How many miles do you run a week ?

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Comments

  • I agree, it's not bitter, it's simply factual and similar to my own view I have a love of running as we all do, but it doesn't take over my life, it just gives me my particular buzz. Some need more to get this buzz!

    For me I do the miles I need to get me by, sometimes big weeks sometimes none at all, average maybe 30
  • No Stevie G. you beat me because a) you're male. b) you're at least 10 yrs my junior. c) you have been running for more years than me.
    There again, I'm quite happy with a wava of 75 - 85%. I'm not sure I have the ability to get any better even if I ran every hour of every day.

    No, there is no bitterness in my post, it's just how life is. As others have said, especially EKGO. We all make our choices.

    I run between 35 and 50 miles a week. I can do this because I have an erratic work pattern. I work between 6 and 18 hr shifts. If I didn't love swimming or want to play hockey of course I could run more but I prefer swimming to running even though I'm very slow in the water. (and I'm really rubbish at playing hockey, I just run up and down the pitch while everyone else plays hockey around me).

  • EKGO- Full time running is literally just what the kenyans do ie run, eat, sleep then repeat.

    i manage to do this because i worked bloody hard at saving up the the money so that i can take 6-12months to have a go at doing this. also i will admit i dont have any commitments at this point in time, but i know plenty of people who have all the regurlar commitments but still manage to squeeze in the training. some people can use there commute to or from work if they really want to.

    others could go really early

    some could even go in dinner hour.

    i never managed to run to an from work because there was no shower facilitys there so i`d go early and then run home. overall running home actually ment i had slightly more family time (live with parents) so seemed daft not to run home really.

  • EKGO - interesting point about the ghost runner. his story is inspiring in some respects: his determination to succeed in the face of adversity, his strength. However I could not respect his apparent neglect of his wife and children and the fact that he put running above all else.

  • I currently manage about 30 odd miles a week give or take. I don't actually think I could find the time to do anymore, although having read some of the posts here I have come up with a cunning plan. I will just run everywhere, run in for Breakfast, gulp it down, run into the Shower (run on the spot in there) - get to work, dash around the office (look out for the Tea Lady) etc etc. If I do everything at pace it might free up some more time to go for a run?

  • Whoops - Stevie G, you're nearly 20 years my junior. image

     

  • Andy - do you need to run full time ?

    Aren't you going against your own argument ?

    Ron Hill did pretty well working full time as has been said.



    Good luck with it though - what's your goal ?
  • Dude - the Ghost Runner's story is amazing, and I agree on his grit and perseverance, but his run-at-all-costs mentality which neglected his family was not something I'd admire.
  • Ultra cougie- fair point, I really dont need to run full time but I'm doing it now because I dont have commitments but I know once that changes I will just feel guilty running twice a day everyday.



    I think to be properly succesfull as runners it does involve being fairly selfish. If I had kids I think I'd have to cap it off at 50mpw or something. because then I couldn' justify it.



    To be honest I'm just going to see what I can do over the next 12 months. Not set any specific goal as such.
  • I keep this quote handy for when I cannot find time to do something; "For disappearing acts it is difficult to beat what happens to the 8 hours left after you spent 8 hours asleep and 8 hours at work" attributed to Doug Larson, a gold medal winner in 1924 after being asked how he finds the time to train. What does happen to it?

  • RatzerRatzer ✭✭✭
    TimR wrote (see)
    Sorry Ratzer, it takes me 1:45 to run 10miles. 15minutes to cooldown, shower and change is 2hours a day. Add that to 12hours of commute/work, an hour cooking and eating, that gives me 9 hours a day to sleep and get ready for work. Assuming the wife is in to look after the kids, if she's out then there is nowhere to fit the 2hours in.

    For some people that sort of dedication is just not possible.

    I've read back through and I'm not sure what this thread is covering.  There's a tendency to claim "my commitments are tougher than your commitments" and a counter-argument of "well, if you wanted it enough...".

    If you don't have time to run, why be a runner?

    I don't have time to coach, so I'm not a coach.  I don't have money to become a doctor because I can't take out six years unpaid due to my other commitments.  I can run a bit, and have manipulated and managed the rest of my life around to give myself an opportunity to do what I enjoy to the best of my ability, without losing out on other commitments, responsibilities, and enjoyments.

    When I had a 44+ mile commute to work, I changed jobs.  I wasn't a runner back then.  Simply in the opinions of me and my family it wasn't sustainable for us.  That's no comment on whether anyone else is capable of or able to make that change.  You either fit what pastime you enjoy into the time you have, or you don't really enjoy it as much as you enjoy the rest of what you are doing anyway.

    ashman wrote (see)

    How many miles do you run a week?

