How much is too much

J

jsobo119

0
History:

I just started running again a little month ago... I started doing miles... I was excited when I as able to do a mile in 10 minutes... and also mad because I was able to run sub 9 for 8 miles or so... in college... I then broke 9.. then 8.. and not to long ago I ran 7:29 on the tread mill...

So on vacation july 8-16 I ran over two but under 3 all but 2 days (travel days)... then when I returned I ran 2 miles/day Aug 17-21 (with one day in there where I ran a mile the 7:29 and then other cardio)... then on sat I ran 3.2 + another 4 when I realize I locked my keys in the car and had to run home... so the 4 was run/walk...

I was soo sore... got new shoes.. 1.5 on sunday... monday off... tues... eliptical/bike... I did 2 yesterday and 3.2 the day before and felt good... and all pain gone now...

So I am running 10-15 a week now...

I was thinking of trying a 6 mile run after work today... do you think it is too big of a "long run"...

Also is it realistic to think I could run a 10 K in the next few weeks?

What about a 1/2 marathon this fall?

So is this realistic...



week m/t/w/th/fri/st/su
1) 2/3/3/2/3/6/rest
2) 3/3/4/2/3/6/rest
3) 3/3/3/5/3/6/rest
4) 3/3/4/2/rest/10k/rest
 
What about a 10 miler on the 20th... I might be a stretch... what do you guys think?

say

m/t/w/th/f/st/su
x/x/x/x/6/2/rest
3/3/4/3/3/6/rest
3/3/4/3/3/7/rest
3/3/4/3/3/8/rest (12)
3/3/6/3/3/rest/10 miles?
 
I think you should start with a long run at 4 or 5, not 6. The harm in increasing mileage too fast is that you can develop injuries much more such as knee problems, pulled muscles, heal spurs, tendonitis etc. I don't know what kind of physcial shape you were in before running, which makes somewhat of a difference but increasing too fast is a bad idea. Try a week or two with your long runs at 4.5 or 5 and then if thats going well increase to 6 on the 3rd or 4th week. "slow and steady wins the race" has a lot of truth to it in increasing mileage. Your weekly running looks good. Push that day off in the middle of the week if you start feeling overtrained or add another day. Most runners take 2 days off. Its better to be strong than run down and prone to injury. Training for a half for the first time in the fall is a great goal. You need about 12 weeks to really train for that. Go to runnersworld.com and get a customized plan.
 
The other thing is if you are doing these runs just straight without any change in pace, I think its a waste of time. Switch it up. Do a day of tempo run (comfy pace straight), a day of intervals (1min sprint, 2 min jog), another day of threshhold (intense pace you can keep for 2-3 miles) etc. don't always just do a straight tempo pace, it won't take you to your goals and you'll be very bored, very fast.
 
Depends on how hard you run it. Trying to go flat out could in the long term hurt. Why not just try and improve your one mile time? Get that into the 5s. I don't see the logic if the 5 or 6 mile isn't fast paced. 1 mile is middle distance, 6 miles is long distance. Work on what you can do at the moment, you can get fitter with higher intensity with a lesser distance. Also how accurate are these runs? On a track or what?
 
Most are on a outdoor track around my fitness center... more of an all purpose track... who knows how accurate it is... they say 2.5 laps to a mile...

The other places I run are in our Metro-parks... the one is a 3.2 loop

Where I am running tonight has mile markers... So... I am running for excercise... but I always want goals... I think in lue of what I heard I will try to do 4-5 tonight instead of 6... I can always increase it next week... which is easier than fixing something hurt...

as for my physical shape before... well as I stated before I was struggling getting in a mile in 10 minutes before I started... which... says... I as pretty out of shape... I have a desk job...

Now I am tempo running (as you called it) at about 10-12 minute miles... don't have a watch now but that is my best guess... and when I push (did 2 miles) and It looked like it took me 18... so my good pace for 2-3 miles looks like 9 minutes right now... I really need to pick up a running watch... I think I'll do that next week..

as for the different training methods... I'll check out runners world
 
I am glad I listened... I felt great the first 2.5... and resisted the urg to try for 6 miles... and turned around to make it a 5 mile run... the next .5 I felt good... then it started to deteriourate... at the 3.5 mark I was no longer comfortable. 3.5-4 were tough... 4-4.5 was probably just as hard but I knew the end was near... I was able to pick up the pace just a bit the last .5 and my legs felt good through the finish... I had just a bit of sourness above my right knee the last 3/4 of a mile... So maybe 4 would have been better...

