Running Twice A Day (Read 766 times)

Has anyone had luck running a majority of their training before season running once in the morning then once at night? Will two easy 4 miles be equal to a 8 mile or will I have to throw in some longer runs? Thanks, Im training for cross country btw

2 easy 4 miles does not have the same aerobic benefit as an 8 miler. But you might find that it's easier to find an hour(counting changing and showering, etc.) of time in the morning and an hour in the evening, rather than a 2 hour chunk of time. Also, an easy morning run can help you loosen up and get recovered for a more major workout later in the day. The best runners run 2-3 times a day, everyday, but like any new training stimulus you need to ease into doubles. My advice is to try working in a 30 minute morning run twice a week and then to build from there until you can double most days.

Morning runs are for EASY recovery miles to get you ready for quality miles in the evening. If you are looking for 8 total miles -- 2 REALLY easy in the morning and then 6 of quality work in the evening will give you the most benefit. I started doubling last year to increase my mileage and found that I really like the morning easy runs to shake out the pain from the night before. That and I have a dog that LOVES our morning runs together so she can check out the neighborhood...

I wouldn't run for less than 30 minutes, because 2 miles has minimal aerobic benefit. 2 miles will loosen you up, you're right on that one, but 30 minutes will loosen you up AND provide some training benefit.

It's a common myth that one 8 miler is better than two 4 milers. Yes, you need long runs to run long distance road races (10 miles+), but overall, more runs is better. Multiple 5-6 mile runs are bread and butter for many of the worlds best milers, especially those from Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. These shorter runs allow you to maintain a much higher average pace, without messing up your legs too much. It's also a judgment call whether you want to make your first run your important one, or your second. Most marathoners I know prefer to do the longer run in the morning, and the shakeout before dinner. Track runners seem to prefer the workouts in the evening, but that may just be habit from their college days. I live for doubles. During base training, I do 12/6, 10/6, or 6/6, every day except Sunday, when I go 16-20 in one run. Even during track season, when I'm keeping my volume low, I still try to run at least 4 doubles/week. It makes me feel fresher and faster. These are usually just 2-4 mile shakeout jogs in the morning, or the evening after a race. My experience has been that running doubles teaches your body to recover on a 12 hour interval, instead of 24. Eventually, you reach a point at which you can do a hard workout one night, and go out for 10 steady miles the next morning, and still recover. I always know I'm getting strong when 10 milers become recovery runs. Regarding triples: This is the model in the Kenyan cross country camp (6am, 10am, 4pm), but that doesn't mean that it's right for us. Those camps are meat-grinders that take in a large number of talented runners, and graduate a small, ready-to-compete team. Furthermore, the Kenyan Federation is widely regarding as employing inferior coaching. Most runners I know who have experimented with triples have found no benefit.