When to Double (Read 2176 times)

Sounds like the way you tried to run the tempo had a lot more to do with the result than the easy morning run....that and trying to run it at a pre-specified pace perhaps rather than going by effort level. Personally I did better with a nice easy leg-loosening run the morning of a workout day. Maybe that's just me. Actually I see three reasons to run doubles, and I'll rank them from best to not-so-best: 1) Running like 70+ mpw, inpractical to increase mileage in singles as even shortest runs get too long for variety and recovery. 2) Building mileage; trying to get to 70mpw and adding it in singles is not going as smoothly as you may like 3) Don't have time to run all miles in singles You look like you could fit #2. A lot of accomplished people will say "no doubled until 70+ mpw" but they may be coming from a different perspective. They've run 70 mpw before. 70 mpw with doubles is not as good as 70 mpw in singles, but it sure as heck is better than 50-55mpw in singles. So if you can't handle 70mpw in singles yet, but you can extend your 50-55mpw to 70 by adding doubles, why not?? Then you acclimate and either a) reduce/eliminate the doubles, or b) acclimate and add even more miles and have already worked doubling into your routine. Me, I'm in #3 right now. The worst reason.

First off, thanks for the feedback! Makes sense as far as tempo run, the fact that I was feeling race-like fatigue on the way out probably clued me in. I imagine I had a "feel" in my legs as far as what pace I would do normally tempo at (having done the majority on the treadmill, but trying to get away from that) and just wasn't giving it up despite the fact that I was heading into the wind. I just need to work on my pacing in general, only run about 4-5 races so far and all of those have been WAY below potential, almost assuredly due to going out to hard/failing to compensate for the course. I'd certianly think I can run a 5k faster than 22:41, given that I can run a mile around 5:45. As far as doubles go, It fits both spaniels 2 and 3. Feels like it might be adding to much to try to take it all on in singles right now. Also, number three is somewhat true because of light issues (not comfortable here in the dark), the way my class/work schedule works out I don't get to run till about 4:30 and it gets dark about 5:30-5:45 so that restricts me to 8-9 max for my weekday runs, leaving too much milage to "make-up" on the weekends, especially considering that golf practice gets factored in there (a 14 mile run after 4-5 hrs of beating balls and putting and then playing 9 or 18 holes makes for a damn tiring day). So doubles fits easiest into my time schedule and I will already be in the doubles format if I get to 70mpw, feel good, and decided to ramp any higher from there. If not it'll be light enough in the evenings by that time and I should be able to go to 70mpw as singles.

You bastard!

But, they certainly don't save time. The overhead time cost of running (changing clothes, showering, stretching if applicable, washing clothes, travelling to training site if applicable, etc) all "double" when doing doubles.

Yes and no. I see your point, but it's often still a lot easier to find two 1-hour blocks of time in your day versus one 2-hour block, for example.

Doubles take WAY more time.

Stop primping so long in front of the mirror and they don't take that much more time.

+42 Doubles take WAY more time. The only solution is to not shower between them.

umm it's called the wash-cloth wipe down...

umm it's called the wash-cloth wipe down...

We called it a whore bath: face, pits, crotch, ass, feet.

I don't have any opinion on when or why or if... but I can share my limited experience with them... I tried them out when I was pushing my milage last year. I found on tempo run days my milage slipped... and if I wanted to keep it up... that running extra easy miles before or after my tempo run just made it so that my tempo run stunk... or it was just beating me up (if after)... so like mikey mentioned I started running 3-6 easy miles in the morning then ran my warmup... tempo... warm down... and actually my legs felt much better during the tempo run. I also did a couple other doubles...and I found the doubles were easier on my body say than a single.. .like running 7 in the morning and 10 at night was easier than running 17 in one pop....