Increasing Summer Mileage

Try to average 70 mpw this month, 80 mpw next month, 90 in July, and 100 in August. Can't go wrong.

Hey, just bumping this in the hopes of getting a few more responses. Thanks.

My advice to you is don't force it. I mean in all seriousness, you are coming off of an injury (I have no idea why you took a week of from shin splints since you could of cross trained). At this point I would take it easy until you keep up 50-60 miles per week for a month. Then take an extra week at 50-60 (make sure you feel good). Yes it may seem too safe, but you want to run well your last season. Lets say...July you are feeling great. Then I would do 70-60-70-70-65-80-70-80-80-70-80-90. That puts you doing 90 first week in Sept (i think...). You need to make sure you listen to your body. It is easier to take a couple days off if you think something is wrong, then go over the edge and take a week if not more off. Personally in college I would max out (my last two years) at 110-120. Ya...you are pretty tired, but you want to try to peak at the end. One thing I have found personally that when I increase max milleage I peak early. I think it is due to the fact I am worried about my training.

In the end, your milleage during the season is based on your coachs training. If you have anymore quesions let me know. I know I wasn't explicit about break down of milleage, what workouts...

be careful you don't over do it. I have known many a senior that worked their butts off to have the type of season you are talking about and then got hurt or overt rained (yes over training is a real issue). You can do it but be smart about it...

Yeah, just to clarify the timeline a little bit...

Injury (small sprain) while on vacation, but no cross training available, nor access to treatment. It happened on the Tuesday of my spring break, and I wasn't back until the following Tuesday, so there was a full week of nothing.

Following week, cross training.

29 miles the following week.

63 mile week, a few easy workouts to test fitness and see if it's worth racing at all for outdoors. Not good fitness.

55 miles, skipped a day when the sprained spot felt tender.

62 miles, not sure if it was shin splints or what, but the lower legs were just throbbing. Bought new shoes (couldn't get the kind I normally get since I'm away from home and my local running store) and it helped a little.

Last week- I started out on pace for 70, then the shin splinting started back up. I got some deep tissue pressure with a metal rod to work out any kinks, to minimal effect. That was last Thursday, and I've taken off since then because I've been spending all my time studying for finals. I'm done now though, and getting back into my training tomorrow.

just do as much as you can physically do in a week, and then try to match that the week after, and the week after, until you're not tired all the time. then make another big jump and wait to adjust, and another and another until your school semester starts

Hey, I hate to keep bumping my own thread, this is the last time if I don't get anything here. I'm just hoping to get some good perspectives from people who know what they're talking about.

I tried to do more or less the same thing a couple of summers back. Ended up burning out by the end of the season. However, the following winter, I did it right and had a great spring.

First off, don't count doubles into your weekly mileage. If your mileage is 70 for the week then do 70 in singles, doubles being bonus. I find that doing doubles on all days I'm not oing a long run or a workout works pretty well. Doubles should be aerobic, 30-45 minutes, however fast you feel comfortable with. Workouts- Hills, Long repeats at tempo pace (anywhere from 1000s up to 1 mile worked pretty well for me), long tempos (6-10 miles) at a good hard effort, no more than twice a week. Do 4-8 striders after your easy runs a few days a week. Once a week, you can do a short "speed maintenance" workout, something like 6X200 at a hard but controlled sprint with full rest.

Summer of Malmo will leave you going into the season with a big, wide aerobic base and a little bit of turnover so that your first hard workouts/races aren't a shock on your system.

I don't know if this is feasible for you, but I encourage my athletes to stay on dirt roads while they build their base. During the winter, my young athletes were able to build up to around 70 without injury and too much soreness. Make sure to listen to your body and make every fourth week or so a down week. I forget who it is that said "drop a golf ball on concrete, and then drop a golf ball on dirt" comparing the impact on your joints.

I'm in a similar situation as I have been not running consistently, due to injury, for the past 3 months.

I have been running 35-40 miles a week for the past few weeks and have started to make the jump up to 50 miles this week. I find, however, that I am really tired and my workouts (hills and long tempo) are terribly difficult with the level of tiredness and soreness I am experiencing.

As this is base training for cross country, could I leave out hill workouts until I am fit and comfortable with this increased mileage?

Some background: I am a recently graduated senior in high school getting ready for university cross in the fall.

Thanks.

mattr wrote:

As this is base training for cross country, could I leave out hill workouts until I am fit and comfortable with this increased mileage?

No. Resting and cutting out difficult runs when tired is not allowed. Come on man, you have months until cross. You have no reason to rush it. Cut back on the hills for a while. It won't kill you

For my incoming freshman, I don't expect them to get over 60-70 miles per week as they come to camp in August, so just take it slow. Make sure you are alternating days with varying distances and effort so that your body is recovering, split some of your runs up into doubles if you have to. Incorporate some pre-hab drills before you run to help strengthen the muscles that support your joints. I don't know if I would focus on specific hill workouts as you are building your base, just incorporate hilly routes into some of your aerobic or tempo runs. Hope that helps.

Some swimming or biking in lieu of your second run would be a good mental and physical break.

Remember to do striders or some short stuff like a prior post mentioned so that you still have some turnover.

An occasional low key 5k race can be fun also.

One important thing to remember is to get the proper amount of sleep. As you increase your mileage you will need more sleep. Most of the elites that train over 100 mpw also get 9-10 hours of sleep a night or take 1 hour naps in the daytime.

Good luck!