Uffda
1) Have you felt like you've approached your own volume ceiling, and if so, why?
Yes, for my current fitness and running experience. I felt burnt out - definitely felt fatigued. I started getting sore, when normally I don't.
2) Do you think he starts to draw the line in the right place, at 60-70 mpw?
That week I ran 63 miles. I think for right now 60 would be about my ceiling.
3) Do you feel like volume is the biggest limiting factor to your own marathon performance?
Right now, yes I think volume is. My biggest problem currently is stamina. I'm not terribly slow; I just know that I need more volume to help me build endurance.
I do think that in a year or so my ceiling could go up by something like 20 mpw, or maybe even more. It's just the fact that I've been running for 2.5 years, so my max will likely be lower than others.
- Andrew
Go figure
Burrn...I was looking at your log...it seems like that 63 mile week was a pretty big jump week, so that could explain some of why you felt burnt out from it. Just building the miles gradually and continually seems to make the increase more tolerable. I'd say I agree with your assessment of where you are right now and what you need. You're also in a very similar position to where I was with my own running at 2.5 years in. Lots of good progress will come if you just keep with it.
Trying to find some more hay to restock the barn
Yep, it was a stretch, so it wasn't a surprise that I was a bit sore. My plan is keep up the mileage. I definitely want to keep that 40ish mpw going through the rest of the year.
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I doubt it -- but I don't really know. My peak month was 400mi, and it felt good.
I don't know, but I suppose it is higher for some people because I read about elites running substantially higher than that. I've been averaging around 70, so I suppose the line is likely higher for me - I guess.
My guess is no, but I don't know. My PRs drop off compared to race predictors, so apparently I'm weaker at longer distances. However, I hope that more GMP running might help me.
It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.
A lot of your ceiling depends on how hard you are running. The past few years, I have had a 100+ mile week just for the hell of it. I find that jacking my mileage to that level isn't terribly difficult as long as I just jog the whole time. I think I could even sustain that level of mileage if I didn't do any speed work. Because I do a decent amount of speedwork, I find myself limited to around 70-80 mpw. I've done 90 with speed before but that left me so beat up I had to cut way, way back the next week so that wasn't productive for me. Could I handle more if I regularly kept my mileage in the 70+ range? Maybe.
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).