Forums >General Running>Too Much Mileage
The shirtless wonder
This all reminds me of something I read in Advanced Marathoning by Pfitzinger. Pfitzinger is a proponent of high mileage. He says that even if you can't do high mileage at some point you doesn't mean you can't do it now.
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Some/many may perform better on 75 miles per week with smarter training vs. 100 miles per week of just "miles".
I'll put my money on Runner #3, 100 miles per week with smarter training.
I've never been much a proponent of "just miles", even for base.
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I'll put my money on Runner #3, 100 miles per week with smarter training. I've never been much a proponent of "just miles", even for base.
A friend of mine noticed that all of the magazines and such seem to recommend a base building period and then to do speedwork later. He asked some of the local fast guys about this and none of them do base building. They keep up their speedwork year round.
Why is it sideways?
Speedwork is an extremely vague term.
True and periodization gets way overplayed in magazines and such. Most of the fast guys I know don't have a part of they year they call base building and they keep some speed in their routines all year round. But then those same guys run over 3,000 miles a year so they clearly have a solid base.
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I have been guided to mix up my paces/effort more than I probably have.
This is closer to what I meant than "speedwork". The stuff I keep pretty much year round, including base periods, is fartleks and some form of tempos; the amount may be less during base than other training periods. Often very short faster efforts like strides too. Nothing classically defined as "speedwork" like intervals.
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I have been guided to mix up my paces/effort more than I probably have. I tend to run a little too fast on many of my training runs. The program has recommended paces for every run and I am going to be watching my Garmin a little more closely to make sure I am getting a better mix. I typically wear the Garmin but rarely look at it during the actual run. I frequently think "oh crap" when I look at the data. but 2011 is going to be different and I am expecting some positive changes. Maybe a little less free spirited running will make it less stressful/painful in the long run. Smarter training. No more excuses.
Smarter training is key. For you, getting in miles and staying healthy are priority. You obviously have very very good talent. I don't think you need true speed work. Think of getting a work out (tempo/critical velocity work) one or two times per week (for you this may mean once per week if having issues staying healthy) and the other runs are where you make hay. You get the miles in with perhaps some striders while recovering from the quality days. Those filler runs should probably be 1 min per mile slower than marathon pace. If you run harder between the "hard" days then you obviously will break down like you have been and not allow yourself to get stronger from those key work outs. It is always nice to remember that consistency and banking miles make you stronger and faster. I know Nobby is trying to tame the wild horse. Listen to the master!
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"Coach of the year for XC" doesn't translate to marathon coach of the year. Your mileage sounds fine.
I had this thought too. Training 5K HS kids and marathoners are very different.
True, but my question is why jump to the marathon in your second year of training and racing? Everyone recommends folks to wait all the time, to develop speed first. Maybe that's what these other advisers have in mind.
Why not train for the 5k for 2 or 3 years, then take on the marathon?
True, but my question is why jump to the marathon in your second year of training and racing? Everyone recommends folks to wait all the time, to develop speed first. Maybe that's what these other advisers have in mind. Why not train for the 5k for 2 or 3 years, then take on the marathon?
Valid, but he's already decided that he is training towards a marathon next year so he's building his mileage/training towards that goal, not 5Ks. So having someone who may be very good at training people for 5Ks say "you're doing too much" should be viewed through the appropriate lens.
I know this is going to sound ridiculous coming from me. I think this makes a lot of sense. I didn't know what I was doing when I started running. I never read a running magazine or a training plan. I just ran. Then I had some bad advice from a running store owner. I had just run my first 5K and won a $50 gift certificate to the store. When I redeemed it ,the owner asked me to run the half marathon he was helping to organized the very next weekend. Yep, 2 weeks after my first 5K. I had never run more that 6-7 miles and had only done that once or twice. I ran the half and qualified for the NYC Marathon. Long story short I had told my MIL who had died from lung cancer the summer before that I would run the NYC Marathon someday. When a friend told me that my time had qualified me to run in it, I felt some higher power was telling me to run it for her. I was on a mission from that point. That is when I joined RA. After reading just a few posts, I knew I was in over my head and doing it all wrong but I was committed to do it for her. I was afraid that if I didn't do it now I would never do it. So, I did. Hindsight is 20/20. Maybe not the best plan. I would probably be better off and still having a great time progressing if I had concentrated on shorter races. I realize at times, that I am in over my head but now I'm on a roll. We'll see how Boston training goes. Nobby is suggesting shorter races and working on speed during the spring and summer. I think taking a step back would probably be a good thing. I love the miles but I also love shorter races and speed. I am starting to realize that I have plenty of time to improve. I don't have one foot in the grave yet. I might not even be at the top of the hill!
The marathon is the glory event of today's rec runner. Few know nor care what a 17:00 5K is, but "finishing" a marathon is a major accomplishment so it's natural for everyone to try and jump to that quickly (usually far too quickly).
Running marathons sucks. You have to give up a lot of racing at shorter distances to do it right even if the training you're doing may help your shorter races. Truthfully my favorite race distance is in the neighborhood of 10 miles to a half marathon.
In the end though, it's an individual decision. For some people, like Diamond J, the training is certainly there to support it. He'll have far, far more miles in his legs than the average marathoner today.