Progressive Base Building: Cut mileage every 4th week

It's cool to chill every 4th week, but that is a bit excessive. I usually just hold the same mileage as the week before and go slower, or cut the mileage 5 miles or so

4th week I pretty much do the same as the third week. If I need/want to cut a day down in mileage, then I do it. If I don't then it is all good.

Whatever works for you. BTW: You probably don't need to cut your mileage when building up to 40 unless you are a) very new to running or b) have a good reason to cut your mileage (highly injury prone, physical condition that limits your ability).

No, this have never been tried.

OK, seriously though, consider cutting back every 3rd week, with bigger variation weekly, like this.

Week 1 - X (ex 100 mi)

Week 2 - 1.4 X (ex 140 mi)

Week 3 - .6 X (ex 60 mi)

This keeps you from getting stale and provides for maximal stimulation and regeneration.

If it takes you 12 weeks to get over 40 miles per week you're doing it wrong.

All, feedback appreciated.

The mileage example was a little somewhat simplified. I'd probably be making jumps of 8-9 miles per week. I'm already at 23 miles per week and not even back to running 7 days per week. So once I go from 4 days back to 7, the buildup should move a little faster.

30 - back to 7 days running

39

48

36 - cut

39

48

57

38 - cut

48

57

66

Physiologically, this idea makes a lot of sense, since the down week correlates pretty well with when your bones are the most vulnerable after a new increase in mileage. People who have a history of stress fractures could do well with this kind of schedule, or a Jack Daniels-style "equilibrium" model (something like this: 30-30-30-30-40-40-40-40-50-50... either with 3 or 4 weeks in a row of equivalent mileage).

If you are going to make a 1/3 cut to mileage on the 4th week, don't cut 1/3 off your highest previous week, you make a 1/3 cut on the average of the previous weeks of that block. Also, 1/3 is a totally arbitrary number that displays zero creativity, which rather annoys me, so please try to come up with something that has been proven in nature to work for regeneration.

30

39

48 (117 miles in 3 weeks, average of 39)

26 (39 * 2/3 =~ 26)

39

48

57 (144 miles in 3 weeks, average of 48)

32 (48 * 2/3 = 32)

Do you understand?

While I do appreciate the feedback, and your example does make sense. The 1/3 reduction in mileage was not just an arbitrary number, you simply assume as much. I've seen one coach use it pretty well and if I'm not mistaken have see coach Joe Rubio recommend something very similar. It's also a very common method in the strength and conditioning field in cutting volume by 1/3 every 4th week, and there are more similarities in running and lifting than most realize. So, not arbitrary.

I was just giving you a hard time, buddy, but lets be real here, whether or not all these other people use 1/3 or not, it's still an arbitrary number. If you were to tell me you cut mileage by 34.6%, because that is how much less daily flight we see in swallows when they are not migrating, then it would not be arbitrary.

What I like to do with base mileage is progress to peak mileage then hold it for a while.. Kinda like this. (We will use 40 to 65 mpw as an example)

40

46

52

40

50

56

62

45

65

60

65