BUT I am not hurting... and I will take 2 days off unless I get up real early and get in 2 before I leave for the weekend...

I figure I will try for the same long run next week... 5 miles ...

2 miles fast on monday... 3 mile where I run/recover/repeat...
4 tempo wed...
Thurs go for my 1 mile 7:29 record... followed by eliptical... Friday...(? I was thinking of trying to get in some 100 yard sprints or 50's...)... sat 5 miles... sunday rest...
 
Good for you for being very wise about it. I have learned my lesson way too many times with doing too much too soon. I have been running many years and was doing my long run today as well. I kept thinking 2-3 is always easy. It feels like you can go forever even when you get to 3 miles..but somewhere between 4-5 theres just something that clicks on that makes going further something you have to be determined about. Its like that for me too! I'm used to longer distances now so I can push through that mark without ill-effects but there was a time when I didn't and I got heel spurs that i had to be on crutches for. I was out for MONTHS! Just keep listening to your body. It'll tell you what it can handle. Keep up the great running!
 
I've heard that traditional wisdom is to increase your mileage by only 10% a week. I would only add that it's real easy to get caught up in ramping up your running too quickly, because you're feeling good, but that's really, unfortunately, the best way to get an injury (minor or serious) out of nowhere.
 
I have decided that I should be a bit less agressive and go after 10 k's or shorter for this fall. It is just too much for me to move up past the 10 mile mark in the next couple months... when I just cracked the 10 mile/week mark. This past week I did 12... in 4 days...

but no not canada... north east ohio
 
Very smart. Halfs are gruesome if you aren't prepared correctly. A 10K would be fun, and a great distance for you. Seems you are very wise with what your body can handle
 
Maybe not wise but smart enough to trust those who have been there and done that... thank you for the advice... Just figuring that I would need to have my long run at 1/2 marathon or better to run a 1/2 marathon... so based on where I am at and the 10% increase theory... no way I'll be ready for 10+ miles in the next 6 weeks or so... Perhaps if I had a few months to train... It is not like I am in a rush or anything... so I'll take it slower and safer... better to be too slow and not get hurt than to push and get hurt... not like there is anything for me to gain beyond personal satisfaction by going faster...

Thanks for helping me to realize that...
 
Ok sparrow... what do you think of this...

Since I am at 5 miles as my long... and 10-15 miles a week...

4 weeks from now I run a 5K race (Aug 26)

7 weeks a 5 mile race...( Sept 17).

13 weeks a 15 k... (Oct 29)


I feel pretty good about the 1st two not being a big deal... as for the 9.6 miles...

That is about 5 more miles to my long run... If I add a mile to my long run ever other week yet don't add on the weeks I have a race... then I would hit 10 for the week of the 15k... Or I could scale it back and just run the 5k instead of the 15 k...

Just can't find a 10k at that time which would be perfect... Oh well.. I will know leading up to the race how my body feals around the first week of oct... how it is handling the 7-8 mile range... if it is telling me to slow down... I'll scale back a bit shorten my distance and try to crush my Aug 26.. 5k time...
 
I think thats rather reasonable actually. Your body will be well conditioned by that point to be able to handle the longer runs and as you get fitter you will find the longer runs are just longer, not really more painful. If anything they're more boring and harder to stick with it mentally :)

You have to realize that a 15K race doesn't have to be a race either. You can take that sucker as slow as you want. Have a strategy, a realistic one and make your goal to FINISH. Be it walking a little or trotting at certain times thats fine! You can even use it as a training step to actually just run that far in one shot! See it as your "long run" day :D You may surprise yourself and do better than expected! Adrenaline does amazing things.

I ran my first half without ever having done the half distance, or anywhere near it. We were on vacation and there happened to be a half going on that weekend and I entered it spur of the moment, just for the challenge. My longest run to that point was 8 miles and I had just gotten to that point! Not that I recommend that at ALL but it served me well that day and I did MUCH better than I expected without having to stop. I was quite sore for over a WEEK but it was great satisfaction.

So yeah just feel out what your body can and can't handle. Slow down if you feel overtrained or pooped some days. modify based on whats going on. You seem to have a good handle on it all.
 
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