Infrequent long runs vs. frequent short runs? (Read 1928 times)

I'm sure this has been asked before, but, here we go again. Is it better to run short runs everyday, or a long run once or twice a week ? Let's say you're shooting for 20-25 miles a week. Does it really make a difference if you break it up with small runs? Or is best to do one or two long runs? Or, does it even matter?

Consistency always wins. Always. Long runs are wildly over emphasized, especially for new runners. If you do long runs - and you don't have to unless you're training for something specific - they *must* be supported by regular, consistent, easy shorter runs. Long runs once or twice a week will get you exactly nowhere, except injured, bored, burned out, and slow. Modified to add: I looked at your log. You're doing it exactly right. Although you might want to lengthen those two miles runs to three mile runs. Modified yet again to add: the only exception to the above would be if you're seriously cross-training for something else. Some tri-athletes do only 1-3 longish runs a week. But they're logging serious miles on the bike and in the pool.

My personal view is that if you take more than a day between runs you are giving up most of the adaptive benefits of the runs. So the more frequent short runs win. I wholeheartedly agree with Jake that the long run is way over-emphasized among newer and more inexperienced marathon runners. I'd rather see someone never do a long run over 15 miles but run 6 days per week than hit 22-23 miles and only run 3 days. I have seen some people do quite well off frequent but shorter runs. Sure, they don't do as well when they run longer races, but running long 1-2 times per week and not much else doesn't fare any better.

It's best to do both. But if that's not an option for you, I agree with the others--frequent short runs are better than infrequent long runs.

It's not a question of better - the two scenarios serve different purposes. What goals are you trying to acheive?

Warning - Thread hijack I too have this nagging feeling that I am not putting in the long run, but with two small kids , I never seem to have the time to do a run longer than an hour. I have a couple of Half marathons coming up this spring, and wondering if it is better if I drop a couple of running days and go on a 2 hour run on the alternate weekends. My longest run so far has been a 10 mile race in November. So the question is, is it better to do 6 X 5-6 miles/day for a total of 30-35 miles/week or do 3 X 5-6 miles/day and a 10 -12 mile long run for a total of 25-30 miles/week (tell me if I am over thinking this). At my current speed I dont think I can go longer than 12 miles without it affecting my "running privileges"

HMHopeful, I just wanted to encourage you because I, too, have two young kids, and I know how hard it can be to fit your running in. This is how I did it--I ran six miles 3 or 4x a week, mostly on the dreadmill as I had to do it in the early am before the kids were up. Sometimes I got a bonus easy 4-miler in too. I did my truly long runs on alternate weekends so as to not abuse my "running privileges"--my longest runs were the 13.1 and a 14-miler which took up 2 hours. The other weekends I did go out for road runs, but not usually longer than one hour. Depending on how close your half is, this might be something that works for you.

Take a 25-mile week, for example. Give me a 9-miler and four 4's and I'll bet everything on the guy who does it this way against someone of equal ability who runs five 5-milers every week. I don't think the long run is overrated at all. The first book on running I ever read was by Lydiard and I remember him saying "the weekly long run is the backbone of any good distance runners program". That stuck with me and I've found long runs help me as much or more as any form of training. That said, I would pick five 5-milers spread over 5 days over any combination of 25 miles spread over 2 days. Spaniel makes a good point when he says: "if you take more than a day between runs you are giving up most of the adaptive benefits of the runs" It's hard for me to believe that so many people can't find 30-40 extra minutes in a day to get in a few easy miles on many of those days they take off. They really make a difference. That's why they are called "maintenance runs". They enable you to hang on to the fitness you developed during your key workouts and races.