Do you inevitably do a recovery run the day after you run intervals b/c you are pretty trashed, or are you able to hold your pace for a MLR? Also, I have the same question with respect to tempo runs: do you follow a tempo run w/a recovery run the next day, or are you able to run a MLR?
Most of the time I have my MLR the day after my speedwork. And that was the program my coach created for me, so it was not me. I was able to do both on pace.
I never did tempo per se this time around but the LRs had a tempoish pace. here is a week in a nutshell:
Monday - SRD
Tuesday - Speedwork (fartleks during the first 5 weeks, then 800s, 1000s, finishing with HMP miles)
Wednesday - MLR
Thursday - Easy
Friday - Easy
Saturday - Easy
Sunday - LR (most of the time with X miles at WTF was the coach thinking pace)
Damaris
As part of the 2024 London Marathon, I am fundraising for VICTA, a charity that helps blind and visually impaired children. My mentor while in law school, Jim K (a blind attorney), has been a huge inspiration and an example of courage and perseverance. Please consider donating.
Fundraising Page
And ^^ for marathons. Shorter races are different and I would do SRD, Speedwork, Easy, Speedwork, Easy, Easy, LR, for those.
Are we there, yet?
There's nothing inevitable about any of my runs. I have a general outline of what I want to accomplish for the next several months and adjust my daily runs daily. If I need a recovery run or rest day, I'll take it. If not I'll continue with whatever I would normally run in my training sequence whether that be a MLR, intervals, fartlek, easy run, etc.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
Thanks, D! That's really helpful to see your schedule laid out like that. I particularly like the "at WTF was my coach thinking pace" runs that you had to do. I remember you running those from last cycle all too well!
I've done easy/general runs, recovery runs (easy but more easy), and MLR's after tempo runs. Usually easy/general or recovery or rest after intervals. But I don;t run the mileage or intensity you do, so unless you are trying for a specific stimulus (e.g MLR the day after tempo run so that you are doing the MLR on a tired body) I would go easy or recovery. The MLR after tempo I would not do every time, though I do like it. Especially with your plan to run 7d/w almost every week, be judicious.
Keep in mind that I usually make it up as I go, so not quite as organized as you are either. At one point in the summer I was doing speed stuff, then MLR, then tempo on Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday. That does not mean it was advisable.
Great! Thanks for the feedback, Wcrunner and Dave!! That is super helpful.
Especially since you now know the coach!
He seems so darn nice, too...I never would've guessed that he could inflict such cruel and unusual punishment on his protegees.
I bet Moth would say that as you run high mileage for multiple years, your recovery rate increases and you'll have less of an issue running an easy workout (instead of a recovery one) - including a MLR - after a hard speedwork session.
I miss Mike! I'm sure you're right, though.
At this point I'm still quite amateurish about my running. I always take a SRD after anything hard, but I can see where a recovery run may come into play when I start taking things to a more structured level...which I'm TENTATIVELY trying to do right now.
Drink up moho's!!
I am reading the Hanson's Marathon project book right now and they recommend not to string 2 substance workouts together. Tuesday speed, Wednesday easy or recovery or rest, Thursday tempo, Friday easy again. They don't exceed 10 miles for an easy run either.
Now with Pfitz you will exceed the 10 mile barrier for midweek MLRs. The canned version of Pfitz 18-55 looks like they will separate the substance workouts with easy/GA runs or recovery runs as well.
Its all part of managing the cumulative fatigue we experience with the higher mileage plans.
This makes sense to me. Six months ago I had to take a day off after an interval session or tempo run. Now, I recover much faster and can handle an easy 8 mile run the day after a hard workout. If I were running your high mileage, I would be careful to avoid pushing too hard after a hard workoout. When you are running 70 - 80 miles per week, your body does not get much time to recover. Then again, most people do not go from couch to BQ in a few months, so the "rules of beginner running", whatever they are, may not to apply to you.
2013 goals: 800m: 2:20 | mile: 4:59 | 5k: 18:59 | 10k: 39:59 | HM: 1:32 | Marathon: 3:20
Just my take. If you have no problem running a harder pace the day after a speed session, you didn't run the speed session hard enough. Now, putting in extra miles at your easy pace shouldn't be a problem but trying to hit, say, a marathon pace run after a set of intervals should be nearly impossible.
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).