"Lots and lots of junk miles" are better than "Moderate amounts of quality workouts."

You sir are an idiot. Quality mileage is the only way to keep increasing VO2 max. For example, I run ~6:30 pace on all my runs. Doing 8 minute miles would be to no benefit aerobically, it would just tire me out.

If you're aiming for a 2:30+ marathon you can do pretty much whatever you like, as long as you run a lot. For everything else you need quality.

Junk miles worked for a few years in the beginning I kept improving but in hindsight probably would have improved doing jumping jacks. Unfortunately have to agree with everyone else, trust me I wish long slow fatiguing miles always work because I love them. You can easily over train on the other end though and make it even worse so its higher risk but higher gain.

You need both to be maximize performance, but if you could only have one, quality, no questions asked.

Quantity supports quality, so it's pointless to just bang out miles if you're not going to do anything with it. Your fitness overall improves a little with big miles at a slow pace, but it's exponentially diminishing returns.

Bizarre, but I'll offer 6/10.

A training week from Geoffrey Mutai, world's fastest marathoner:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4530955

Not much real quality there.

I've tried the lots and lots of easy miles approach twice, and if anything it made me slower both times. I felt stronger aerobically as though I could run a very good marathon or half marathon, but my speed was borderline non-existent during 870 miles in 8 weeks. When I run 60 mpw I run faster and recover better. Quality miles are better. As Lagat's coach, Dr James Li, says "don't run miles for miles sake."

you need both quality and distance. On most 90 min runs, you shouldn't be just jogging. Throw in a fartlek or tempo for a few miles. Running all your runs at 8:30 pace isn't going to get you anywhere.

Edward Teach wrote:

Running all your runs at 8:30 pace isn't going to get you anywhere.

It will get you to where you can run all your runs at 8:00 pace, which again will get you to the next level and so on.

Marius Bakken ran 13:06 off "quality" intervals around MP interspersed with weeks of huge mileage.

NotAustin18 wrote:

during 870 miles in 8 weeks. When I run 60 mpw I run faster and recover better.

If you try to run 110 mpw while your sweet spot is 60 mpw you've got no idea of what your doing. Try 80 mpw next time and increase to 110 mpw over the next five years.

Longer slow runs are also good recovery provided you are an endurance type. If you happen to run a PR after that and a good stretch of quality workouts how do you know it wasn't the recovery that unveiled the effects of the quality workouts?

moderate amounts wrote:

I took off my jacket and literally just plopped down on the couch (typical long run fatigue). But, to me, that's how you get fast -- LONG, slower miles

You put in "lots and lots" of miles, but 90 minutes is a long run?

You need date pace and faster than goal pace, after building a base. A base is built on steady, not slow, miles. Steady gradually gets quicker. Reading Lydiard and others would keep you from quarreling. If junk means easy days, during the sharpening phase, by all means. I'm old and I can handle one or two quick sessions a week, during sharpening. During base, I turn over the legs during the last 10 minutes of steady efforts. Long. Steady. Distance.

I thought you kept your poor writing skills honed for stories about you father?

God how I hate your posts.

Every run should have a purpose, literally every single one. Which energy system am I targeting? That question should be asked every time you step out the door. Sometimes that means faster paces, sometimes slower, but there always should be a purpose as it relates to the goal race. In the right context a very easy slow run is warranted, but mainly in recovery from a previous hard effort. This could be 2+ minutes slower than MP. But the idea that all miles run are equal, regardless of pace, is simply not true.

Running is a science wrote:

drivel

Spotting a noob runner seldom takes more than 2-3 seconds here on lr.

How are people responding seriously to this post? I feel like I'm in the twilight zone. Sweat trickles nervously down my forearm. I clench my mechanical pencil. "Timoshenko beam theory" yells my father. I toss my calculator down in disgust. I guess it's true what they say about junk miles.

Junk mile proponents are just people who don't know what a real plateau is.

This is actually quite well done, much more subtle random post by the stream-of-consciousness story guy. I'll give it 8/10.