Low HR Training

1

Why vary daily mileage? (Read 705 times)

    I know it sounds like a stupid question but why not run the same amount every day if scheduling permits? Every training play I look at seems to mix long and short runs but if I can run and recover from an hour a day of running what would the advantages be of running 45 minutes one day and 75 minutes the next? They both give two hours total over two days. If I run at the same heart rate all the time then there is no speed advantage in a shorter day.

     

    Kevin

      Foster and Lehmann discussed the concept of training monotony and proposed that a high level of monotony increased the risk of injury and overtraining. Tim Noakes summarises it well in the Avoiding Overtraining chapter of Lore Of Running. I tend to agree with this idea, have a read and see what you think for yourself.

      Do what you want, just how you like. Nobody has to know.

      BeeRunB


        I know it sounds like a stupid question but why not run the same amount every day if scheduling permits? Every training play I look at seems to mix long and short runs but if I can run and recover from an hour a day of running what would the advantages be of running 45 minutes one day and 75 minutes the next? They both give two hours total over two days. If I run at the same heart rate all the time then there is no speed advantage in a shorter day.

         

        Kevin

         

         

        Might be an advantage, might not be one. Depends on a lot of factors (which include the price of tea in China). The answer for you can only be found through experimentation. If you are doing two hour runs at maf every other day, then a short run or rest might be at hand. One hour a day might be too much for a beginner, and they need that 30 minute run in between. The idea being that you still get some aerobic workout in the recovery run (in Maffetonian terms, sometimes the recovery run is the only aerobic workout you are getting), but just enough so there is still recovery from the harder workout the day before, and over-training is avoided.

         

        I believe it's possible to to run the same amount of time each day, because there are plenty of people doing it. It's just a matter of how much and how close you are to either your MAF or your lactate threshold. If you're running three hours a day like Ed Whitlock, most likely you'd have to be in the neighborhood of your MAF to be able to handle it, and as far away from marathon pace as possible.

         

        --Jimmy

          I know it sounds like a stupid question but why not run the same amount every day if scheduling permits?

           

          If I were able to run for an hour per day and was able to do it comfortably and do it almost every day at about the same easy pace, then I would think it would be very beneficial.  I think it depends on someones goals.

           

          If someones goal is to eventually run a race, then this usually means you want to build an aerobic base.  The aerobic base should consist of a lot of easy miles.  I am not sure how those miles are distributed is that important.

           

          When I was in high school, I ran cross country.  For our training, our coach had us run 6 miles per day in June, 8 miles per day in July, 10 miles per day in August, and starting in early September we went to 12 miles per day.  And we even had a few 14 mile days in there.  All at an easy conversational pace.  He used to give us the weekends off, I recall, so we did this about 5 days per week.

           

          Once the season started, we had a race every week.  That was our speed work.  Once racing season started, our mileage was cut back a bit.  This method was great because with each race we actually improved and we tended to peak at the end of the season, which is what the goal was. 

           

          I recall that we had a terrific aerobic base from that running we did in the summer, and it was the same pace and same distance most of the time.  Once the season started, our coach mixed up the distances all the time.  But, we most of our running was still at an easy pace.  I recall that we did some intervals and hill repeats occasionally.

           

          As an earlier poster pointed out, you do want to avoid training monotony.  Perhaps the fact that we increased our mileage on a monthly basis avoided that.

          runnerclay


          Consistently Slow

            Arthur Lydiard

             

            Through trial and error, I discovered years ago that the best results from this training period were obtained
            by running about 100 miles weekly at nearly my best aerobic efforts, and then supplementing this with as
            many miles as I could possibly manage at an easier effort. I also found that alternating the length of the
            runs by doing, say, 12 miles one day and 18 the next, rather than 15 miles each day, gave better results.
            This was due to gaining muscular capillarization through the longer runs (two or more hours), which
            results in greater utilization of oxygen

             

            http://rundynamics2.webs.com/lydiardiowa99.pdf

            Run until the trail runs out.

             SCHEDULE 2016--

             The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

            unsolicited chatter

            http://bkclay.blogspot.com/

              Arthur Lydiard

               

              Through trial and error, I discovered years ago that the best results from this training period were obtained
              by running about 100 miles weekly at nearly my best aerobic efforts, and then supplementing this with as
              many miles as I could possibly manage at an easier effort. I also found that alternating the length of the
              runs by doing, say, 12 miles one day and 18 the next, rather than 15 miles each day, gave better results.
              This was due to gaining muscular capillarization through the longer runs (two or more hours), which
              results in greater utilization of oxygen

               

              http://rundynamics2.webs.com/lydiardiowa99.pdf

               

              Ah, what does he know?!  Smile  Just kidding. 

               

              I certainly agree with this, but for some reason, I still feel, in my gut, that there is a benefit to running the same amount daily for a period of time.  Perhaps because I experienced that benefit in HS.  Is there more benefit to running more on one day, and then less the next day and still coming out to the same mileage?  I suppose there is.  But, what is the benefit?  What is the goal?  If it is just to lay the foundation for an aerobic base, I am not sure it really matters that much.  I definitely believe it is more important to vary the running distance (as well as the intensity) as you approach the period when you want to peak.

              BeeRunB


                Ah, what does he know?!  Smile

                 

                Actually, rumor is that Mr. Lydiard knew how to put down a mean hangi.

                  Ah, what does he know?!  Smile  Just kidding. 

                   

                  I certainly agree with this, but for some reason, I still feel, in my gut, that there is a benefit to running the same amount daily for a period of time.  Perhaps because I experienced that benefit in HS.  Is there more benefit to running more on one day, and then less the next day and still coming out to the same mileage?  I suppose there is.  But, what is the benefit?  What is the goal?  If it is just to lay the foundation for an aerobic base, I am not sure it really matters that much.  I definitely believe it is more important to vary the running distance (as well as the intensity) as you approach the period when you want to peak.

                   

                   

                  sounds like he meant long runs are needed. so not variation per se, but some long runs