Back to running and FIRST running programs (Read 850 times)

Do you feel your injury was more related to the AMOUNT you were running, or the intensity? If the former, FIRST may be a good option. If the latter, the stress of the fast work without supporting easy work to "condition" your joints, ligaments and bones specifically for running may be a worse bet.

No, I have not tried it, but that doesn't mean I don't understand how various training methodologies will affect your running. It depends on your goals as well. If you really want to improve your running in a sustainable fashion, FIRST will not be optimal. If you enjoy doing multiple activities but still want to run ok and perform better in running that the other activities, it's probably a decent comprimise.

On the FIRST website (http://www.furman.edu/first/), they claim that people that followed and finished the programs had good success in their race often setting PBs. But never do they mention how many of those who started dropped out because of injury.

In the initial trail that was documented, 25 runners ov various abilities started the program. None dropped out because of injury and 21 of the 25 were highly successful. Read the details here: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244-255-8257-0,00.html The F.I.R.S.T. plans are tough but effective when combined with XT. If you've been a runner or endurance athlete for a while, and read between the lines, you'll figure it out. While LSD is often considered the foundation of a training plan, the bottom line is it elevates your HR to 60-75% for an extended period. IOW, keeping the "quality" of a running program and replacing the "quantity" with various forms of XT makes sense. Wishing you all the best in your endeavors. Keep us posted.

It doesn't sound like a good idea to me, especially for someone who is just now getting back into running. I agree with Willamona, that too much intensity too fast is how people get hurt. That is EXACTLY what happened to me when I first started running, and for where I am now I should be a lot more advanced if I'd just slowed down when I was new. I did almost all my runs as at least tempo runs. I thought a slow easy run was somehow a failure. I made a lot of gains in speed really fast, but I paid for it by a string of chronic injuries. So I took some time off, and now if I'm having a bad day I allow myself to walk a bit if I need to (though I really try not to). I do most of my runs easy and actually feel GOOD afterwards. I run now for fitness instead of performance. I cross train a bit if I'm feeling bored or burnt out of running. And, none of my old injuries have come back and I'm enjoying running now more than ever. You WILL get hurt again if you jump right back into a rigorous program of XT and speedwork. 1) You are not in good enough shape to do this yet, your muscles and connective tissues are not strong enough and 2) You will just plain overtrain. Cross training is still exercise, so if you haven't been doing much of anything you'll just end up doing too much. I'd get comfy doing slow, easy runs first and then work on cross training or speed.

What is it with programs? Whether it be Higdon, FIRST, Weightwatchers or whatever... Every runner is different as is their situation. There are litterally hundreds of variables and to pick a program that someone else wrote and try to stick to that program is asking for trouble. If you want to lose weight, then a simple solution is to burn more calories than you take in. If you want to run a marathon, you can't depend on a program to do your running for you. You need to do the training and listen to how your body feels and change as you go. Feel crappy, run slow. Feel good run fast. What you should do is analyze your own situation. What do you want to accomplish and how much do you want to commit to it. Then read about the various programs and make up a program for YOU, tailored to your situation. As soon as you come up with a program be ready to change it, because I guarantee you won't go 2 weeks following a program without needing to adapt it to various circumstances. If you like cross training and it keeps you motivated and improving then do it. If you like to run and hate biking or swimming, then run and forget the cross training. Do what you like to do and what keeps you healthy. I ran one marathon 7 years ago. I started from zero and trained for about 8 monthes with a high run mileage of 45 miles 4 weeks before the marathon. I had never heard of FIRST back then but my training may have been fairly close to it just due to my situation. I had moved to CA with my wife and 2 small kids on a temporary assignment for 1 year. We only had one car, so I biked 10 miles each day to work. After several monthes, I figured hell, I was in pretty decent shape, and living in a warm climate for once where I could train actually enjoy training thru the winter, so how about running a marathon. I took some Higdon workouts and tailored my own training schedule around the fact that I had to bike to work each day. Long runs on the weekends. Some days I would run to work and run home instead of biking. Mile repeats at the track once a week. Some days I would bike to work and run at lunch and bike home. There were not very many easy miles. Long runs would start out easy go medium and finish harder to simulate how it would feel at the end of the marathon. I would run hard because I like to run hard. I would bike hard because I like to bike hard. I ran my first and only maration 3 minutes faster than my goal pace of 2:55. That was the best race of my life and I know that I couldn't have run it any better. Could I have done better if I had only run and run 80 miles a week instead of 30-40? Who knows? Those circumstances will never be the same again, so I'll probably never know. The key was that I knew my body, I listened to the feedback I was getting from my body and I altered my plan as things went. I'm losing track of what my point is....all I know is that my back is killing me and I'm getting cranky from not having worked out for 4 days. I guess my main point is that everyone is different and there is no one optimum plan that you can pluck out of the air. Neither is there only one approach for everyone. Running by itself is great for some but not others. High mileage is great for some but not for others. Low mileage is great for some but not for others. Each person is a case study of one and the results are not going to be the same.

I'd still say 6-7 days of exercise might be a bit much. I'm not 100% sure of your current level, but unless you're ultra-fit, your body needs some rest.

I'd still say 6-7 days of exercise might be a bit much. I'm not 100% sure of your current level, but unless you're ultra-fit, your body needs some rest.

Define "rest". Active recovery is perfectly acceptable for many.