"Junk" Miles

Hey everyone,

Lately Ive started running to more places like our running club, our running to football training instead of getting a lift. These runs normally are a 5 mile round trip which is split into two. Im trying to rack up the miles but im not sure how beneficial these extra miles will be. Will they help at all? These runs are normally at 7.45 - 8.30 pace.

Comments

  • Dr.DanDr.Dan ✭✭✭

    It all helps ... though I tend to run my spare mileage much slower (9ish/m).

     

  • Sometimes I feel I need to go faster to make it count. Anyone else?

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    It depends. If I want to work on speed I run faster. If im working on building endurance I run slower. I always try to have at least one easy day between the fast sessions.

    For me junk miles are ones where I go out without any particular purpose in mind and run not a lot of miles at a pace somewhere I between my slow and fast paces.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    As millsy says, its when you run too fast to be an easy run so not working aerobically but too slow to hit any of the paces to class as a tempo of some sort or vo2 and consequently it affects your harder sessions.

    The question then is before anyone can say if those are junk miles-

    1. What is your objective in running.

    2. how the paces above sit with your race times. For an easy run 7.45 m/m would be at the upper end of the scale for plenty of reasonably decent runners.

  • ChimneyChimney ✭✭✭

    DT19, or a hard run for me..... image

    There isn't an absolute definition of ' Junk ' miles, more of an overall majority consensus as per Millsy.

    Which makes most of my runs ' Junk ' !

    If you're running to go to somewhere where you'll be performing physically, those couple of miles can be used as a start slow, with some faster bits, strides etc as part of the overall warm-up, with the couple home at an easy pace for yiour cool down.

    Caveat - I speak through alternative outlets from time to time. This could one of those times.

    If reality matched intention I'd know I was dreaming
  • My aim at the minute is to kknock down the 5k time and build up miles. My main question was will these 2 mile runs make any difference? What pace should I run them at?

    Times

    800 - 2.12

    1500 - 4.23.20

    5k - 17:02

  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    OK, well based on that 5k time, according to mcmillan paces even 7.45 is too slow to count as anything but a recovery run, though you are coupling it with footy training.

    At your level, you need advice from someone better than me, of which there are many many on here!!

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    DT19 wrote (see)

    As millsy says, its when you run too fast to be an easy run so not working aerobically but too slow to hit any of the paces to class as a tempo of some sort or vo2 and consequently it affects your harder sessions.

    The question then is before anyone can say if those are junk miles-

    1. What is your objective in running.

    2. how the paces above sit with your race times. For an easy run 7.45 m/m would be at the upper end of the scale for plenty of reasonably decent runners.

    Your first paragraph indicates you understand more about the training process than 99.99% of runners.

    There may be faster runners on the forum, but they might simply be 'horses', a fast runner that knows JS about the reasons why.

    🙂

  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    Thanks RicF- 6 months ago I knew JS, however I take the view that if i am going to work and adapt my body properly I want to understand exactly how it works to maximise returns so have spent a lot of time understanding it all by reading articles/books and posts on this site. I lack the confidence however to advise someone on what they should be doing when they can run 5k 2 mins faster than me!!

    Anyway Stitchy- Ricf is one of those far better runners!

  • Thanks everyone. All input is appreciated!

  • Dr.DanDr.Dan ✭✭✭
    Stitchy wrote (see)

    Sometimes I feel I need to go faster to make it count. Anyone else?

     

    I go on the principle that if junk milage pace consequently interferes with the scheduled "quality sessions" (or long run distance), then it's too fast.

  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    well...... as no better runners are coming forward, i'll give you my view for what its worth. Without knowing anything else about your weeks running or your age (I assume you are 20's and run to a structure by ref to times and running club) I don't think some extra miles at that pace will do you any harm, particularly if you were not historically getting in a lot of slow base work.

  • A couple of years ago I set myself the goal of running every day for a year - even if it had to be a ten minute run around the block because of time constraints. To cut a long story short I stopped at day 47 because I just couldn't take the freezing cold any more - it was winter and between barely warm running gear that was barely dry after so much washing going on and the cold outside, my body just told me to shove the idea. Quite a lot of those miles could technically be called junk miles as there were a lot of 1 and 2 miles and a lot of runs that came in within 10 minutes even.. 

    However - the interesting thing was that having kept a log I found that my overall speed was increasing massively. I was getting faster as time went along. 

     

    PS - I am 42 and hadn't run in 6 months when I started that experiment so I doubt there is anything to hold you back from getting similar benefits from your "junk" miles.

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Its possible to improve even off one and two mile runs. 

    One of my first efforts at training consisted of a 3k run every other day for around six weeks. The first year I tried, I improved from 16 minutes down to 12:30.

    The second year (despite not doing anything in the meantime) I went from 14 minutes down to 10:45. 

    I tried going further but used to seize up after 30 minutes at any pace.

    30 years later I do 12 miles each day.

    🙂

  • RicF wrote (see)

    Its possible to improve even off one and two mile runs. 

    One of my first efforts at training consisted of a 3k run every other day for around six weeks. The first year I tried, I improved from 16 minutes down to 12:30.

    The second year (despite not doing anything in the meantime) I went from 14 minutes down to 10:45. 

    I tried going further but used to seize up after 30 minutes at any pace.

    30 years later I do 12 miles each day.

    That's impressive!

  • 2 1/2 miles warm up before football/running club and 2 1/2 miles warm down after seems a very good idea, probably the least junk miles you can run imo.

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