Forums >Running 101>Why does weekly mileage matter so much?
I made the assumption that someone who typically runs at a 9-10 minute pace will finish a Half in 2:00+, not 1:30. Poor assumption on my part.
Yes, yes it was. And it is part of the magic that helps get to your original question. We could have gotten here on page one.
BTW, I run a lot of 9-10 minute miles too. Lots and lots of them.
I heard there were free popsicles being given out. I ran right over. Did I miss them.
And to the OP....
Lighten Up Francis
"He conquers who endures" - Persius "Every workout should have a purpose. Every purpose should link back to achieving a training objective." - Spaniel
http://ncstake.blogspot.com/
http://www.runningahead.com/forums/topic/9a6428e688f34f5bac850a039ba6dc20/0
have a nice day
I think they all melted.
You get the fudge bomb pop, yo.
BTW, Dave... this C-R dude who just posted a lighthearted joke ran a 1:25 half last Saturday... finishing 372nd (? right?) out of 35,000.
Ask him how he did that.
I've got a fever...
They say to run the long runs much slower than your race pace, however my race pace and long run pace are always identical, meaning I'm incapable of running faster on race day without burning out.
Run more miles (and run slower to facilitate this without injury) and you will be faster on race day.
On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office. But you will wish that you'd spent more time running. Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.
Feeling the growl again
Well my analogy with tennis was that I feared I would run a whole lot more, and while I might see gains in my leg strength and ability to endure longer distances, I was worried my speed wouldn't improve despite the extra effort. It seems odd to me that training emphasized much more on quanity and not so much on speed. They say to run the long runs much slower than your race pace, however my race pace and long run pace are always identical, meaning I'm incapable of running faster on race day without burning out. I think the reason I was able to pick up long distance running was because I was used to playing tennis for sometimes 2-3 hours straight in 90 degree heat. Plus, I have always run 1-3 miles every few days just to stay fit for tennis way before I ever attempted longer runs.
Well my analogy with tennis was that I feared I would run a whole lot more, and while I might see gains in my leg strength and ability to endure longer distances, I was worried my speed wouldn't improve despite the extra effort. It seems odd to me that training emphasized much more on quanity and not so much on speed. They say to run the long runs much slower than your race pace, however my race pace and long run pace are always identical, meaning I'm incapable of running faster on race day without burning out.
I think the reason I was able to pick up long distance running was because I was used to playing tennis for sometimes 2-3 hours straight in 90 degree heat. Plus, I have always run 1-3 miles every few days just to stay fit for tennis way before I ever attempted longer runs.
Your training philosophy is flawed. If you want to run faster for anything over the mile, stop thinking that running faster involves speed. It does not, it involves aerobic capacity and endurance. Both things are built effectively with larger volumes of slower running. Why slower? Because you can't race every workout and do nearly as much.
Even when I was running 100+ mpw only about 20% of my volume was marathon pace or faster. Yet the training was incredibly effective at making me faster.
Speed is about muscle strength, neuromuscular coordination, and anaerobic power. All of these things are of limited application in long distance running and can be addressed with relatively minor components of your overall training (hills, strides, drills, fartleks).
Run slower and run more, and you will find faster times. Keep trying to train speed and you won't get much faster I ran 10K at a little under 5min/mile and could not break 60sec for the quarter mile. I had no speed and never will. Speed is not very important for distance running.
MTA: More volume also conditions you to do more fast work. Not long ago my volume was down to 30-40 mpw. While I obviously could not run workouts as fast as I had on more than double that volume, I could not even finish the workouts at any reasonable speed. It was just too much work for my base to support. Run more volume, and you can do more hard work.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
You get the fudge bomb pop, yo. BTW, Dave... this C-R dude who just posted a lighthearted joke ran a 1:25 half last Saturday... finishing 372nd (? right?) out of 35,000. Ask him how he did that.
dude
"If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus
A Saucy Wench
And that is why you need to wrap your mind around running slower on long run days.
It works.
Where's my Popsicle? I like lime.
