I have been running 50ish miles for the last 4 weeks and am trying to bump my mileage up to 60ish miles a week. Should I take a couple days off or just go straight into increasing the mileage?
I have been running 50ish miles for the last 4 weeks and am trying to bump my mileage up to 60ish miles a week. Should I take a couple days off or just go straight into increasing the mileage?
When increasing mileage it's important to take easy weeks every 3-6 weeks. I'd say you could go ahead and bump it up to 60 for a week or 2, but then you would need to tone it down a bit for a week. (ex. 40-45 miles) This will allow your body to recovery and adapt, which will probably lead to more fitness gains in the future
TDodd22 wrote:
When increasing mileage it's important to take easy weeks every 3-6 weeks. I'd say you could go ahead and bump it up to 60 for a week or 2, but then you would need to tone it down a bit for a week. (ex. 40-45 miles) This will allow your body to recovery and adapt, which will probably lead to more fitness gains in the future
Agreed. Try the 60+ for a week and see how you feel, and go for a 2nd if you feel good, but giving your body a rest after should be beneficial.
50 State Challenge:
http://dannyharitan.wordpress.comtake an easy week (40?) and then go 60.
Recovery is what happens the other 22 hours of the day no matter how much or how fast you are running.
During a 50 mile week you should already have harder and easier periods.
If you have never run 50 mpw before and are currently running your 50 miles by running 3 and 4/7 miles both in the morning and in the evening at 5k +1 min pace then a down week might be a good idea if you are intending to run your 60 mpw by running 4 and 2/7 miles every morning and evening at 5k + 1 min pace.
If you are running a Summer of Malmo schedule
http://www.bunnhill.com/BobHodge/rtp3.htm
With doubles some days, tempo runs and alternating long and short intervals and maybe a longish run, then the extra recovery days are built into your days with only normal runs.
That is not to say that you shouldn't take a day here and there off if you feel you need it. One of the big benefits of doubling is the ability to run say 3 miles one morning, 9 miles that evening then not run for 36 hours and then run 9 miles in the morning before finishing with 3 miles in the evening. 3 days 4 runs totaling 24 miles with a 36 hour "rest" is just soooo much better than 8 miles every day...