What's more important: mileage or intervals?

Yes, mileage is completely useless, everyone just run intervals please...

Gravity.

I agree with this and HRE's statement. If you are contemplating which is more important you are probably neglecting one.

You said you haven't felt fresh enough to do any intervals, then you are either wanting to do them to fast (the intervals), doing too much mileage, or doing the mileage too quickly. Rule of thumb is that you shouldn't be so overwhelmed with mileage that you can't do anything else. If you are training properly maybe two days a week should be longish controlled hard runs and the others easy mileage, strides, and a long run. If you can't do an interval workout that is more strength oriented then you are doing something wrong.

I guess ask Malmo, Hodgie, and others, but I know for sure with me that when I am doing mileage properly my fitness IMPROVES and I can do more intense work and a lot more volume of that work even during base phase. In fact I sub out some of my harder aerbic runs for an interval workout every now and again to keep in touch with my anerobic systems and to get the legs going a bit. If you are feeling like your fitness is wavering then something is up.

Hope this helps and that you feel some bounce in those legs.

Mike

continue....your theory perplexes me.

most of you guys clearly dont understand the sport. Intervals are THE most important aspect of training....intervals are also workouts boys. You will never be fast off strictly milage but you will be fast of strictly intervals.

Why do you hear people going so fast off 30 or 40mpw??? Because they are doing intervals....think of HS superstars!!!

MikeM wrote:

I guess ask Malmo, Hodgie, and others,

False dichotomies are ridiculous. I'll pass.

I agree...I think a lot of people have said both anyhow...sorry to put you in the mix. I think some people just want the answer to be one or the other (probably neither--just think about running fast and you will). Like that miller lite commercial back in the day..."Tastes Great or Less Filling"

800 runner - intervals

marathoner - mileage

5k/10 runner - mixture

Why either/or? How about a nice mix, more heavy weighted toward intervlas if you are racing shorter distances and more heavily weighted toward mileage if you race longer distances.

It ain't rocket science.

I agree entirely- could not have put it better myself.

Thanks for putting it so simply!

What's more important? wrote:

What's more important: mileage or intervals?

If you have to ask, then maybe you are looking for a shortcut or a secret.

You can't shoot a cannon out of a canoe...get your miles in first.

dude, u must be new to letsrun.com

they preach mileage. mileage. mileage.

i agree.

Can't go wrong with mileage during the interval between your repeat sessions. But that's just me.

you could always do the Zatopek thing: run so many intervals that you're running high mileage.

Remember Zatopek is the greatest Olympic distance runner ever.

How about that 30-30 Vo2max workout?

Heard it works good.

i think there is difference between running intervals all out vs running intervals relaxed and fast.

Interval training should be about teaching your body how to run fast while relaxing and not straining.