How much do you run?

How many miles do you run a week?

More specifically how much do you run a week training for a 50k, 100k, 100 miler etc

Also how many of you do not specifically train for an event but put in consistant miles each week IE enough to be able to enter an event and be sure to do ok? Like I have been doing. I do 30-40 miles a week and would be happy entering any 50k and would be moderately sure of getting round in an ok time.

Just thought I would gain massively to get an idea of what the more experienced ultra runners do. I know once you have got the miles in your legs, that counts for a lot and perhaps wouldn't need to put in the miles as much as a newbie like me image

Please don't shoot me down image

 

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Comments

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    I'm training for my second 50k and am doing the same mileage as marathon training (50-65 miles per week), Just running them on terrain similar to the race rather than just the roads for the marathon.

    I've got my first 50 miler next yr but not decided on a plan for that yet.
  • There is no hard and fast rule on this. 

    A novice ultra runner, will need a more structured training programme than somebody who has been doing it for a few years.  Also, a person who does a lot of events will have to work them into their training programme, and might end up slingshotting one event off another. 

    I will typically put in an 80 mile week preparing for the very hardest events, and my biggest week ever was 108 miles or there abouts.  Some people have done the Grand Union Canal Race on 30 miles a week training, though I don't necessarily recommend that you try. 

    In your case, I assume that you are thinking about K&A Canal Race.  If you outline what you are doing now, then we could suggest possible directions for developing your training plan. 

  • Vicar there's a wannabe thread running that, whilst unweildy, contains answers to everything that you're asking.

    Whilst I wouldn't recommend everyone try to learn everything about running from the internet there's those, like yourself, that seems to find it a kind of comfort blanket to post every thought that travels through their head. 

     For what it's worth, and as a stand alone fact it's entirely worthless, I tend to run somewhere between 30 and 80 miles a week depending on how I feel when I wake up, what my work load is like, what part of the training cycle I'm in and what my tea leaves say in the bottom of my cup

  • Not sure I'd class my self as experianced yet, but.... I'm in the always doing something camp. I don't just start a training plan 12-15 weeks before an event like some shorter distance road runners do, I keep a baseline mileage all year and build steadily to peak before an event. Keeps me more on an even standing and less of a shock on the body (hardly any time out through injury). And I find winter is a great time to develop leg strength on muddy or ice/snow-covered trails on reasonably low mileage, so why stay home and let your fitness evaporate. I don't do the kind of miles Millsy or Ben top out at btw. Last few years where I have been fairly regularly running 50+ mile events, my average mpw over whole year have been 35, 37, 44 and this year is about 36 at present. I usually peak at 50-80 mpw 3-5 weeks before the main event I'm training for (mostly 50-70 milers in the last two years).

    Per above some people do quite a lot more miles per year and/or at peak and I know people who've done far less preparing for events than I have and have completed where I haven't (I know of a guy who recently completed Hardmoors 110 on low mileage training due to niggly injury). As we know a lot of ultra running is in the head, the content of the miles counts as much as the number of - I do lots of hills as events I train for have lots of hills, which reduces my mpw a bit, but that doesn't concern me. And if I can complete an event like Hardmoors 55 early in the year then I don't do that many long training runs above 30 miles the rest of the year - I tend to just run a long event every few months to keep my muscle memory fresh.

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    12 miles per day because I can!

    🙂

  • You could replace one of your daily threads with a run.

  • shawkshawk ✭✭✭

    Search for the paper the guy doing the research on SDW100 runners last year wrote, I can't remember where I found it but it shouldn't be hard to find. That will tell you more than you'll glean from asking here. From memory there was no correlation between number of training miles and success in the race, and most people ran about 50 miles each week.

  • loulabellloulabell ✭✭✭
    GKD wrote (see)

    Vicar there's a wannabe thread running that, whilst unweildy, contains answers to everything that you're asking.

    'UNWEILDY'??!!image

    Uncle Lirish , i never intended that thread to be totally serious yknow, but id like to think we dont talk total utter twonk on it ......not daily anywayimage

     

  • Tigs  maybe he runs,  posts on here and navigates all at yhe same time. 

  • JeremyGJeremyG ✭✭✭

    50-75 mpw depending on target race. Keep a good base mileage so I'm good to race up to HM at anytime. Not much more for an ultra (have had a couple 100+ weeks) but a higher percentage of the mileage will be long runs.eg back to back long runs and a tempo + intervals. Marathons generally one long and a couple medium instead.

  • Many Thanks to those who answered much appreciated. I just think its good to be able to gauge where I am heading. It's all well and good doing loads of reading etc but invariably most of the stuff you get hold of is elite athletes at the top of their game banging out 150-200+ a week. I was just curious as to what a normal bod with all the pressures of daily life managed.

    Also apologies to those of you who I seem to be taking up your valuable time. You were new to this once and I expect you had an outlet for all your new questions. I however do not, I thought an internet forum was for asking questions?

  • Vicar how valuable has the info contained here actually been? Genuinely asking here.  We're all individuals, we all need to find our own way antether only way to do it is by making your own choices and mistakes. Find what works for you by trial and error.

    Obviously I can't speak for anyone else but my objection to threads like this is simple. The questions here have been asked and answered many times before, what you're doing by posting threads rather than searching for the answers is basically saying my time is more important than yours. I want you to take the time to answer my questions rather than me taking the time to find the answers myself. Some here are happy to do that but I'm more of the happy to help those who help themselves  type.

