If you decided to give up competitive running, how many miles per week would you run just to stay in shape?
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Would you have a more balanced fitness program that involved other things, and maybe only run 3 times a week? After years of running high mileage, I'm wondering if I could just run three days a week while devoting the other days to other activities. I might have to give up running altogether because I don't know if I could do it so infrequently and still enjoy it.
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30
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50-60. I can see myself going as low as 35 or as high as 75.
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Already doing it: 70 miles weekly plus weight-training twice a week(down from 130-140).
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0
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45 minutes per day, so about 40.
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180,000.
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Why the magic number 3 days a week? versus run when you feel like it?
Instead of "cashing in", why not invest? In other words, deposit or "run " when you feel like it versus setting a limit or amount (mileage) each week and chance of losing value or interest...(no pun intended?)
Cashing It In wrote:
Would you have a more balanced fitness program that involved other things, and maybe only run 3 times a week? After years of running high mileage, I'm wondering if I could just run three days a week while devoting the other days to other activities. I might have to give up running altogether because I don't know if I could do it so infrequently and still enjoy it. -
I like to train at least an hour a day on average, and that's when not "training" for something. So yeah, about that.
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Huh? Retired is relative; it's still fun to race when the bug hits. Be prepared to be slower and not care. Over here I'm running 4 times a week, 25 miles per week average. Some long intervals or strides can help break it up. I'd probably run a bit more if I didn't have young children. The key questions: Is it fun? Am I enjoying it?
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Wow, you guys run a lot. For me, probably 15.
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I gave up running competitively years ago. I'm only at 20-30. Can't really see myself going beyond 40 at any time because I have many other things to do.
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with injuries the past 2 years I have pretty much retired from racing and just run to "stay in shape". Basically I run 30-40 miles a week. I think if I try to go more than that I am gonna be asking for trouble.
Later this month I will reach 33 years of running and I am approaching 75,000 career miles here in a year or so, Still hope to get to 100,000 by the time I stop all together.
The only real goal I have left is to finish a 50 mile race, but I can do that any time. -
a couple other things, I am 47, and I do cross train more now than I ever had in the past. I use an elliptical trainer, I have an Elliptigo I ride when the weather is nice, and I have a Keiser indoor spin bike. So I have many options that actually work quite well.
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The MonBRO Doctrine wrote:
50-60. I can see myself going as low as 35 or as high as 75.
To me, 75 mpw is way too much for someone just concerned with all around good fitness. I enjoyed competitive running very much. I had a decent college career and have run very seriously for the last 7 years since college, but now I am really tired of it. I'm not tired of running. I hope I will always love that. But with a young family and a career that is pretty demanding and requires a fair amount of travel, etc, I just can't manage the regular demands of training for competitive racing. I am tired of trying to fit a regimented training program into my demanding professional and personal life. It's just not worth it to me anymore and creates too much stress.
I don't think my ego is too big that I won't jump in a race once in a great while just for fun, but that probably won't happen often. I don't know how much fun it's going to be running a race a minute per mile slower than you know what you are capable of if properly trained. I have a good friend who was a very good college golfer and now he never plays. I asked him recently why he doesn't at least play a couple times a month to stay in touch with the game. He told me he simply has no interest in 'sucking' once a month at a game he used to play very well.
Running is different because there is a clear fitness benefit to running and running, unlike golf, is practically free. So really what I'm after is the ability to enjoy running for the fitness benefit while completely severing any attachment to the competitive side of the sport. -
For me I think it'd be about 50-60. 8-10 miles a day, six days a week.
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Cashing It In wrote:
The MonBRO Doctrine wrote:
50-60. I can see myself going as low as 35 or as high as 75.
To me, 75 mpw is way too much for someone just concerned with all around good fitness. I enjoyed competitive running very much. I had a decent college career and have run very seriously for the last 7 years since college, but now I am really tired of it. I'm not tired of running. I hope I will always love that. But with a young family and a career that is pretty demanding and requires a fair amount of travel, etc, I just can't manage the regular demands of training for competitive racing. I am tired of trying to fit a regimented training program into my demanding professional and personal life. It's just not worth it to me anymore and creates too much stress.
I don't think my ego is too big that I won't jump in a race once in a great while just for fun, but that probably won't happen often. I don't know how much fun it's going to be running a race a minute per mile slower than you know what you are capable of if properly trained. I have a good friend who was a very good college golfer and now he never plays. I asked him recently why he doesn't at least play a couple times a month to stay in touch with the game. He told me he simply has no interest in 'sucking' once a month at a game he used to play very well.
Running is different because there is a clear fitness benefit to running and running, unlike golf, is practically free. So really what I'm after is the ability to enjoy running for the fitness benefit while completely severing any attachment to the competitive side of the sport.
I see that. I just really enjoy running, and if I have much free time it's not that hard to find my daily run floating up to ten miles, and maybe even ~15 every now and then. Probably no more than 70 though, as I don't much like anything longer than ten.
I'd probably stay at about 50 though. That's 4X minutes per day. Not much of a time commitment and very unlikely to get injured. I would probably also do a tempo run and some light intervals most weeks, just for variety. -
Cashing It In wrote:
The MonBRO Doctrine wrote:
50-60. I can see myself going as low as 35 or as high as 75.
To me, 75 mpw is way too much for someone just concerned with all around good fitness. I enjoyed competitive running very much. I had a decent college career and have run very seriously for the last 7 years since college, but now I am really tired of it. I'm not tired of running. I hope I will always love that. But with a young family and a career that is pretty demanding and requires a fair amount of travel, etc, I just can't manage the regular demands of training for competitive racing. I am tired of trying to fit a regimented training program into my demanding professional and personal life. It's just not worth it to me anymore and creates too much stress.
I don't think my ego is too big that I won't jump in a race once in a great while just for fun, but that probably won't happen often. I don't know how much fun it's going to be running a race a minute per mile slower than you know what you are capable of if properly trained. I have a good friend who was a very good college golfer and now he never plays. I asked him recently why he doesn't at least play a couple times a month to stay in touch with the game. He told me he simply has no interest in 'sucking' once a month at a game he used to play very well.
Running is different because there is a clear fitness benefit to running and running, unlike golf, is practically free. So really what I'm after is the ability to enjoy running for the fitness benefit while completely severing any attachment to the competitive side of the sport.
75 mpw is a lot of miles to just "stay in shape", I agree too. Your point about not racing because of running so much slower than you're capable of is one big reason I don't race any more. I always raced to win, or place high, and there is no way I can do that anymore. And training to race just doesn't appeal to me anymore anyway, it's too much work and the risk of injury is higher with age.
Another thing is just being able to run with people you've run with for years and years. As runners we all develop pretty good friendships with other runners and if we stop then a lot of times we lose contact with those people. I run just so I can see people who all have common interests and are pretty good friends of mine. -
I only run 25-35 now, I lack the commitment to be truly competitive in the first place. I can see myself running this kind of mileage for a very long time to come, but still keep chipping away at my mediocre PRs often enough to stay interested...
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Look at it as time instead of miles. To maintain overall fitness you should incorporate 3-5 x/week of 20-30 minute minimum of aerobic activity. You pick the activity. You don't need LT events for this objective
The health benefits are worth it. You might rediscover a love for the sport or find a new competitive or recreational outlet. Maintaining that fitness will allow you to enjoy a return to competition regardless of your selected activity.
"Don't give up. Don't ever give up."
