Here is the Best Mileage build-up program...especially older or injury prone runners!

who is the author?

I am a 5k runner and starting over from Injury what would this program look like for someone who wants to go from 10mpw to 40mpw?

200 140 200 100

I like this! I am going to start from scratch. I haven't ran consistantly in over a year and a half. Assuming I don't get hurt at what point can you start adding in workouts?

I have found this thread to be very thought-provoking. I'm 38, run a lot of marathons but am constantly injured, like probably 50% of the time. I really like the premise of this plan except for the 30% part, I just don't think I have the discipline to run that little, I would go nuts. But this thread has potentially changed the way I train and hoepfully will help me keep from hurting myself so thank you for posting this idea.

Not 30%

70% - the reduction for that week is 30%

I lower mileage to about 20 miles per week during marathon training when a 5k or 10k race approaches. The week of the 5k or 10k is low mileage, all miles at race speed and the week after is about 20 miles at recovery speed. It really helps with muscle recovery and prevents over training.

Soupy Sales wrote:

Not 30%

70% - the reduction for that week is 30%

Thank you for clearing that up. Now this plan is looking even better for me!

So anyone want to post their results who followed this plan? I'll be starting this plan next week.

Thanks for bumping. Pretty cool

How much are you supposed to increase your 100% mileage by after each four week block?

I'm on this plan and I'm up to 40mpw now.

It says to increase the long run by 2 miles every 2 weeks. Are we suppose to run the long runs on these down weeks because they are 95% of the mileage!

For example at 45mpw the last down week for that month is 20mpw with a 20 mile long run which leaves just 2.5 miles for a long run miles for a run. Even worst at 40mpw with an 18 mile long run at 22.5mpw leaves only 2.5 miles.

Thanks for sharing! Sounds like a very smart approach.

What book are you pulling this from?

nate22 wrote:

I'm on this plan and I'm up to 40mpw now.

It says to increase the long run by 2 miles every 2 weeks. Are we suppose to run the long runs on these down weeks because they are 95% of the mileage!

For example at 45mpw the last down week for that month is 20mpw with a 20 mile long run which leaves just 2.5 miles for a long run miles for a run. Even worst at 40mpw with an 18 mile long run at 22.5mpw leaves only 2.5 miles.

Pretty sure the original poster messed up and meant every month or four week block. No way should you be doing 18-20 mile long runs on 20-40 miles a week. If you do it the way I said you get there at 90-100 miles a week which is much better.

If you want to stop getting injured, have you thought about abandoning marathons, and moving to a shorter distance?I'm asking because I know a lot of people who do marathons, and are injured all the time, because it's easier for them to deal with being injured than with 'quitting' being marathoners. They would literally rather be an injured marathoner than an active 5Ker. And they are all pretty bad marathoners, though I'm sure some could be quite good at 5K.If this doesn't describe you at all then no harm meant.

Peace Out wrote:

I have found this thread to be very thought-provoking. I'm 38, run a lot of marathons but am constantly injured, like probably 50% of the time. I really like the premise of this plan except for the 30% part, I just don't think I have the discipline to run that little, I would go nuts. But this thread has potentially changed the way I train and hoepfully will help me keep from hurting myself so thank you for posting this idea.

Hi OP or if anyone else knows the author of the book they are referring to? Thanks for posting this, it's the most relevant training science I've read in a while

Good job fixing it.I am guessing that 10 mile jump from weeks 2 to 3, which btw was also in the original, is an accident? Every other jump is 5 miles.

Sounds Great wrote:

Four Week Block 1 - 25, 17, 25, 12.5 miles

Four Week Block 2 - 30, 21, 30, 15 miles

Four Week Block 3 - 40, 28, 40, 20 miles

Four Week Block 4 - 45, 31, 45, 22.5 miles

Four Week Block 5 - 50, 35, 50, 35 miles

Four Week Block 6 - 55, 38, 55, 27.5 miles

Four Week Block 7 - 60, 42, 60, 30 miles

Four Week Block 8 - 65, 45, 65, 32.5 miles

Four Week Block 9 - 70, 49, 70, 35 miles

Four Week Block 10 - 75, 50, 75, 37.5 miles

Four Week Block 11 - 80, 56, 80, 40 miles

Four Week Block 12 - 85, 60, 85, 42.5 miles

Four Week Block 13 - 90, 62, 90, 45 miles

Four Week Block 14 - 95, 66, 95, 47.5 miles

Four Week Block 15 - 100, 70, 100, 50 miles

(This is purdier.)

Hi wondering if you could provide the name of the book and the author, it's been asked several times now!

It looks like the source is Galloway's Book of Running (1984) - see here:

https://books.google.com/books?id=hxaZebOPLRQC

Without reading Galloway's book or the OP, I started doing something similar last fall. A year ago, six months after taking up running again, I was feeling invincible and built up to 50 mpw with no weeks off. Then I developed tendon issues and had to cut way back on mileage for several months. This fall I started building up slowly from 20 mpw again, but once I hit 30 mpw I started adding rest weeks every fourth week. Once my long run got to 12 miles, I couldn't repeat the full distance every week. So what's worked for me is pretty similar to what the OP describes:

Week 1: 100% mileage (including 1 tempo run and 1 long run).

Week 2: 75-80% mileage (including 1 tempo run and 1 interval workout, but only a medium long run).

Week 3: 100% mileage (including 1 tempo run and 1 long run).

Week 4: 50-60% mileage (with just 1 combination maintenance workout).

Today I hit 55 miles for the week with a 16-mile long run, so for this older (mid 40s) and sometimes injury-prone runner, Galloway's guidelines seem to be working. I have some races coming up in the next few months, so after this next down week, I'll probably move to two interval workouts each week and decrease the overall mileage.