Perhaps we's all interpreting "By working too hard yesterday and not being able to do an easy workout" differently.
There's a continuum between "suck it up, buttercup" tired and actually full-on destroyed.
Recovery runs... or "active recovery" as a more general thing... is goodness. As a general thing.
Recovery miles aren't junk miles to me. I do a lot of recovery miles. But it's junk when you can't even muddle through a recovery run--then, I think you're better off just plain resting.
True. But there is usually a reason why you can't do even a recovery pace. In theory, you should be able to handle it. Either not enough sleep, sickness, ran too fast the days before, are training above your ability, etc...
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
Drink up moho's!!
If you hit your paces but cannot go out the next day for a short recovery run then you r paces were likely over reaching or the length of your workout was over reaching. I do believe that is why they are calling the workout junk.
Happens to many of us.
Taking a URD because you realize that you're "full on destroyed" sounds pretty smart to me. Realize that the workout was way too aggressive and then get back on track the following day, even if that still has to be at recovery pace.
SR glad to see your back. All my miles are junk since I have no plan to race this year.
SR glad to see your back.
All my miles are junk since I have no plan to race this year.
Well then all if our miles must be junk then, since running is going to ruin our knees. Well, maybe not junk but at least harmful.
I am thinking its not the pace that did me in as much as a brand new kind of workout. I have never done mile repeats before and RFID a tempo run two days before.
^ Don't know what rifid is. Freaking phone. On the bright side Hasidic not get hurt and probably gained some mental toughness. Lesson learned to ease into new types of workouts.
There are different definitions of "junk miles" but here is my take.
If you do a hard workout, you should expect your legs to feel stiff and heavy the next day. If they don't feel that way, you didn't work hard enough. That most certainly doesn't make the hard workout "junk mileage." Nor are those recovery miles junk. Doing 30-40 minutes at a very easy pace the next day will help you to recover faster. I routinely run doubles and find my legs feel much better in the evening if I get in that 30-40 minute jog in the morning. But, here's another scenario.
You run a hard workout on Tuesday. On Wednesday you do mostly recovery work and then you have another easy run planned for Thursday and a hard workout planned for Friday. On Thursday, your legs feel good so you let things fly a bit. Using my paces as an example, rather than running at a 7:45 pace, I run at a 7:30 pace. There's not that much difference in paces and my legs feel really good. So, instead of 7 miles, I run 10 miles.
On Friday, my plan was to do a 6 mile tempo run or something like 5 x 1,200. On the warm up, I already know something isn't right. My legs feel listless and my strides feel forced. I start the tempo run and instead of 6:30, I'm running 6:40 and it feels more like 6:20. Instead of 6 miles, I end up bagging it at 3. If I'm doing the 1,200's I'm struggling at 800 meters and don't survive more than a couple of them before I have to call it a day.
I consider those miles I ran on Thursday junk miles. I didn't run hard enough to get more benefit than I would out of any easy run but I put enough fatigue on my legs that I couldn't do my hard workout on Friday. In other words, running so far or so hard that you interfere with your quality days puts that run into the junk mileage category.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
Jess runs for bacon
Perhaps we's all interpreting "By working too hard yesterday and not being able to do an easy workout" differently. There's a continuum between "suck it up, buttercup" tired and actually full-on destroyed. Recovery runs... or "active recovery" as a more general thing... is goodness. As a general thing.
Recovery to me was always "I'm kind of sore and tired but let's just see how this easy run goes," and I feel better during the run (and after). If I don't feel good after a certain period (like a third of attempted mileage) then I stop because its clear I need the rest.
So I think I agree with SRL (hey glad to see you) but I've had a couple glasses of wine.
... my weekly average in 80 miles.
Woooo... that's getting up there.
I don't think any mile I ever ran in my life was junk. I get something out of each and every mile no matter how slow or fast it is.
I like where I'm at with running.