Is the 10% rule for max increase in weekly mileage BS or a good guide?

Simon Phoenix wrote:

Next! wrote:

There is no max rule. 10% is probably a safe cautious approach but every runner is different. I'm in my 50's and just coming off a year off with no running due to injury. I recently bumped up my weekly mileage from 30 to 40 mpw. That's a 25% increase in one week. I didn't die and I didn't turn into a pumpkin. Nor did I even feel a hint of discomfort. But yes, 10% is probably a good guide for most.

What is a pumpkin?

Look in the mirror

30x1.333333 = 40. 30x1.25 = 37.5. Who is the moron here?

Next! wrote:

There is no max rule. 10% is probably a safe cautious approach but every runner is different. I'm in my 50's and just coming off a year off with no running due to injury. I recently bumped up my weekly mileage from 30 to 40 mpw. That's a 25% increase in one week. I didn't die and I didn't turn into a pumpkin. Nor did I even feel a hint of discomfort. But yes, 10% is probably a good guide for most.

lul thatz 33 percent

It's a good guide for hobby joggers and middling HS students with frail bodies.

I bumped up from 60mpw in HS to something like 90 the summer before college XC season, no injuries.

Listen to your body, don't get selfish and try to increase speed too much while also increasing mileage. Eat and sleep well. And if something hurts, get it checked out.

If you follow the 10% rule, you can never start running in the first place. If your mileage is currently at zero, the mileage you're allowed to run next week is 0*1.1=0.

It's not a bad rule to follow as it's pretty conservative, Daniels has always said that if you are unsure of what to do, do the less stressful thing. I think the rule applies only when nearing the highest volume you've ever done. So if you are coming off of a 2 week rest of no running from outdoor where you averaged 50 mpw, and you aren't in shape (like I always am when I start summer training), you can run something like 20-40-50 to start. I avearaged 60 in track this year and when starting for XC summer training I ran 15 miles the first week and then ran 55 the next week, no problems.

When getting up to mileage you've never done before, our coach has us go up by only 5 miles each week, and then repeat the same volume again for the next week or go up by 5 again. Summer plan is 55-60-65-65-70-70-75-75-80-80-80 and back to school after the last week.

I've also never understood down weeks, if you are running almost all easy mileage, and you feel tired to the point where you need to drop off from your training, then your mileage is too high or you are running too fast.

Personally I think it is a rubbish rule.

When going into unchartered territory is it much better to move up only by 10 MPW every 3 weeks or so.

Vdot wrote:

Been a while since I read daniels, but I remember the three week waiting period being related to increasing vdot intensity, not mileage.

I call BS on the 10% rule, which allows you to increase from 100 to 318 mpw in a mere 12 weeks. Think you could survive this conservative ramp up?.:.

100

110

121

133

147

162

178

196

216

238

262

288

318

Sure, I could...