Which is better: Running 6 or 7 days a week?

I'm a HS senior and doing like 65 mpw now in six days and I think it would be better to be used to doing more per day, then have a full day to recover, rather than doing less per day with less recovery. That way, your body is used to running more when you do run and recovering more when you don't. That said, I do know people who switched to doing days off once they went into college when they were feeling sore or something and not necessarily forcing them every week- that seems like a happy medium.

I'll still do 6 days for a while though, so I don't get injured

I think there actually may be a higher chance of injury simply because you're putting in more volume in a less amount of time. There are times when i have to go over 6 days of running if i want to switch my off day and the mileage for the week always looks like it skyrockets (85-95) which always tends to make me nervous and crave for the off day.

6 days, I like knowing I'll have a day to nurse my hangover

My nearly 40 years of running have led me to favor everyday running, with relative rest on easy days. But I also take five-day blocks of time off a couple of times a year to really recover. During the semester,though, I might take off Thurs--my long teaching day--if I'm doing a lot of miles, as I am now. I just don't find one day off very helpful. But we are all different. Overtraining haunts all of us as a possibility, and a single day off won't fix that. Experiment. Don't be enslaved to a schedule.

good points. But my 40 years leans the other way. I went out the door many times over the years simply because i "had" to run to maintain a mileage goal or streak.

Now I think that if you follow a traditional schedule of a long run sunday and usually a hard day or race sat, monday is a perfect day to rest.

But the best point is don't be a slave to a schedule.

I believe the great Dr. Joe Vigil once was asked whether people should run 7 days a week or not, to which he responded with something along the lines of "Do you eat 7 days a week? You can go longer without food than you can without oxygen so you better not skip your aerobic exercise". Easy to find fault in that logic I understand. I personally favor running seven days but making Saturday an extremely easy short run for an "active recovery" as they say.

I prefer 7 days per week with one day really short and slow, maybe only a few miles to allow for recovery.

@OP, it depends on the athlete. Some guys respond better to one than the other, some respond the same. You don't know for sure until you've tried out both for an extended period of time. But if you've had success doing 6 on singles, just keep doing it. Aint broke don't fix it.

werewr wrote:

I prefer 7 days per week with one day really short and slow, maybe only a few miles to allow for recovery.

This.

Run your normal 75-80 miles in 6 days then do like 5-6 miles on the day you would usually take off.

IF you can handle it, running 7 days a week is always going to better than 6.

7 days wrote:

I believe the great Dr. Joe Vigil once was asked whether people should run 7 days a week or not, to which he responded with something along the lines of "Do you eat 7 days a week? You can go longer without food than you can without oxygen so you better not skip your aerobic exercise". Easy to find fault in that logic I understand. I personally favor running seven days but making Saturday an extremely easy short run for an "active recovery" as they say.

I'm with Vigil. He knows more about running than anyone on this board!

Beware the poster that says ...run 7 days no matter what...and the poster that says...Joe Vigil says run 7 days so that is the single answer. A more balanced answer is something like this.......everyone is different in the need for recovery, some people run doubles, some singles, some run 70 mpw, others run 120 mpw. Some run 7 days while others feel more rested and ready to train with a day off. The key is to maximize training stress but with adequate recovery. You should experiment and find what works best for you both mentally and physically.

Iowakidscanrun wrote:

Beware the poster that says ...run 7 days no matter what...and the poster that says...Joe Vigil says run 7 days so that is the single answer. A more balanced answer is something like this.......everyone is different in the need for recovery, some people run doubles, some singles, some run 70 mpw, others run 120 mpw. Some run 7 days while others feel more rested and ready to train with a day off. The key is to maximize training stress but with adequate recovery. You should experiment and find what works best for you both mentally and physically.

wise words

I go 6 days a week. I look forward to my one day off w/o my obligation to run. Now, Im in my 40's so its a bit different situation than you.

I dont really get into streaking, and I know that if I started 7 days a week my OCD runner mind would take over and I'd be doing 12 mo. straight.

Personally I just dont think Id get much out of jogging 3 miles as I would just taking the day off. Dont just run to put a mark in your training log.

This really depends on the person. Some people will tell you that to run fast, your run everyday. But that's not always the case (or the truth for that matter).

I prefer, personally, 6 days of running with 1 day of rest. I look forward to my Sundays off. No running, no exercise, no stress on my body... just rest. Sundays are my lazy days. It gives my legs the time they need to properly recover, my body some time to recover for the stress it goes through daily (work/school and running), and it gives my mind a mental break as well. The only running related thing I do 7 days a week is hydrate and stretch. I did and still do this.

I've run low 15's for my 5ks, just in case you were wondering. It won't hurt you. The 1 day off -- I feel, makes me stronger.

Thank you for all the help everyone. I really do appreciate it.

Also, if it helps im a mid distance (800/1500) runner who also runs cross-country.

Look, for training purposes it can be argued either way.

Personally, if I'm physically able to run, I'd never voluntarily take a day "off" - nothing to do with fitness, just because I'd miss it.