Queen of 3rd Place
Well, I'm totally breaking these "rules"...interested in others' comments.
Cut and paste from his website:
Recommended number of running/walking days per week by age:
35 and under: no more than 5 days a week 36-45: no more than 4 running days a week [you may walk or cross train (XT) on 2 other days if desired] 46-59: run every other day/ up to 3 walk or XT* days, if desired 60+: 3 days a week/up to 3 walk or XT* days if desired 70+: 2 running days and 1 long walk day/ up to 3 other walk or XT* days 80+: One long run, one shorter run, and one long walk/ up to 2 other walk days
Ex runner
I Can Go The Distance
"Don't give up, don't ever give up." Jim Valvano
King of PhotoShop
I'm with Bruce. I have had just one day off this year, but that said, I believe instead of taking a full day off you are better off doing something, anything, on a day you feel like taking off. In December I had a calf strain that lessened my mileage but only hindered me for a week, and a couple of weeks ago my right knee was sore and that was better inside a few days.
Bruce's point is that for newer runners you need to be careful, but for more experienced runners you can run every day if you just follow some sound principles. Here are three I try to follow:
1) Never do two key workouts back to back (a key workout is one that has either quality miles in it or is a LR)
2) Do a recovery run the day after your key workout and follow the Perchcreek rule (or is it Breger's) on recovery, "Run until it starts to feel okay again, then stop." I think recovery runs are 3 miles, or 30 minutes, no more.
3) People who do nothing but run are asking for trouble. You have to be flexible and strong. Strengthen the core muscles and the opposing muscles in the legs (hamstrings, shins, feet).
I will concede that over 60 my recovery time is much greater than it was even in my late 50's, so I am continuing to learn what I can and cannot do. Spareribs
Woods, you are doing what is right for you and I have no argument. But I do have a suggestion. On those days you race, can you find some activity, anything, that will allow you to get about 30 minutes of slightly increased heart rate? By that I mean these ideas: take a good brisk walk, go swimming, use the exercise bike or any of the cardio machines that you favor. Nothing fast or strenuous, but just enough to feel like you are doing something more than a day off. The reason I mention this is that getting the blood flowing and the HR up the day after a strenuous day, such as a race, speeds up the recovery time, which for us at the senior ages allows us to resume our regular exercise pattern sooner. Not trying to overwork you here, just suggesting an idea.
Now having done this activity the next day after the strenuous day, THEN it's a great time to take the day off after that. So for example, race on Saturday, walk two miles on Sunday, briskly, then take Monday off.
I posted elsewhere here that on Saturday I ran a long slow run of 22.5 miles. On Sunday I walked 4 miles. Today I was toast, but walked and jogged 1.5 miles and did lots of stretching. Tomorrow I think I can run again. Now contrast that against my taking Sunday off and perhaps today off, and I bet I would be useless tomorrow. I am sure that some activity has helped. In any case, I will report in and confess if I had this wrong.
I am so happy for you and the way you are training and having the courage to get out there and race, so don't look at my post as criticizing how you are doing things now, just suggesting a different approach. Spareribs
Renee the dog
I think his "rules" are fine for the average person. But, really, how many Master's Runners do you meet around here who are ordinary? I hang out here because I like to run with the big dogs, not be average.
That being said, I do think that a slow and steady build up the first couple years of running makes a heck of a lot of sense. I see too many people light it up too fast, too soon, and become ex-runners in a year or so.
GOALS 2012: UNDECIDED
GOALS 2011: LIVE!!!
I'll be 58 this year and run 5 days, 30 to 35 miles each week. I cross-train one day and use the 7th day for weight training. I can tell I'm slowing down and feel the muscle soreness and various other aches and pains lately more than in the past. But, I also attribute that to not always taking proper time to stretch after a run and sometimes not being deligent about doing core work as often as I should.
I have great respect for the RA folks who are in their 60's and 70's and are still running 10Ks, half and full marathons. Woods Lady, Bruce and Spareribs are the role models of the kind of condition I hope to be in as I get older.
