What is the best way to run 50mi/wk

Are you training for a particular distance or just for fitness?

Just kind of running at this point. I'm signed up for a 10k in May and a half in June. But just running mostly easy miles with some tempo's and an occasional CV session at this point. I'm located in Minneapolis and don't have access to a treadmill so speed work is sparse with all the ice and snow.

Looks like a good plan.

What do your quality days look like?

"Just kind of running" is the best way. Don't ever change.

I'm basically doing this very thing right now. Lots of easy miles and generally hitting mid 50s in mileage.

Obviously there is no best way, but I like just doing two specific sessions and being flexible with them. I'm one state south of you, and being able to move things with the weather is super nice.

So, I do some kind of tempo or fartek (or possibly track, if it's snow free) workout on either T, W, or Th. See how the body feels and what the outside conditions are. This day usually totals about 9 or 10 miles.

The second session is the long run, either Saturday or Sunday. I like to get 90+ minutes and I generally make it a progression run or plug in two sections of 20 minute progressions broken up by easy running.

All the other days tend to be 5-8 miles depending on feel.

I did this same schedule last fall and broke my moderately soft 10k (37) and HM (1:20) pr's.

With a day off: 6.5, 10, 6.5, 10, 6.5, 10. Two of the 10s can have either a tempo or cruise intervals mixed in. 6.5 days are all easy.

The Hobbiest Jogger wrote:

What is the best way to cover 50mi/wk? Should I include a day off? Should I run consistent mileage or varied?

My suggestion: 6, 6Q, 8, 6, 8Q, 6, 10

Discus.

This looks good, except I'd increase Monday slightly to 7 or 8, and decrease Saturday to 5 or 4. Something about having one extra low day mentally and physically helps you.

Trump wrote:

Looks like a good plan.

What do your quality days look like?

Realistically, I probably do 1.5 quality days a week. Depends on the weather and how I feel. I pretty consistently do a Daniels style 3-4 mi tempo once a week and then do like 6x1000 or 10xHill for the other Q day. But I'm pretty inconsistent with that second session. I'm open to any suggestions for Q days.

Slight change wrote:

The Hobbiest Jogger wrote:

What is the best way to cover 50mi/wk? Should I include a day off? Should I run consistent mileage or varied?

My suggestion: 6, 6Q, 8, 6, 8Q, 6, 10

Discus.

This looks good, except I'd increase Monday slightly to 7 or 8, and decrease Saturday to 5 or 4. Something about having one extra low day mentally and physically helps you.

Hmmm. I've never thought of that but it makes sense. Might have to give it a shot. Thanks for the suggestion.

I like the idea of combining my long run with a quality session and doing only one weekday quality session. Like I said in my response to another poster, I'm not super consistent with the second Q day. Your way is more flexible for sketchy weather. Any suggestions for long run quality sessions? I've only ever incorporated quality into my long run during marathon training. Usually I just run them at a moderate effort.

The Hobbiest Jogger wrote:

Trump wrote:

Looks like a good plan.

What do your quality days look like?

Realistically, I probably do 1.5 quality days a week. Depends on the weather and how I feel. I pretty consistently do a Daniels style 3-4 mi tempo once a week and then do like 6x1000 or 10xHill for the other Q day. But I'm pretty inconsistent with that second session. I'm open to any suggestions for Q days.

Ugh. I couldn't imagine doing something like that if I wasn't specifically training for something.

^I meant the 6x1000. I tried to bold it in the quote.

browski wrote:

^I meant the 6x1000. I tried to bold it in the quote.

I do them at CV pace so it's not too wild. I've also done this workout at 5k pace during a specific training block which I agree is not a good time.

What are the pros/cons of taking a rest day? Is it mostly mental? Or is it so you can be flexible on schedule? Personally, I like to run everyday unless I absolutely have to take a day off for some reason.

Sometimes I do the long runs just at a moderate pace, too. These days I tend to fall into the camp that less intensity will lead to less hurts (I'm 39), and I just want to keep running and having fun.

But these are some examples of the long run workouts I've been doing. If you can really call them that. Like I said, they just tend to be around 90 minutes or more, and the longest run of my week.

Progression run. Usually do about 30 to 45 minutes fairly easy and then just start chipping away at the pace to get down to MP, then HMP, then 10K and I like the last mile to be faster than 10K pace.

Easy with some fartlek. So a moderate to easy 60 minutes, then do 15 x 1 minute on/1 minute off, then a light cool down.

Two progression/moderate tempos. 40ish minutes easy, 25 minutes pushing down to MP or faster, 10 minutes easy, 20 minutes pushing down to HMP or a little faster.

Straight steady state. I do a lot of my easy to moderate runs based on HR. For these runs my goal is to stay between 80 and 85% max HR and hold that for 60 to 75 minutes. Depending on course and conditions, it is usually around MP+/- 10 seconds or so. Warmup and cool down, to get it to long run length.

So yeah, nothing fancy. I just find I really like doing these kinds of workouts and they give me some great strength boosts for general racing (3 to 13 miles). During the week I sometimes do slightly faster tempos, but that is also when I'll do a bunch of 200s or 400s if I want to go a little faster (honestly that is usually just every 2-3 weeks) or some 1K's or mile repeats.

And some weeks I just end up doing 55ish miles all moderate to easy. No real workouts. Just depends how it feels. I've only been training this way since maybe late September or so. It just kind of evolved into this, and I'm enjoying it. So we'll see how far I take it. I'm considering jumping into a low key marathon in April, so might just do this same plan and try to add a few miles to it and make the long runs 2+ hours and see what happens.

I would like a day off, and decent variety 10, 7Q, 5, 9, 5Q,14, OFF Consider doubling once or twice a week

The Hobbiest Jogger wrote:

What is the best way to cover 50mi/wk? Should I include a day off? Should I run consistent mileage or varied?

My suggestion: 6, 6Q, 8, 6, 8Q, 6, 10

Discus.

Hi

I am a masters runner and I don’t really want to peak for any race. Just keeping the ball rolling, that means moderate intensity and moderate volume. Planning on working my up to 40-50 miles pr week. I have time to train 5 days a week, but I can double a few days if I becomes necessary. I think I will try this approach

https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20800836/always-ready-to-race/

I think it is a good overall training plan and it is not too complicated. I mainly compete in 5k to half, so no marathons.

What do you think?

Does Q mean quality day?