Running every single day. yes or no

running every day wrote:

I like not having scheduled days off because it makes it easier to take days off as they become necessary (and I don't mean because of injury). But if you always take Sunday off, you might find yourself trying to squeeze your run in an overly packed Wednesday for some reason to make sure you have your 6 days (the same way the people above are talking about streakers).

Hmmmm....I think you may have something there

Advisor wrote:

I purposely break my running streaks when they get going. The way I see it, after say 60 days, I should have a day off, otherwise I will start to get caught up in a 'I have to run every day' mindset, which I don't want.

That's exactly the same approach I take to drinking alcohol.

If you take a day off each week, your training week should look like this:

M: normal run

T: short speed

W: normal run

T: long speed/threshold

F: normal run

S: long run

Su: off

You want to be "tired" coming into your workouts/long runs. However, like running every day said, sometimes you are just more consistent when you try to run everyday and you can then take a day off if you need to without feeling guilty. I have always ran much more in general when I have the mindset of running every day.

BROOO wrote:

If you take a day off each week, your training week should look like this:

M: normal run

T: short speed

W: normal run

T: long speed/threshold

F: normal run

S: long run

Su: off

I'm doing something similar. My usual training is:

Mon:Easy

Tues:Intervals

Wed:Easy

Thurs:Tempo/Threshold

Fri:off

Sat:Easy

Sun:Long run

I'm busy with work and college classes (summer courses are brutally long) so it's tough to move days around. I'm wondering about adding doubles but had a bad experience with that several years ago, mostly because I had no idea what I was doing or how I should have been doing it.

If you are running to achieve ultimate fitness (i.e the best possible time you could run), then run every day with spot days off when necessary and with complete time off at least once a year.

If you are just running to be almost as good as you can be (within 5-10% of your ultimate), then 6 days is fine. (Probably best if you have no chance of being elite.)

If you are running for optimal health, then 2-3 times a week is probably best. Note that ultimate fitness, or even close to it, is not the same as optimal health - especially over the long term.

365 wrote:

Run everyday or take a day off once a week? Yes or no

Are you trying to just run everyday?

or is the goal to improve?

The answer of your question may change depending on what you do and when. Runners tend toward obsessive compulsion and that's not exactly the ideal, stay focused on what helps you improve. Sometimes it's running everyday. But if you just PR'd a 5k and you are sore as hell, do you REALLY need to run again the next day? Not necessarily.

I run every day but why are you asking us? Try it for yourself.

BROOO wrote:

You want to be "tired" coming into your workouts/long runs.

Only if you're running marathons... otherwise, NOPE..

I run purely to keep sane while trying to be the best I can be, my limitations are family time and staying injury free.

I'm asking simply because I'm trying to get more miles in for my summer training to run a lot more longer distance races this fall. (several 10ks, a half, a 15k as well between October to December, maybe a marathon in January/February) I want to try to do the best I can in those races. Currently I'm running 6 days a week, but struggling to get my weekly mileage increase-ment and was wondering if it's safe or preferred to just run every day.

I am not asking because I feel compulsive to run everyday. I have zero desire to be a "streaker" either.

I don't obsess about running every day. In fact, I took a day off 15 months, 5 days, 7 hours, and 46 minutes ago.

I ran every day in 2010 for a New Year's resolution. It did not make me a better runner. I did not run on January 1, 2011. What a relief to be done with that streak!

depends on the athlete. Some people need a day off, some just need a light day.

For me, I've tried both ways, and I run better (in addition to having better life balance) with Sundays off.

doubles

Old's cool wrote:

I ran every day in 2010 for a New Year's resolution. It did not make me a better runner. I did not run on January 1, 2011. What a relief to be done with that streak!

I ran every day for over 400 days, during which maintaining the streak was a giant pain in the butt. It ended when I fell on a business trip and sprained my ankle. Valuing more my future running than the streak, I took a couple days off to not destroy my ankle and have no regrets!

Right now I again run every day, BUT I take an entire week (or more) off when needed (injury, illness or other).

I prefer running every day and taking an entire week off every say 7 weeks, than 1 day a week off (it works out the same, but the former I think is much better, as 1 day a week really isn't enough to recover, while an entire week off does wonders when timely placed.

Anyone agrees?

This is an obsesdive-compulsive endeavor and should be avoided for the sake of one's mental health.

yeah. why do so many people think this? tired going into workouts? Ever run a 1500m-3000m specific workout tired? it's terrible and puts you in the redor better yet, an 800m workout? you shouldn't even start those wrkts if you are tired.you should be bouncy and explosive as much as possibleyou've been doing too many marathons, BROOO

not valid all the time wrote:

BROOO wrote:

You want to be "tired" coming into your workouts/long runs.

Only if you're running marathons... otherwise, NOPE..

Take a day off. Psychological and physical benefit!

I don't obsess about running every day. In fact, I took a day off 15 months, 5 days, 7 hours, and 46 minutes ago.