Running Twice a Day

Your schedule looks decent (ie short easy second runs on workout days), but if you're finishing your workouts at 5pm, don't try double four hours later. It's not enough time, and you'll just be hindering your recovery from the workouts, which is pretty important.

Why can't you do morning runs? It's just 30min -- are you already getting up at 5:30am or something?

And yes, you're wise to ease into doubles. Sometimes it takes a while to adapt. In fact, for your first few weeks, don't be afraid to just start with, say, a really easy 20 minute jog to get your body used to the time and day and the double.

I do already wake up fairly early for school (six o'clock), but I should be able to wake up a half hour earlier without to much trouble. Should my morning runs be much slower than my usual runs? And if so by how much?

Bump

no, you don't really need to worry about pace. Just go with how your body feels, especially that early in the morning. It'll take you a little bit to get into it, but by the end, you'll be able to hit 7:00 pace easily.

Guessing you probably don't have much control over your workouts but if you're gonna run that many races (which is alot unless the competition sucks), I would not do another workout on thursday. Also I would really go by feel on the long run, seriously, that is usually alot after a race, but for someone of your shape if wouldn't be too hard for let's say 80", I know I did that mid week (thursday) after my second workout of the week.

Another alternative is to try going for 20 in the morning and 40 at night at first, then add to the afternoon runs. That way your adding something back in that you did before rather than something completely different.

Thanks for all the reply's thus far...any other opinions?

Wow, 6am is already pretty early. But morning is still better than evening, unless you happen to have an early lunch at 11:15am or something where you can squeeze in a quick 25min.

Pace: keep it easier than you think you should. Especially when you're just starting doubles, the benefit doesn't come from hammering. (i.e. running 6:20s for a couple morning runs isn't going to make you faster in races compared to running 7:30s). Just get out there, move your legs. As time goes by, those runs will get a bit longer, but don't rush it.

Last thought on the early mornings: take extra care of getting enough sleep. If you're adding in new runs and also subtracting sleep from what you usually get, that can be an extra stress. Just be disciplined about it.

What does your coach tell you to do?

My coach really wouldn't approve of me running twice a day, but then again he won't let me run longer on my recovery days either... I'm running three events each meet and really feel that I need to work more on my endurance as opposed to the constant 400 meter intervals were doing now.

Did two runs throughout high school and college. Comparing to now it shows in my weekly mileage totals, but now my jogs are much faster ave. 6:28--barely think about running slower than 7:10.

Thinking back, if you really run three events each week, I'd pick two each time to attack and the other to hold back and work on pace and a kick. Also, depending on how your track schedule runs since it is April, I'd carefully plan your end of season adjustment. A week or two can make the difference between feeling ramped up or run down.

Thanks again for the responses...anyone else want to offer any advice?

Just run, baby.

Don't overanalyze it.

Just get out there, kick a*s and march on a road of bones.

SERIOUSLY: Run for an hour a day 5x weekly, 90 minutes to 2 hours on the other days.

Start off at an easy pace and get progessively faster as you go along, don't start off with a sprint.

2-3 weeks before your season starts add some hill repeats on grass: 400-800m but use proper form and don't exceed 2 miles of repeats, maybe twice a week.

Once your season starts you'll have plenty of speed work and races.

Build your base, load the weapon.

My spring break starts this week and I have a lot of time to rest and relax... I want to really try and get in some good mileage over the break. My next meet is this following Friday so I have some time to just focus on training, would doubling four or five days this week be a good idea or no? The past few weeks I've been able to run two to three doubles with no problems, but would four to five be too many? Thanks for responses

Sample Week Starting Monday:

Mon- 8AM/4PM

Tue- Track workout 5AM/6PM

Wed- 8AM/4PM

Thurs- 8AM

Fri- Track meet 7 miles or so

Sat- 5AM/5PM

Sun- 14AM Long run

Total-74 Miles

Any Help?

dude, your in high school. screw 2 a days. just go to practice. have fun. noone really runs much in high school

dude.. wrote:

dude, your in high school. screw 2 a days. just go to practice. have fun. noone really runs much in high school

Well, if you want to be good, that's good advice, if you want to be REALLY good..that's a different story.

Well I'll be in college next year so I don't think it would hurt to get started a little early, I just need suggestions on how best to complete them.