I run 70 miles a week with doubles 4x a week and a long run of only 12 or so miles. Am I doing it wrong?

Of course for HM and marathons you're going to need some longer runs, but your overall mileage should increase as well.

"Or just similar length days in training, such as every day at 15 with 6 of those days being doubles and one long run of 15?"

Yes. And if you are running 105mpw, with a marathon coming up, you should get in a few 18-22 milers.

so if I have a 10-mile run planned for the day should I be running 10 and than an extra run later?

want to point out something that a few of you confused...

the 18min 5k kid is NOT running 70 per week, try under 50 right now. I am trying to get him used to running doubles- the idea of running twice a day so that in a couple of year when he is well faster than 18min, he should be running 70 per week.

Also he ran 18min before he started with me- he was maybe at 20-25 per week at time.

I did not jump him from 20 per to 50 per instantly. build up

sorry for any confusion caused.

malmo- thank you for your advice and willingness to help and to share your wisdom

Malmo, due to the heat here in Southern NC, I'm switching out the afternoon run with an afternoon bike. Am I still in the 'spirit' of SOM?

Snakedoctor09 wrote:

Malmo, due to the heat here in Southern NC, I'm switching out the afternoon run with an afternoon bike. Am I still in the 'spirit' of SOM?

NO. Biking is fun, but it's not running. What's wrong with running in the evening?

I've never run in the afternoon in the Summer, I've always assumed everyone did the same for obvious reasons. I guess I was wrong about that assumption.

malmo, why do so many people screw up SOM? you explain it pretty well, and it's not really even that hard to follow. but it seems like everyday people are asking "is this OK for SOM" or "I wanna do SOM this summer but..."

Malmo, What is a good amount of time between doubles i ussually run on my own at 6am for up to an hour and then sometimes go to run at my old high school with teamates? is 4 hours ok for a double?

yoyo x wrote:

malmo, why do so many people screw up SOM? you explain it pretty well, and it's not really even that hard to follow. but it seems like everyday people are asking "is this OK for SOM" or "I wanna do SOM this summer but..."

Questions about what is in the spirit of SOM is fine with me, however, you're right I don't get why so many don't get it.

I have no doubt that there are many who would over-do the intensity of the workouts. That's why I keep emphasizing to go slower than what you'd normally believe is too slow.

I was thinking of starting an official SOM training camp at the Track at Riverside Park in NYC. I Might do it next year.

According to runnersworld, 4 hours is the minimum between doubles.

doubles wrote:

Malmo, What is a good amount of time between doubles i ussually run on my own at 6am for up to an hour and then sometimes go to run at my old high school with teamates? is 4 hours ok for a double?

4 is kind of short. You're really looking for 6-7-8 hours between, but 4 hours won't hurt you.

I actually had a college teammate that ran 10/10 with two hours rest almost every day one Summer.

I'd come just for the t-shirt. And as a financial backer. Took a run in Riverside Park last summer after the PSU Track alumni Outreach dinner. Nice place.

Coach Groves' rule for us was you had to start your morning run before 9:00 AM or he didn't count it. Never understood that one.

"You want variation in your training distances" - Malmo

This is key and it has taken me a while to re-accept what I already knew. I used to run doubles and then switched back to longer singles and the problem with that is when youa re used to 80-90 a week and you go back to longer singles (and of course drop your mileage a little) you can't get the mileage without getting into a sort od monotony of the same distance every day. It is alot harder to vary things around daily with long singles. If you want 80 in singles, you don't go out the door without doing 11. This might work ok for a while, but with workouts and other variants to training, you get in a serious rut. Currently, I have knocked back to 9-10 in singles and a long run of up to 14 and I am trying first to get back ona a regular Tues/Fri workout schedule. And once that gets comfortable, i am going to start adding doubles. When you start getting into training monotoy, the first thing you tend to start doing is postponing workout days to accomodate the "routine" and as you get older, that just doesn't work.

malmo wrote:

Questions about what is in the spirit of SOM is fine with me, however, you're right I don't get why so many don't get it.

I have no doubt that there are many who would over-do the intensity of the workouts. That's why I keep emphasizing to go slower than what you'd normally believe is too slow.

I was thinking of starting an official SOM training camp at the Track at Riverside Park in NYC. I Might do it next year.

http://tinyurl.com/SOM-NYC

It'd be a long train ride for me every week, but I'd show up every so often!

Malmo : how short is too short for a run on a double day when you get to around 70 MPW?

I think there is a very small window of time between when I have enough light to see in the middle of nowhere, stomach is settled from dinner, and it isn't scorching hot outside. I could try putting in 2 or 3 miles in that period at easy/recovery paces. But to clarify, I don't just "bike" I get on my road bike and "cycle" for an hour now and later in the summer it will be 2 hours at speeds in excess of 20mph.

bahahahaha wrote:

Malmo : how short is too short for a run on a double day when you get to around 70 MPW?

No run is too short.

malmo wrote:

I don't follow your line of thinking that you should be able to run faster with doubles (except in the context that you'd be in better condition). Aerobic training speeds are the same, whether it be a 5 mile run or a 10 mile run. If an easy 10 mile run feels more difficult than an easy 5 mile run then you're just not in very good shape.

This is one thing i disagree with you on, malmeezy. Running at 6:40 pace can feel slow as hell some days, and really hard other days. I think if your legs feel better in the afternoon after a morning run, you will run faster with the same aerobic effort on the second run than you would without a morning run. Know what i mean?

wilfredo wrote:

This is one thing i disagree with you on, malmeezy. Running at 6:40 pace can feel slow as hell some days, and really hard other days. I think if your legs feel better in the afternoon after a morning run, you will run faster with the same aerobic effort on the second run than you would without a morning run. Know what i mean?

No I don't.

Easy is always easy. Moderate is always moderate. And hard is always hard.

Throw your watch away until you understand what I just wrote.