Has high mileage ever made you slower?

blitzkrieg wrote:

Have you ever increased your mileage a lot and it produced worse racing results? Why did that happen?

I improved from a 15:05 5k to 31:30 XC 10k from bumping 70 mpw to 80 mpw.

I bumped up to 95-100 mpw this summer and have slowed down a little bit. I managed 32:05 on the same 10k course. But I expect that as I taper I'll end the season faster.

Of course, comparing mileage alone only tells part of the story for any runner. I changed a lot more than just mileage in the last year, like adding in long runs, doubling less, and fewer tempo runs over the summer. Plus I have a heavier class load, have not been eating as well or sleeping as well.

And my bump from 70 to 80 included some major changes as well. Like a longer period of time injury free (ironically, I've been injured less on more mileage), a longer base phase, and more tempo runs.

My senior year of high school, My PR for 5k was 16:52, i ran like 40 miles a week. Now I go thru 5k equal to my PR while running 8k. I run 65 miles a week now and do a lot of core and lifting. I can tell the difference. I doubt many people get slower off of more mileage.

yup. wrote:

Yes it did. BUT it was because i went about it in a foolish way. Sacrificing workouts and runs that teach your body to run faster and carry your weight more efficiently for long, slow mileage, made me a long slow runner. I am a huge advocate for high mileage, but if you don't build up to it in a way where you cant workout efficiently, then you are doing more harm than good. 80 miles per week with 2 solid workouts and a great long run is wayyyy better than 120 miles a week of just running for a weekly total.

120 mpw with 2 quality workouts and a good long run is better than 80 mpw with 2 quality workouts and a good long run.

Everything makes me slower. :(

we can do this all day wrote:

120 mpw with 2 quality workouts and a good long run is better than 80 mpw with 2 quality workouts and a good long run.

yep

Running more than 35 miles per week made me slower. You guys are talking about your 10K to Marathon races. Running more than 35 miles per week made me a slower sprinter. My running form changed due to adapting to mileage. Mileage and speed training both damaged my Achilles. This is a common issue for 400/800 athletes. Many 400/800 athletes have their competitive career cut short due to Achilles issues.

80 mpw isn't high mileage

High mileage is only half the equation, the other half is about rest and recovery. The important thing is too up your recovery along with your mileage.

Most people find this tricky to do, so don't benefit from the extra mileage.

Growth happens when you rest not while you run.

100% AGREE with all of those points. As an old 400/800 runner high mileage killed me but I can see a better quality increase help the 1500 runners on up. My sweet spot was between 25-30 mpw during the competitive cycle and 35-40 in the base cycle, generally with a tender achilles.

I did not run well on high mileage. Once I adjusted to it, I could recover for any workout, my races were very consistent and I didn’t get injured. However, I did not get much faster. Once I dropped my mileage I started seeing more PRs. It may have been because I was doing the easy runs too slow or I just lacked the speed. I have recently started doing hill sprints and strength work and I am seeing good results

Only on my easy days.