I'm up to 2.5 hr long runs (about 17-18 miles) during my base building phase. I don't think it's best to run 17-18 every single weekend, so I am thinking all alternate like 17/18 with 10/12 every other weekend. That seem reasonable?
Total mileage around 55 and hoping to get into 60's.
Goal race is January 2018.
If you think it not best to run long every weekend because you feel worn out and on the verge of injury, then shortening every other long run is a fine idea. Anything that lets you keep running without getting injured is a good thing.
If your goal race is a Marathon, and you want to run well and not just complete it, then I think an alteration of 18 and 14 seems more appropriate. Try to build up to a 20/16 alteration. Include some faster portions in the shorter of the two long runs provided you don't feel too beat up.
If you are just training for half or less, then the current alteration seems ok. But still mix some faster stuff into the shorter long run.
Thanks for the reply. I feel fine right now but want to be prudent. I also live in Texas where it's 70+ degrees and 90+% humidity at 5:30am which can be brutal on those long runs.
Goal is a marathon, Houston marathon. Shooting for BQ at 3:07 (3:10 with cushion).
Yes, training for a HM in my mid 40s, I found I couldn't push the long run distance more than every other week once I got up past 13-14. So long run one week, medium long the next.
Thanks. Great username.
What distance are you training for?
ukathleticscoach wrote:
What distance are you training for?
Why don't you read the thread before showing your ignorance?
There are many, many ways to approach training. Alternating weekends can work just fine. I would consider the full context of training. I prefer to get in a set number of 18+ mile runs in my training whether that happens with consecutive weekends probably matters less than alternating.
Also, at time the "real world" is going to dictate this. For instance if you have commitments some weekends (I used to travel for work on weekends) then you will have to adjust the schedule.
Keep in mind that the fact that a week is 7 days does not mean that it is necessarily best to train on a 7 day cycle. Personally, I like to do a long run every 10 days.
But yeah, alternating between a long run and a semi-long run seems reasonable.
Want2getfaster wrote:
I'm up to 2.5 hr long runs (about 17-18 miles) during my base building phase. I don't think it's best to run 17-18 every single weekend, so I am thinking all alternate like 17/18 with 10/12 every other weekend. That seem reasonable?
Total mileage around 55 and hoping to get into 60's.
Goal race is January 2018.
Go for it! A training group in the last place I lived used to do that. I think all the runners in the group would give their right leg if they broke 4 hours in a marathon. Training is hard. Why make it harder?
7 days is arbitrary wrote:
Keep in mind that the fact that a week is 7 days does not mean that it is necessarily best to train on a 7 day cycle. Personally, I like to do a long run every 10 days.
Great advice. I did 9 day cycles for a while and that worked really well for me. On a macro level, I would do a 3 x 9-day segment that was basically a month:
1st Cycle: Shorter Intervals (50-150m) - Easy - Easy - Medium Intervals (600m-800m) - Easy - Easy - Long Intervals (2-3 miles)
2nd Cycle: Shorter Intervals (200-300m) - Easy - Easy - Medium Intervals (1000m-1200m) - Easy - Easy - Long Intervals (4-6 miles)
3rd Cycle: Shorter Intervals (400-600m) - Easy - Easy - Medium Intervals (1600m-2000m) - Easy - Easy - Long Run (16-24 MIles)
Also sort of important to point out that when I do this, I don't actually measure out the intervals in distance, more like timed efforts. So when I say 600-800m repeats, I'm really doing like 105-150 second reps.