Tinman, Renato, etc: Cutting mileage every four weeks?

Don't know about the 20% figure but I have heard of runners having a low week every 4th week of upping mileage. So it is common for some to bring it back down some after moving up for 3 weeks.

Aerobically, it is better to run 10 weeks of 100 mpw average than it is to run 10 weeks of 80 mpw average. However, you need to take into account other things. Are you moving up to a higher weekly mileage total than you have done in the past? If you are, then it might be benefitial to take a rest every couple of weeks to make sure you don't physically wear yourself out too quickly. Also, it can help give you a mental break to the grindout of a bunch of mileage during your base buildup. Believe it or not, some people find only mileage runs for 10 weeks boring and taking a slight mental break and running a little less mileage every 4 week can help to keep an athlete healthy and inspired.

Also, a 20% decrease is not much. 20% of 100 miles is 80 to 85 miles. You are still getting a lot of aerobic benefit from that.

Having said that, nobody knows your body better than you do. If you need a break, take a break. One thing a lot of distance runners have trouble with is they don't have the courage to rest. There is at time to run hard and their is a time to take it easy. Knowing when to push and when to back off is what seperates those that consistantly run well and those the run well from time to time.

bump

Thanks.

As I said, the concept makes sense to me, I was just unsure of how much merit it actually had. A break would be nice for a distance runner every once in awhile, especially me, as I usually dislike distance runs but love racing.

Anyway, I was just unsure as the source is a guy who "doesn't really believe in that high mileage crap" and is an ultra runner on 60mpw.

Replace your regular long run every 4th week with a low key road race. Cut a bit the day or two before as well. You can check your progress and this will reduce your mileage a bit once per month.

Jack Frost makes sense. A drop in mileage every 4th week is a good idea for some runners because it is common for runners to work a bit too hard in the first 3 weeks, unintentionally as the strive to improve their performance levels. So, generally speaking, dropping down 20-30% every 4th week works well for many runners. There is another way, though, which is also viable.

Reducing intensity instead of dropping mileage (volume) is often sufficient to provide a rebound of energy and performance capacity. So, you may run 100 miles per week all 4 weeks, but the intensity drops out of the fourth week. Result? You feel more rejuvenated and ready to go ahead with the next cycle of solid training.

When I coached collegiate teams, I did not lock into 4 week cycles. Some seasons I rotated three weeks harder, one week reduced intensity, 2 weeks harder, one week less intensity, etc. Adjusting to your racing schedule is a good strategy too, by the way. Plus, if you have trips with the family planned or work that takes your energy away at times, go ahead and back off until you have more time and energy. Tin