Is 30 mpw mediocre?

Best for their current 10k fitness or course

talent wins over wrote:

No you don't. 30 MPW is 6 miles per day, 5 days per week. Why woukd you need more to run a 10k? You could do 30 MPW with a 10 miler and three 7 milers and run a fine 1/2 M. I could probably run close to 30 minutes for 10k on 30 MPW.

30min 10k off of 30 miles a week. After how many years of training?

30 mpw is OK for a high school Mid-D runner, if they are doing speedwork/intervals. For me, 30-35 mpw in high school meant 4:30.7 in the mile and 16:17 5K XC. I'm sure 50 mpw would have improved things a good bit.

Now, as an old f*ck, I went from 40 to 50 mpw last year and knocked over 3 min. off my half marathon (a new-ish event to me). This is just anecdotal, but more volume means faster races in my case.

30 is very low. You'll see huge improvements up to 60. There's still improvement beyond that, but less bang for your buck.

I ran these times on 30mpw

16:xx

35:xx

1:17:xx

2:53:xx

Nothing amazing, maybe mediocre, but you can do a lot on low mileage.

i got down to 17:10 5k cc, and 4:36 1600m on 35-40mpw. Depends on the person and the kind of miles youre doing. Would've done more if I could've tho, injuries started hitting once I got higher. Shouldve given a damn about recovery..

The next principle, “Diminishing return,” says that the gains obtained at higher training levels will be less than those obtained at lower training levels.

If training is doubled from 20 to 40 miles per week, percent of potential (peak ability) is increased from about 50% to about 75%; whereas doubling training from 40 to 80 miles per week only increases the percent of potential from 75% to about 90%.

The doubling of training at the lower level resulted in an increase of 25% of potential, but the doubling of training at the higher level only saw an increase of 15% of potential.

Unless you are a high school freshman, 30 miles per week is mediocre.

I averaged 35 miles per week in high school, 45 miles per week in college, and 60 miles a week as a 40-year old marathoner. I got the best results with high mileage. In retrospect, I was undertrained in high school and college.

As you increase your mileage, make sure you are doing squats, deadlifts, and other strength and mobility training to reduce the risk of injury.

If running is boring, find other people to train with. It really helps. If you have to run by yourself, listen to some books on tape on your long runs. Basically you need to change your mental outlook. Once you get in the right frame of mind, a 60- or 90-minute run is no big deal. When I started doing several-hour runs with ultrarunners it really opened my mind to the possibilities.

With 30PMW of running and 60MPW of biking on the side, and core/strenght/mobility/stretches on the side, you should be able to break 18 on the 5K.

I would distribute the 30M over 4 workouts. A longer run of 10M, an easy run of 5M, a tempo run totalling 8M [1M WU, 5M tempo, 1M CD] and some speed work [e.g. 2M WU, 15x400 p100 or p200 1M CD]. Alternate these workouts with cruise intervals and hill work.

Do you realize that world records are set by teenagers? Total time training is not that important, just 18 consecutive months. I ran a 14:25 5k on less than 30 MPW a few years after college. I took an entire year off and trained casually for a year or 2 at 30 MPW. I don't think I would have to train at all to break 16.

25 is too old wrote:

Do you realize that world records are set by teenagers? Total time training is not that important, just 18 consecutive months. I ran a 14:25 5k on less than 30 MPW a few years after college. I took an entire year off and trained casually for a year or 2 at 30 MPW. I don't think I would have to train at all to break 16.

You are super talented then. Most people aren't like you.

Like most things in life, running injuries would go away if you ignore them long enough. The best way to prevent future injuries is to ignore the current one.

The Lydiard Foundation just whatsapped me, can they have their book back please?

talent wins over wrote:

30MPW is fine to get to about 98% of potential.

Bull. Total nonsense.

For a hobby runner that runs mostly 5ks, 10k, and half marathons, 30 mpw is probably fine. For general fitness 30mpw puts you in probably the top 1% of the general population.

If you're looking at marathons, you will get huge gainz going from 30 to 40 to 50 mpw. Going from 50 to 60 will help as well, but the improvement won't be as great as the one you see from 30 to 40, or 40 to 50.

Can you drive to a park that's within 15 minutes of your house and do a weekend long run there? I find that even doing my weekly Tuesday easy run on the treadmill while watching TV helps to vary the week.

talent wins over wrote:

No you don't. 30 MPW is 6 miles per day, 5 days per week. Why woukd you need more to run a 10k? You could do 30 MPW with a 10 miler and three 7 milers and run a fine 1/2 M. I could probably run close to 30 minutes for 10k on 30 MPW.

I mean.. yeah.. if like the name implies you are exceptionally talented... normal humans will need more running to get a 30 min 10k

15 and 30 MW is essentially the same thing; the bare minimum that people who used to be fast run each week to prevent from gaining too much weight and never being able to return to form. It is the "I am being very lazy right now, but hoping to return to running" mileage. There is no difference between 15 and 30 MPW. If someone wants to start running seriously, even students, the athlete needs to immediately jump to 45 MPW, maintain that until they can handle it, and then increment from there. I have always thought is was quite ridiculous some some would spend 2 months to go form running 15 MPW to 35 MPW. 35 MPW is not activity requiring a strenuous build up; you just do it. If someone wanted to start running, that is likely the ideal place to start unless you have major health issues.

The above poster is generally correct though; if you are only running 30 MPW then you really do not need a ton of easy running unless you are doing a lot of speed work. High intensity workouts should at least be coupled with an equal to 2X volume of low intensity recovering running. The more you increase your mileage the more you should push towards a greater fraction of easy running while still maintaing or more slowly increasing the volume of high intensity.

OP, how many days a week do you run? If less than 6-7, perhaps add additional running days into the program and test if that helps. If already running most days, try adding a mile onto each of your runs. If that feels good, add another mile..etc etc.

Post-college, I noticed 40ish miles per week was my minimum to be in respectable shape (sub 16 5ks, sub 1:15 HM). However, I still saw huge gains by going into 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Find the level where you enjoy it. I think pushing mileage when you don't mentally want to is a bad thing as an older runner. Try to get 2 workouts in and a long run regardless of mileage. You can still be plenty fit off 30-40 per week.

I agree with the "spending 2 months to get from 15 to 35 mpw" part. 10% rule is lolz and never knew anyone serious who follows that. Add a mile to your runs. Next week if you feel good, add another mile. If you don't feel good, stay at same mileage. Rinse and repeat. Listen to your body.

The problem is you are thinking in miles.

30 mpw sounds mediocre.

50km a week on the other hand, now you are getting somewhere