro that s not worth it....

Go to bed at 8:30 pm, get up at 4:00 am, do nothing in your life except running and working?

Who are you to tell another person what something is worth?

This is an example of how it can be done. Certainly not a schedule for everybody.

I doubt this was done with a family and young children. But in early to mid 20s and when single, this is a doable schedule. Just takes a lot of dedication.

I think it depends on age and wear/tear on body. Can any 24 year old run a 100 mile week. Probably. At 54, with decades of neglected stretching, both calf muscles trashed by significant injuries; I'm always it seems 4-6 months from a month off due to calf/AT issues.

I'm not pushing pace (1M/3K efforts - even a couple of weeks of strides pulls something). I am FIVE minutes/mile slower than my glory days on daily runs. Perhaps that's part of the problem. 45:00 used to be 8 miles. Now its 3.5. To get decent base miles I'm out there time wise longer than I ever have been.

gbnfhmn wrote:

the problem on letsrun is people talk like everybody should be doing what the pros are doing.

When there was no such thing as "pro runners," the top runners were running 100+ mpw with full time jobs. If they could do it, you can do it. The only different is they had more motivation.

Uncle Pervy wrote:

I am FIVE minutes/mile slower than my glory days on daily runs. Perhaps that's part of the problem. 45:00 used to be 8 miles.

With daily 8 milers in 45 minutes, I would expect you to be under 48 for 10 miles. Am I in the ballpark?

adios99 wrote:

You must be unemployed.

Doubles?

100mpw?

Ain't nobody got time for that. Some Olympic champions aren't running that much.

Quality > quantity.

You must be a troll as this is pure BS. Historically, when runners were amateurs, they smashed the miles while working full time. Even now, look at a guy like Malcolm Hicks, the NZ marathoner. Works near full-time as an engineer and manages high milage.

Yes I do enjoy my life. You have a set window to perform at a high level and I want to take advantage of it. I've supported myself doing this and at the end of the day dont have to answer to any one else's expectations but my own.

Sure I'm not going to make an Olympic team and for some people doing this would not be worth it if that's not happening. But I feel like I've accomplished plenty in running and enjoyed doing it.

Primo Numero Uno wrote:

Yes I do enjoy my life. You have a set window to perform at a high level and I want to take advantage of it. I've supported myself doing this and at the end of the day dont have to answer to any one else's expectations but my own.

Sure I'm not going to make an Olympic team and for some people doing this would not be worth it if that's not happening. But I feel like I've accomplished plenty in running and enjoyed doing it.

+1

Some people enjoy running for the process; a serious hobby well worth and always worth the investment. There's nothing wrong - and potentially something endearing - about running a lot because you like it.

Few things in this sport are more pathetic than seeing an outcome-based, washed-up pro runner, who never really enjoyed the process nor reached many of their goals, questioning whether it was all worth it.

Theres 168 hours in a week. If you

Sleep 63 hours- 9 hours a day;

Work 50 hours - 10 per 5 work day

Eat 14 hours 2 hours a day

Run 10:00 miles for 17 hours

That's 144 hours leaving you with an entire day. Not a perfect life, but doable- it's up to you. Perhaps save some time by running to work.

Primo Numero Uno wrote:

Lion belt wrote:

Do you enjoy your life?

You live like a monk..... If you are not a pro that s not worth it....

Go to bed at 8:30 pm, get up at 4:00 am, do nothing in your life except running and working?

Yes I do enjoy my life. You have a set window to perform at a high level and I want to take advantage of it. I've supported myself doing this and at the end of the day dont have to answer to any one else's expectations but my own.

Sure I'm not going to make an Olympic team and for some people doing this would not be worth it if that's not happening. But I feel like I've accomplished plenty in running and enjoyed doing it.

this right here. its motivation but you also have to really love running.

also for everyone saying why the number 100? cause its an easy mileage to represent high mileage. you can make the same argument with 80, 90, 102, or whatever other high mileage number you want. dont get hung up on the details here

Interesting thread, and thanks to all posters!

As it happens I was permanently injured at age 20 off of ~50mpw (usually--occasionally 70-75 but not more). When I could walk fairly well again I looked at racewalking. (Agree with an earlier poster: Hard to get injured walking.) My RW technique stunk and a single 10:00 mile was generally beyond me, but I eventually was able to average sub-11:00 for 50km.

All of which is a prelude to responding to a previous poster about going slowly enough. In my peak (ha) years I walked ~100mpw a number of times, but couldn't average much better than 5mph. So training was 20+ hours, the equivalent of a half-time job. I was fortunate to have a flexible work schedule and a lot of my mileage was commuting, but even so 20+ hours is a real chunk of time...and if you're running 100+ mpw, with most running at 8mph or so; travel to workout locations; and supplementary strengtheninig/injury prevention work, you're talking about something close to a similar time commitment.

A good many runners *make* that time available, and probably even more did BITD, but I'm not going to say that it's "easy" for most. There are some real tradeoffs involved.

High Mileage Runner wrote:

If you're one of those people who says "If I go over 30MPW I get injured every time!" You're wrong! Just run a week of nothing but easy doubles and once you've done that before you know it you'll be running that same mileage with 2 hard sessions and some gym work thrown in.

Sorry, just read the OP, not the rest of it.

I have run marathons for over 43 yrs, have represented at state level at national champs, including XC and coached and ran with hundreds of people over that time.

You make an assumption that all people are equal and have the same biomechanics, which to be honest is a put down for those that try really hard, despite not the best genes in that respect.

I have run with many , many people who get injuries at very low levels of running, and I have run with those at the extreme who could not physically get themselves injured even if they tried their best.

One that stands out for me was a student back in the 80's in our club and state teams. One day I asked him what he did the day before, and he said 10 x 2K with 1km 'recovery', the 2k's in 6:30 and 1km in 5min...it was his second run of the day, he did a gazillion kms/wk and to crown it all, he ran in sneakers bought at the KMart equivalent.

He never at the simplest of niggles.

On the other hand, I managed the body I was given, maxed at 110km/wk got a XC national podium and a few sub 2:30's ...and always beat the bloke who trained too hard, and even recently a 3:15 off about 65km wks.

If you are still walking straight 43 yrs later...let us know...I may not be around though.