Runners who MADE IT by running HIGH mileage

How did you average so many miles for so many years with all of the stress fractures you sustained?

ouch666666 wrote:

How did you average so many miles for so many years with all of the stress fractures you sustained?

Grew 9 inches very quickly when I had the SFs and was imbalanced between bones-muscles (plus high intensity training in HS/college). Grew into body as an adult and studied bone recovery in grad school. That’s when I started running 100+ mpw. Learned from my studies that twice a day running is most anabolic to muscle-bone, easier to recover, and up-regulates aerobic adaptations. Easy days easy, hard days hard. Train frequently, eat frequently, sleep a lot.

MeHereYouWhere?! wrote:

jaguar1 wrote:

Just hit 11 yrs of averaging over 100 miles per wk. Running twice a day every day and taking easy days easy makes

it possible.

Yeah, Camille, but have you MADE IT?

We're not talking world and/or American records here, we're talking..ummm...ummmm...yeah, I'm not sure what the definition of MADE IT is to this message board...Maybe it's the letsrun trifecta of $200k per year, Sub 16 5K and a supermodel spouse.

That's a sub-15 5k, loser.

jaguar1 wrote:

Just hit 11 yrs of averaging over 100 miles per wk. Running twice a day every day and taking easy days easy makes

it possible.

Very impressive. Very few runners are bio-mechanically sound enough to handle this kind of work load for a sustained period of time without breaking down.

Salazar ran crazy miles in high school with very high intensity, used to run home from meets to cap off 20 mile days.

Mass Runner 0 wrote:

Salazar ran crazy miles in high school with very high intensity, used to run home from meets to cap off 20 mile days.

No, Al Sal ran 70 miles per week in HS, Bill Squires brought him along pretty well.

He went over the top late in college and then shortly thereafter.

Jaguar1, you have NOT made it. What major marathon have you won or place in the top 3?

ultrarunning is not that deep wrote:

Jaguar1, you have NOT made it. What major marathon have you won or place in the top 3?

Are you kidding or what? She ran 12:42 for 100 miles (7:36/mile), that time is very hard to grasp, just ponder it for a while.

Cam Levins

100mpw is ho-hum in real running circles. I assume OP means unusually high, which I would say 140+. I know several no-names who did that for extended periods without any real success at all. But they tried.....and I dare say they are glad they did.

Bruce Denton.

That's an impressive range, was he American?

These two are golden answers.

Mcdougal peaked at mileage highs the week of NCAAs...what could have been if he didn't burn out and get hurt.

Nate Jenkins used to (and might still) maintain a training log on a blog. 180 mpw on 3 runs a day.

A couple of people nailed it on the head, before the 90s tons of guys trained like this. I kind f wish I had mentioned that in the OP, but still awesome stuff.

Also huge thanks To everyone for all of the anecdotes and posting the training logs!

I think that Manford Steffney (spelled???) was another high mileage individual that really seemed to achieve success from the distance. A long time ago I spoke (somewhat) with some of the Japanese runners all of which seemed to thrive on distance only runs. I believe that for many it is a route that can lead to a great deal of success without major breakdowns. It may not be the best, but it does work. In my case I feel that my relative success as a runner and coach are distance driven. I'm fully aware that to those at the top breaking 2:20 is no big deal, but success is an individual matter.

How high wrote:

That's an impressive range, was he American?

Yes. Born and raised in San Diego. If I remember correctly his Dad Jim was a 4:10 miler at San Diego State University. Thom was also World Junior Cross Country champion in 1977 and ran a 4:02 indoor mile in High School that was the record until Alan Webb broke it. He also set a World Record in the indoor 2000m while at the University of Arizona. Was a member of the Jamul Toads when they won US club nationals. Last I checked he was head coach at Mesa JC in San Diego. He didn't have great speed but had a huge aerobic engine and silky-smooth form.

My go is for Dick Beardsley. Went from a 2:30 guy to running 2:08:53 at Boston vs. Al Sal whose (standing at the time) world record was 2:08:13. Had the pleasure of meeting Dick this summer, amazing story, amazing guy, training that would make your jaw drop.

Gebreslassie is the best example in my opinion. Often ran more than 200km/week. Not extremely much compared to some numbers you read here, but he was wise enough incorporate enough intesity as well. But lots of easy/steady running was his secret. When he switched to the marathon he sometimes ran 60km long runs. Absolutely high mileage runner, absolutely made it. Would've become a poor farmer otherwise.

greater wayland wrote:

Mass Runner 0 wrote:

Salazar ran crazy miles in high school with very high intensity, used to run home from meets to cap off 20 mile days.

No, Al Sal ran 70 miles per week in HS, Bill Squires brought him along pretty well.

He went over the top late in college and then shortly thereafter.

You cannot really trust anything you read on LRC. You cannot really trust what people in general say about running (or anything else for that matter). What you have to do is find a reliable source and then go out and try it on yourself cautiously.

The cannabis guy is either a liar, or a short-term achiever, or more likely both.

A Typical LRC Idiot wrote:

skylon69 wrote:

Tom Fleming. “Somewhere, someone in the world is training when you are not. When you race him, he will win.”

Of course, someone in the world is training somewhere 24/7. And most of them are not training when you are. Ever heard of time zones?

Nearly all of us understood what he meant.