What's more important- runs per week or mileage per week?

jennalink807

Right now I'm aiming to run around 30 mpw in preparation to start a marathon training schedule in about a month. All of my training miles are easy miles, as this will be my first marathon this fall and my goal is simply to finish. My long run pace is about 10:30/mile, and my expected marathon pace will probably only be 10-15 seconds/mile faster than that.

My question is does it make a difference whether I have three 10 mile runs a week or 5 runs with four of those being shorter and one being longer? Is there a benefit to getting out and running more times a week, or does it not make much of a difference so long as I get my miles in?

I'm planning to follow Hal Higdon's intermediate 1 marathon training schedule, which peaks at 43 miles/week.

scottb81

I believe that it isn't going to make a whole lot of difference except for the long run. Ideally, your weekly long run should be 90 minutes minimum with 2 to 2.5 hrs being better. Certain physiological adaptations won't be triggered until after you have been running for around 90 minutes.

dsjohndrow

I am not an expert, but all the plans I have seen always have and escalating long run and 3 or 4 other varying length short runs. Long runs usually start at about 6 miles and go up to 20. I had a an experienced runner (like Scott) tell me to vary what I was doing. So I have fast runs and slow runs, short ones and long ones. My base is now about 30 miles per week, and he would like to see it at 50 a month before the race (October). I run 6 days a week and then 5 the next. It seems that novices benefit most from time spent running at a slower pace. At some point hills and speed work come in, that is where I am at. 4 miles of hills yesterday and a long slow run today and I am ready for 2 days off.

I have used Hal's plans, but there are many more. If your goal is to finish, you won't need speed work, just get in all the miles you can at your expected pace. If it is to finish in sub-4 hours, you need to have a different plan.

cococa

I'd have to agree. The miles you put in on the long run each week are the most important. I have yet to train for a marathon, but I often missed my shorter runs during the week when training for my first half marathon (my work schedule is rather unpredictable). I still made my long run every week, and slowly but surely upped the miles. I beat my goal time at the race, walked around safari park for hours after, and didn't even feel a bit sore. I understand that there's a lot more to a full marathon, but I imagine the concept of slowly getting your body used to the effects of running for that long are similar. Make the long run a priority and do the best you can with the rest - and then turn around and give me tips (even if I'm wrong now) when I start to train for my first full marathon!

jennalink807

Thanks for the input everyone! I'm thinking so long as I have 1 long run, the rest is just getting the miles in, no matter how many runs (or how few) it takes me to do so. So the following two schedules would give me similar results? (these are just examples, not my actual training schedule).

M-5 miles
T-5 miles
W-5 miles
TH-rest
F-12-14 miles
S-5 miles
S-rest

M-10 miles
T- rest
W-10 miles
TH-rest
F-12-14 miles
S-rest
S-rest

CarsonRuns

My suggestion would be more days with fewer miles to condition yourself to run on tired legs. It will be easier to increase your mileage if you are already accustomed to running more days per week.

ColorfulWeirdo

My suggestion would be more days with fewer miles to condition yourself to run on tired legs. It will be easier to increase your mileage if you are already accustomed to running more days per week.

I'm with Carson on this one. Getting used to running on tired legs is a good idea.

jennalink807

Thanks for the advice! I'll just have to drag my butt out of bed early more often

DavidMartinez2

I'll just have to drag my butt out of bed early more often

Welcome to the life of a distance runner.

Kwika

I have not ran a full marathon yet but I have done a couple half marathons and the training plan I use calls for doing three to four short runs and then one long run and each week or two the mileage for the shorter runs increase. The long runs also increase in distance weekly. I am currently in training for a half marathon and I got started late and I only have eight weeks to train but since I have done two already, I know I will be able to do it if I keep running three to four times per week. I have my sights of doing a full marathon next year as part of a deal I made with a friend and I am slowly working to that end. I think it is not so much about quantity but quality of your runs. Find a good training plan that you feel comfortable with doing and stick with it

CarsonRuns

I think it is not so much about quantity but quality of your runs.

While agree that quality is important, there is no substitute for cumulative mileage over time, ESPECIALLY when you are talking about your first marathon.

PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot

I'd definitely say total weekly mileage is more important than frequency. For a long time, I had been doing 6-7 days of 6-7 miles for around 40 total. Now that I'm training for my first 26.2, I'm adding a real long run, mid-distance runs, recovery runs, etc, and am building in two"rest" (non running) days where I do core strength training. I feel better on my running days now by actually getting some relative rest

smiffy645

I would make one of your shorter runs one on mixed terrain with maybe some hills in there to give you some more mix in the training. As Pete says have a day where you do core/squats/etc as well.

fabiomuralha

Sorry for that but....

Why just finish the marathon? Why not do a great race and be fine in the picture at the end? : ) It's just my thought...

My suggestion for you is 3 or 4 runs per week, split them in this way :

- Interval training, to increase your VO2 (Example : 5 x 1 mile in a pace faster that you should be at the race)

- Fart Lek training , ranging the intensity of your run ( Example : 3 min faster following for 2 min in a easy pace to recovery - 7 times)

- A long run , more than 10 miles

-A easy run, to recover ....


But the most important it's really do great long runs for your body get used to work and improve itself for that ..

Just my thoughts ... :happy:


Go further! :glasses:

TriLifter

If you're following a plan, then follow the plan. There are tons to choose from, each with its own milage/day theory. Plus, Hal Higdon is a training GOD. I'm doing his Novice 2 plan, because it's the one that fits my life the best.

jennalink807

Thanks all for the responses! After some thought, I ended up joining a fall marathon training group that has weekly long runs, some core strengthening classes, mid-week runs, and plans for each runner. I figured since I've never done this before it was worth the money to be a part of a group that could help and support me along the way.

When I say my goal is "just to finish", I mean that I want to be able to run the whole thing without needing a walk break, and I plan to run at a pace that I know I can sustain for that long. With my planned race pace of 9:30-10 min per mile that would put me somewhere around 4:10-4:20. I'd love to see a time in the early 4's, but if I wind up slowing down and finishing at 4:45, I will not be disappointed. It's not about a specific time goal, more about training properly to be able to run the whole race.

I like this run club I've joined quite a bit- they are all about getting in plenty of slow miles. I'm on the beginners plan so I have no speed or hill training. I run all of my runs at a steady pace, somewhere between 9-10 mins per mile depending on the distance. They have me running 4-5 times a week (4 times one week, 5 times the next- back and forth) which is definitely doable. If this marathon goes well I plan to sign up for one in May as well and shoot for a time goal then!