I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets
"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7
Your training philosophy is flawed. If you want to run faster for anything over the mile, stop thinking that running faster involves speed. It does not, it involves aerobic capacity and endurance. Both things are built effectively with larger volumes of slower running. Why slower? Because you can't race every workout and do nearly as much. Even when I was running 100+ mpw only about 20% of my volume was marathon pace or faster. Yet the training was incredibly effective at making me faster. Speed is about muscle strength, neuromuscular coordination, and anaerobic power. All of these things are of limited application in long distance running and can be addressed with relatively minor components of your overall training (hills, strides, drills, fartleks). Run slower and run more, and you will find faster times. Keep trying to train speed and you won't get much faster I ran 10K at a little under 5min/mile and could not break 60sec for the quarter mile. I had no speed and never will. Speed is not very important for distance running. MTA: More volume also conditions you to do more fast work. Not long ago my volume was down to 30-40 mpw. While I obviously could not run workouts as fast as I had on more than double that volume, I could not even finish the workouts at any reasonable speed. It was just too much work for my base to support. Run more volume, and you can do more hard work.
Excellent post Spaniel.........
Champions are made when no one is watching
Heh.
Thanks for the props. I think you right about the placing.
For the OP (I see your handle and think Ace of Base that 90s Sweedish band but I digress) serious answer => I run consistent miles (for me). I spent a solid year trying to figure out how to build a base via Low Heart Rate training and that meant adding miles. Lots of miles. Can't build a house without a foundation. Later I added specific workouts based on some recommendations from Spaniel. I learned to better listen to my body and train for specific goal races. Its the consistent and sustained mileage that makes you faster and able to train harder to get faster. Look at the fast guys logs and what do you see? Volume + specific workouts.
Fortunately there are some very good runners willing to share some sound advice here and I opened up my mind and paid attention. BTW - that's the same group posting in this thread answering your comments and questions.
There are no shortcuts - volume, miles, time on your feet are needed to get faster. Of course this is what everyone has already stated so I guess I am being either redundant or "beating a dead horse'.
Oh and I have a wife, kids, full time job, coach soccer, baseball and am active in my parish. If I can find the time to add miles, so can you.
Also, I noticed your tennis analogy. I come from a golfing background (stop laughing SRL) and I would see guys on the range trying every damn trick in the book to get better. Tinker here and tweak there. New clubs, new shoes, new shirt, new balls. I just kept hitting balls on the range most times around 500 a day. You know why? There is no shortcut do getting better - you have to dig it out of the dirt. Faster running requires more time in the dirt too.
Now, e-mail me that damn popsicle before it melts.
Why is it sideways?
Heh. Thanks for the props. I think you right about the placing. For the OP (I see your handle and think Ace of Base that 90s Sweedish band but I digress) serious answer => I run consistent miles (for me). I spent a solid year trying to figure out how to build a base via Low Heart Rate training and that meant adding miles. Lots of miles. Can't build a house without a foundation. Later I added specific workouts based on some recommendations from Spaniel. I learned to better listen to my body and train for specific goal races. Its the consistent and sustained mileage that makes you faster and able to train harder to get faster. Look at the fast guys logs and what do you see? Volume + specific workouts. Fortunately there are some very good runners willing to share some sound advice here and I opened up my mind and paid attention. BTW - that's the same group posting in this thread answering your comments and questions. There are no shortcuts - volume, miles, time on your feet are needed to get faster. Of course this is what everyone has already stated so I guess I am being either redundant or "beating a dead horse'. Oh and I have a wife, kids, full time job, coach soccer, baseball and am active in my parish. If I can find the time to add miles, so can you. Also, I noticed your tennis analogy. I come from a golfing background (stop laughing SRL) and I would see guys on the range trying every damn trick in the book to get better. Tinker here and tweak there. New clubs, new shoes, new shirt, new balls. I just kept hitting balls on the range most times around 500 a day. You know why? There is no shortcut do getting better - you have to dig it out of the dirt. Faster running requires more time in the dirt too. Now, e-mail me that damn popsicle before it melts.
Kid runs fast and thinks he can start dishing advice.
Great post, Norm.
Kid runs fast and thinks he can start dishing advice. Great post, Norm.
Ha. I ain't fast but am having fun trying.
You want fast. Log stalk and see how this guy did it. Simply Beastly