I'm signed up for 2 more half marathons this year (already did one in January) and still haven't scratched a full marathon off my bucket list yet. I want to believe I still have the ability to run one.
I have found that when I run a race on a Saturday, I cannot run hard on Sunday (as I tried to do after my last
half a few weeks ago). I don't think I am cut out for running every day, but I do Zumba 2x week, weight lifting class 1x week, swim 2x week, and yoga 1x week. I would really like to ramp up the running, and do so when I'm off (vacation weeks) but that is not often enough.
I have found that I have to have current goals to keep motivated; i.e. a race in sight. So this morning, I literally DRUG myself out of bed at 5 am and drove in the snow to the gym where I did 4 miles on the dreadmill. Then, after I got out of the shower, hair washed, ready to head to work, I heard that schools were closed.!!! So I put on my bathing suit and did a mile. That was all good. What wasn't good was that I was so hungry when I got home that I fixed bacon and eggs and wolfed them down w/ leftover bisquits. Wonder why I can't seem to get down to my "ideal" racing weight!
Spareribs, thanks for your valuable advice for Woods. I liked it!
Nono forgets that I am not talking to her because she ran a sub-4 marathon and that is my goal for later this year. I hate these wimmin that beat me!
I said I would report back about today and it went well, just 3 miles but nice and brisk and no after-effects with the legs, all recovered. I could have done more today but tomorrow is my track day.
Thank you Fussy. Spareribs
Man, you are getting senile. It was 4:00:16, so you can still talk to me!
Did anyone else read what fussyrunner does in a week and just get tired?! LOL Yeah, I guess so, only 20-25 mpw with everything else you do!!!!
Thank you Nono. I guess we are tight again.
And yes, that routine of Fussy's is outstanding. That's a recipe for a good night's sleep. Spareribs
Nono - nice BQ! That is my 2011 goal...21 min to go...
Thanks - I'm hearing pretty much what I expected to hear. I, too, find that a really easy run along with some gentle stretching helps me recover better than resting altogether. In Matt Fitzgerald's "Brain Training for Runners" book he heavily emphasized the importance of recovery runs. Galloway does suggest cross-training aerobically on non-running days, but I prefer to run!
Arla
Prince of Fatness
1) Never do two key workouts back to back (a key workout is one that has either quality miles in it or is a LR) 2) Do a recovery run the day after your key workout and follow the Perchcreek rule (or is it Breger's) on recovery, "Run until it starts to feel okay again, then stop." I think recovery runs are 3 miles, or 30 minutes, no more. 3) People who do nothing but run are asking for trouble. You have to be flexible and strong. Strengthen the core muscles and the opposing muscles in the legs (hamstrings, shins, feet).
With the exception of going up to an hour on recovery days I basically follow these guidelines. On my yoga days I'll do a 20 - 30 minute jog beforehand but those are usually the day before a workout day, not after. The key I think is allowing for recovery between the hard days. I personally don't have a problem with running every day, but everyone is different. We all need to try things and see what works for us.
This is some great advice. 10 years ago I wouldn't have agreed with #3 but as I have progressed through my 40s it seems to grow in importance every year. I don't see that changing.
Not at it at all.
Petco Run/Walk/Wag 5k
I'm 63, been running 18 or so months.
I used Galloway 3x/wk to recover from injury last spring and make it thru North Tx long hot summers. Ran 1st two half marathons with run 1min/walk 1min. Seeking to run more often I adopted Dr Maffetone's low heart rate training to increase x/wk and continuous running w/o injury. It's allowed me to get over 25 mpw most weeks. And although I ran a dumb,painful half this past Sat I still had a pb out of it. Will continue that approach going forward.
bob e v 2014 goals: keep on running! Is there anything more than that?
Complete the last 3 races in the Austin Distance Challenge, Rogue 30k, 3M Half, Austin Full
Break the 1000 mi barrier!
History: blessed heart attack 3/15/2008; c25k july 2008 first 5k 10/26/2008 on 62nd birthday.