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General question about volume
SYSTEM-J
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Hello all. I haven't been on here for a few years after a long break from running, but in the last year I've got back into it. I've got a general question about running volume - hopefully this is the right place for it.
I've often read the standard advice that your long run shouldn't exceed 35% of your weekly miles, but I've always been bad at following this. I enjoy the long runs the most, and they tend to be anything up to 65% of my weekly volume. For example, before Christmas I was running 21-22 miles a week, including a half marathon distance at the weekend. Perhaps unsurprisingly I promptly got injured.
Anyway, for the new year I'm trying to finally do things properly on this front. At the moment I'm running 4 times a week. I want to be able to get up to about 15 miles on my weekend long run just for pleasure, as this is the kind of distance I enjoy. I'm not enormously concerned about running fast. Following the 35% rule, I'd need to run about 43 miles a week, which means I'd need to run 9 miles 3 times in the midweek. This seems somehow wonky to me. Is this really going to reduce my risk of injury? What would be the official advice here? Most programmes and advice I read seem to assume I'm training for a race. I don't want this, I just want a sustainable weekly routine that lets me get some decent distances in on a Sunday.
Thoughts, comments and hair-tearing at my idiocy all appreciated.
I've often read the standard advice that your long run shouldn't exceed 35% of your weekly miles, but I've always been bad at following this. I enjoy the long runs the most, and they tend to be anything up to 65% of my weekly volume. For example, before Christmas I was running 21-22 miles a week, including a half marathon distance at the weekend. Perhaps unsurprisingly I promptly got injured.
Anyway, for the new year I'm trying to finally do things properly on this front. At the moment I'm running 4 times a week. I want to be able to get up to about 15 miles on my weekend long run just for pleasure, as this is the kind of distance I enjoy. I'm not enormously concerned about running fast. Following the 35% rule, I'd need to run about 43 miles a week, which means I'd need to run 9 miles 3 times in the midweek. This seems somehow wonky to me. Is this really going to reduce my risk of injury? What would be the official advice here? Most programmes and advice I read seem to assume I'm training for a race. I don't want this, I just want a sustainable weekly routine that lets me get some decent distances in on a Sunday.
Thoughts, comments and hair-tearing at my idiocy all appreciated.
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Comments
Many runners to fit the mileage in would run more frequently and sometimes do a midweek long run too, that wouldn't be as long as the Sunday long run though, and can be hard to fit into work/life balance.
I wasn't sure if this "35%" rule is about avoiding injury or optimising training results. There does seem to be a lack of readily available advice for people who just want to run regularly and quite far.
Anyway good to hear you still enjoy running and that you like the long runs so much.
I think the 35% rule is probably a combination of avoiding injury and ideal training.
You are unusual that you want to run less frequently but over longer distances. Most want to run shorter distances and many don't enjoy the long runs at all so only do them when in a training plan when preparing for a specific race distance.
I think you should just do what you want, maybe just increase the long run distance gently and not every week and your body will get used to it.