    Its just that i've been reading my new book and there's a chap in there that used to bang out 160 miles a weeks !! obviously an elite runner but still thats amazing.  Us normal people who work and have other commitments struggle sometimes just to find the time..

    44 this week.  About 8 with my son at athletics club.  About 12 during his two football training sessions between dropping him off and picking him up.  8-10 on Sunday morning whilst the family lies in.  The rest speckled into early morning runs before I leave for work - only a couple of miles each - and lunchtime runs in the office.  When higher mileage training does arrive I drive to about 12 miles away from the office, cycle in and then run back to the car.  The following morning I do the opposite.  On Wednesday mornings I take my daughter to swimming club before school, and swim in the public lanes alongside.

    If I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't do it.

     

  • Ratzer wrote (see)

    I've read back through and I'm not sure what this thread is covering.  There's a tendency to claim "my commitments are tougher than your commitments"

    I agree, this is beginning to sound like the old Monty Python Yorkshiremen sketch, for those of a certain age

  • Ratzer- good post that is. Very interesting. I have to agree where you say theres a tendency to say "my commitments are tougher than yours" admitedly my lifestyle is easier than 99% but then like you say you manage to fit in some good miles whilst your kids are at various clubs an activities so by "time management" you have cracked it. Also your commute with a 12mile cycle/run sounds tough but thats what others on here could learn from.



    Whilst I understand its not quite as simple as "if you want it............" You could say if you dont want it theres an excuse for every eventuality.
  • EKGO - no it isn't
  • Do people still get lunch breaks? I don't get any breaks when I'm at work. Working 19hrs from this afternoon.

    44 isn't a very high mileage week though is it. I manage 45 - 50 and I think that's fairly low mileage.

    Also - why is it that you think people are making excuses for not wanting something. Isn't it enough that they don't want it. You don't need an excuse.

    Why should I make an excuse for only running a few miles? I want to swim rather than run. That's not an excuse, that's what I want. Couldn't really give a toss that you think I'm making excuses for only running a few miles. That's what I want. If it's not good enough for anyone - tough, their problem.

    (The above isn't really aimed at anyone in particular, just that not wanting something or wanting one thing over and above another shouldn't be seen as making excuses for not doing the thing you want less.)
    real life does get in the way. If I wasn't going to work today I'd be cycling 15 miles, swimming 2k and going for a second run. As it is I'll make do with one run and cycling 12 miles to work and having no sleep tonight. That's my choice.

  • T-mouse - agree totally, no one needs make any excuses for what they do or don't do. Running is primarily for fun and enjoyment, although it's a competitive thing by nature, how much we do or what time we devote to it, should not turn into a pissing contest.

  • I agree t.mouse and ekgo (by the way my "no it isn't comment" was from the argument clinic- monty python) I was referring more to people who actually claim to want to do it but dont. If you want to swim or cycle or something thats different and fair enough. I mean the sort of people claiming they want to be in next olympics but bail when it rains, if you get my drift.
  • RatzerRatzer ✭✭✭
    T.mouse wrote (see)

    44 isn't a very high mileage week though is it. I manage 45 - 50 and I think that's fairly low mileage.

    No, it's not.  Though in my defence I spent the summer as a sprinter, so I'm still ramping up.  44 is way too much for a sprinter during competition season!

    I assumed the very precise 44 reference was aimed at me... image

  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭

    (I might have lied earlier in this thread...)

    ashman wrote (see)

     

    Its just that i've been reading my new book and there's a chap in there that used to bang out 160 miles a weeks !!

    Another tendency - beyond mere exaggeration in the cock-waving stakes - is to quote peak mileage weeks, when the average is probably somewhat less.  My immediate answer off the top of my head would be "about 60 miles per week" (it was 60 exactly last week) but if I look at my actual training log for this year, it averages just 42 mpw.  image  That's thanks in no small part to a worse than usual record for picking up viruses this year, but that's beside the point.  That surprised me a bit.

    And I've got no commitments at all.  Must try harder.  image

  • WiBWiB ✭✭✭

    Phil - I agree with you, an ideal week in peak training would be good mileage. As an example, last week was a recovery week from a long race so only covered just over 20 miles of running. If I average out my mileage over a whole year to include peak training weeks, recovery weeks, tapering etc then it would be a lot lower than what I would probably say if someone asked me.

