Hello I am starting my Marathon build up for Chicago, and I am planning on doing 16 weeks of base work hitting around 20-25 miles a day.
Now I have read that in experiments with mice, the greatest gains in aerobic fitness happed when mice where trained for 120min continuous each day. I also rember reading that Ma’s Army in base training would do two 120min runs each day. I have no problem hitting doing one workout of 120 mins a day, but I am not so sure that I could handle another.
Now what I am wondering is if one would expect to see any additional gains from running more then 120 min steady each day. Would one acquire more fitness say doing two 90 min runs? I know some of Ma’s runners where able to handle that training load, so it can be done. But I am just wondering if it is needed. I rember reading in run to the top that Lydiard stated 120 continuous would produce much greater gains then two sixty min runs.
Would doing 120 in the Am, and then 60 in the Pm produce any additional gains in fitness.
Thanks