     I've said it before and no doubt I'll say it again. If you search out an answer to a question and genuinely can't find shat you're looking for I'll be happy to help within my limited experience, I'll write you a programme if it helps. What I don't like doing is writing the same thing over and over because people object to doing the basics for themselves 

  • WiBWiB ✭✭✭

    Mileage is irrelevant... How many GUs can you eat for breakfast? image

  • Well don't answer the post then, your not obligated to answer, seems you just like sounding off!!!!

    Its a genuine question on an open forum..

     

     

  • Well that's the beautiful thing about the Internet, it's open for everyone to register their opinion and we all know what opinions are like

  • I really dont want to get into any arguments on here. Yes I might be able to get the answers on here or elsewhere. If anybody has any question I can answer I will answer it. I have experience of running shorter races and will always help out somebody in the beginners forum. Arguably I could post this question on the beginners forum....could be a fair point but I thought the Ultra forum would be more suited. Trust me I have many more questions image But it's good to know how other people get on with what they are doing, yes I know one size doesn't fit all. I agree too that it has a lot to do with trial and error and I have learnt massively from that.

    I am extremely new to this and I just want to be the best I can be at it. I have gained so much help from these forums that I do look to them for help advice and support.

  • I usually run 5-6 miles Tuesday - Thursday and then 20+ Saturday and 12-20 Sunday. It depends how I am feeling really. I like doing events but worry sometimes that by 'training' for events I am running just to do them rather than to enjoy the running.

    I have no interest in winning events or even trying to get a PB, I just like to run rather than train. Some more thoughts on it here in case you are interested.

  • If you're relatively new to distance running, don't be in a hurry to put in big mileage weeks. I ran for a few years at 20-30 miles per week as it's all I had time for, and all my body could cope with.

    No point in railing against those who spend their time not contributing to threads TV, it's the way of things here. You could do worse than try another forum - fetcheveryone is way more friendlyimage

  • Regardless of whether or not this question should be posted here, elsewhere or at all.... best of luck with the upcoming long runs TV - hope they bring you the same pleasure they bring me.

  • I'll try to get up to 40-50 over the following weeks. The advice has been great and much appreciated. It's also good to see people have a base set of miles that they work from and I suppose this really was my initial question. Also I think planning your events and getting them laid out for the year would be beneficial to your own training. I kind of accidentally fell in Ultra running this year, so I have rather hurriedly booked in some events and if I were to try and train for them specifically it may cause a problem. So as mentioned I suppose you kind of slingshot from one to another.

    Great blog too herbifit. I've read some of your stuff before and its always interesting.

    Drunken Euphoria if thats what you class as pleasure (on your avatar) then it might be a while before I expereince itimage

    Lastly its good to hear people saying they turn up to enjoy the event and would never be in a position to compete.

    PS GKD  Love you reallyimage

  • Cheers Vicar image

    I would be careful about filling your calandar with events to train for unless it is the process of training that you enjoy. I have found that training and running are very different.

    Herbifit

  • About 30 miles a week on average, max about 60 (rare!). And they are short (5 miles each way to and from work, maybe one long run of say 15 miles in a week), and nothing at weekends. The runs I do tend to be reasonably fast as I am either late for work in the morning or late for picking up my daughter on the way home - that's what I can manage with a 3 year old to collect / drop off at nursery and both myself and the Mrs in full time work.

    And although I'm not winning any races, I tend to be in the top 10% or so of finishers regardless of the event - from marathon distance up to 100 milers. I don't think it's necessary to pile on too much distance, but running twice a day for extended periods gets you used to making your legs work even when they are tired from the previous run.

    See if my view changes after the TDS next month....

  • Lake Runner - you mind me asking what age bracket you come under and how long you have been running 100 milers?

  • Vicar I don't like or dislike you, I don't know you. This isn't a personal dig at you it's just a pet hate of mine that new members do. You can take my advice or not, I think we both know which it'll be.

     But my observations are that you're not really looking for information per se, as most people new to ultras you're more looking for reassurances, firstly that you can do what you've set out to do and secondly that what you're doing is right. And no one can answer that but yourself, you need to ignore what everyone else is doing and do what works for you.

     For what it's worth if you're really into getting into ultras I'd suggest as a base line level of fitness you'd need to be able to go out and do a marathon at any given day, no taper, part of the training week, off you go and knock out 26.2 miles. When you're comfortable doing that then you can add on more miles or whatever you need for your specific races that you're targeting. Also worth noting most here will only really target two or maybe three races a year as their A races, ones they taper for and train specifically for. I did three ultras last month one weekend after another then tapered properly for my target race 3 weeks later, not what I'd recommend but that's why you need to find what works for you.

  • loulabellloulabell ✭✭✭
    WiB wrote (see)

    Mileage is irrelevant... How many GUs can you eat for breakfast? image

    Vicar, this is the best way we find to gauge how your training is coming alongimage-you must be able to test every flavour of GUs and eat ginger cake in large quantities....and pretzels image

    oh WiB, you forgot marmite image

  • I use the new heinz tomato ketchup sausage rolls image

    I'm a high5 kind of a guy anyway

    GKD I know what you are saying and I suppose their is some kind of comfort from hearing what other people tend to do. IE hearing you say that you should be at level where you could go bang out a marathon at any point. Thats good to hear because I know I can do that, so I know I must be on some kind of right track. I have been involved in many sports in my life and Ultra running is probably the first one I have come across that is open to so much ideas, thoughts and discussion. I'm quite methodical in my way of collecting as much information as i can to make the best possible decision.

  • Have you read Running Throught the Wall? It is a collection of short pieces from different ultra runners. It includes those at the front of races but also every day back of the pack runners. It might give you some pointers and ideas. It is a great read anyway.

  • well done herbi just ordered off amazon 4quid. Also picked up a few others aswell image

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