6 days a week Vs 7days a week

I also run six days a week, because I think the day off is beneficial. Not always, but most of the time. In a few cases it's better to run 7 days to loosen your legs or whatever, but even then make sure it's a recovery day.

Run seven days when you need seven. Run six whaen you need six.

i typically took a day off every other week during college seasons. however, during base building, i sometimes went a month or more without a day off. granted, i took a few easy days- not necessarily less mileage, just easier.

towards the end of the season, during a taper, i normally took a day off each of the last 2/3 weeks, mixing in easy days too.

honestly, most the time i think it's better to run every day and take easy days than to take days off.

it's hard to name great runners who took off a day each week...try it.

one off the top of my head is jeff shciebler. I remember hearing about someone else who was faster... but can't recall the name, some africain guy

My brother only ran 4 days a week and was fast.

one day out of every 14 should be sufficient for recovery, unless you are running a poorly planned schedule to begin with, which is a likely cause of many people needing so much rest. running takes time and more time. if you build to 100 miles from 35 miles in a period of 2 months, you're gonna feel like you need days off all the time. you'll feel beat up.

make sure your regime is well thought out, well planned, and gives your body a chance to adapt to the training before you go taking days off here and there to help cope with new stresses.

take time and more time to learn to run.

How equivalent is running to cycling. It appears Lance takes a day off a week of cycling, but does weight workouts during that day off. It seems many high mileage runners nowadays don't even lift much weights anymore? Is this true?

I'd think a day off of running, but supplementing it with something else would be beneficial?

Ed Eyestone was a runner who took Sunday off and is a great marathoner. He took it off for religious reasons but claimed it helped him. He more than made up for it, though, by also running 3 times 10 miles on other days. He claimed his muscles could stay warm throughout the day enabling him to do this. That is, on his 2nd and 3rd time out running his mucles would still be warm. That's a lot of sock washing!

Paula reportedly takes every 8th day off.

I personally prefer to go for 60-70 minutes of water running in the pool on Sundays, which is a lot better than talking the day off completely. However I run the 6 days a week because my IT Band is a bitch and needs the rest from the pounding of running for me to be ready for intervals on Mondays.

Coach Harry Wilson's (Ovett, Muggelstone,Wade,etc.) theory was that no matter how well we try and replenish glycogen stores, we gradually lose our reserves during the week, SO he suggested taking one day off to top-up your fuel. I have found that if I drop the day prior to my long run (not always possible with a SAT race), then I'm much stronger for a two hour effort. Recently I've heard an interesting theory, coming out of the Olympic Training center, that after ten days straight of quality-level training, we start to DE-TRAIN. Anyone heard same?

Oops, sorry. Didn't mean to go by "mbio" (my dyestat moniker). I'm Van.

I and my Djiboutian freinds only ran 6 days a week. This was also for religous reasons. On those six days, however, we ran 25k in the morning and 25k in the afternoon.

College:

During base building time . . . I like to have my guys run everyday for 3 "up" weeks. Then on the "down" week I have them do a 2-mile time-trial on Friday, take Saturday off, then start the next period of "up" weeks.

During the season . . . Sunday is always a long run day. If their was a meet on Saturday, then I have them run all 7 days. If their is not a meet on Saturday, then I give them Saturday "On Their Own" which means they do what they need to do to hit their mileage for the week. For some, that means a 3-5 mile run. For others it means take the whole day off.

High School:

Base is the same

During the season, Monday is a long run day and Sunday is always an "Own Their Own" day where they hit their mileage for the week. If they have reached their mileage goal, then take Sunday off.

Everday for mature runners! Even on your easy days you still have 23 hours of being off!

6 days vs 7 days is not what is causing you to be left in the dust....you say your doing 10-14 miles every sunday and intervals on monday...the long run is what is making you tired for the monday workout. But dont cut out the long run cause that is what is going to benefit you the most come November, as long as your coach sets you up for a peak! So be patient, and realize November is when it matters.