    Andy - Has being a 'full time' runner helped you much? Do you get many more miles in as a total or can you just divide your time up a bit better and apply your training differently? I would think the main part is the recovery side of things would be improved by taking out the need to get up for work, work all day, commute, get in later than you would like etc.

  • This year I've averaged 19 miles per week. The most I've run in a week is 32 miles (marathon training). Personally, I run for fun and I think if I was pushing myself towards higher mileage I'd enjoy it less. I also have some concerns about the injury risk of higher mile.

    There's also the effort / reward thing, in that I'm running what I consider to be decent times (sub-20 for 5K, 42:xx for 10K, 1:37:xx for HM) and I feel like I'd have to really bust my arse to get sub-19, sub-40 or sub 1:30 and it doesn't seem worth it.

  • WiB- to be fair its made a massive difference to me. As you guessed the extra recovery makes everything else better because you can literally plan the day around meal times and running rather than reality (most people). this week for example has been

    Monday

    8am get up for breky

    11am- 8.xxmiles

    12:30ish- dinner

    6:40pm- jog 2m to local track

    7pm- 1mile/4laps easy

    7:20pm- 5x1.2miles at 5:30min/mile pace

    8pm- jog 2mile home

    9pm- tea

    Days miles :19approx



    Tuesday :

    8:00am- breaky

    11am- 8.3mile easy / 66mins.

    Club run tonight (7-9mile approx)



    Being able to train this way has ment i've been able to do about 90-110mpw

    Rather than 60-70mpw when working, as I just never had the energy before.
  • WiBWiB ✭✭✭

    Cheers Andy. I don't know how long you have been doing it for but have you seen a benefit in your racing too? Do you have a comparison of maybe HM before and after or even better a marathon time before and after?

    Sounds ideal though, good on you for getting into a position to be able to do it, I would enjoy nothing more than to be able to spend my days running image

  • surely people run as much as they want to, or as much as they can. Not sure why it matters so much to anyone else.

    for the record, I'm wayyy off the volumes that some of you guys are at currently. I did 23 last week, 30 planned for this week. I mostly enjoy it, I'll run more as I get fitter, and if i don't feel like it I will take a guilt-free break from it, and run again when I do feel like it.

  • Brian61Brian61 ✭✭✭

    I'm addicted to it and don't mind admitting it. My training log has 2 averages on there, weekly average for year and weekly average over the last 10 weeks.

    Both are just slightly over 50. So I can say I run 50 miles per week. I run cos i flippin well enjoy it (most of the time) and that i can. Fortunately do most of my running at lunchtimes (can flex 2 hours). This is huge for me, getting out of the office is so therapaeutic. Sorry about the spelling.

  • WiB- there has definetly been a difference 10k improved by 2mins half improved by 3mins since 12months ago. Been doing this for about 5months now. I hope to see big improvements next spring time as I've learned a fair bit in this last 12months about what proper training really is and how to plan it in phases ect. Mainly base training at the moment though.
  • WiBWiB ✭✭✭

    Andy - Sounds good. Well done on the improvements so far.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    T.mouse wrote (see)

    Whoops - Stevie G, you're nearly 20 years my junior. image

     

    If you're pushing 50, and can get upto 50miles a week in, I think that's a pretty excellent amount of training!

    I doubt there's too many FV50's who do more!

  • No, Ratzer it wasn't supposed to be a competition about my commitments are more than yours, and that's my excuse for not running.



    It was supposed to demonstrate how many of us fit in what we can around commitments. Life is all about balance. My kids have to be in bed at 7pm due to their age, getting a baby sitter in so that I can run would be selfish financially. Spending more money on MY running.



    If someone lives at home with their parents, quite frankly they have absolutely no idea what others are doing for them. Weekly shop, cooking, washing, paying bills etc.



    To be an Olympic runner requires unparralleled selfishness, sacrifice and drive. For the rest of us, we strike a balance and don't winge about only being able to run 50miles a week.



    The thread was asking how far do people run and is it possible for non elites to run 160miles in a week. I was just replying, there's a reason why elites can run 160miles while the rest of us only do 50miles. If we all could run 160miles, there would be no elites.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    TimR wrote (see)

     . If we all could run 160miles, there would be no elites.


    Sorry, but that's utter nonsense. Something called "talent" limits you, it's not just about hard work.

    Check out the sub 3 hour thread on this very forum. Couple of guys on there do 120miles a week. That's elite training (who does 160 exactly? I'd guess noone), yet they're nowhere near the true elites. 30mins for 10k, versus 26/27s for the best in the world.

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