Need Help w/ Running Question: Same Weekly Mileage, Different Number of Days

Wisks

This is for all the regular runners out there. For the past couple of years I've always wondered if you consistently run the same approximate number of miles each week, is it better, worse or no difference the number of days it takes you to run them in? For instance, lets say you run 20 miles a week. What is the difference, if any, if it takes you 5 days to run those miles compared to 3 or even 2 all things being equal? Is it better to run more often even if you run the same amount of miles and burn the same amount of calories?

This question came about because while I love to run, I was thinking of ways to be more efficient in my runs but still maintain my mileage. My thought was that if I upped the mileage on my runs, I could still run the same amount each week but have a day (or 2) off instead of worrying about getting to the gym, making sure I have clean running gear, worry about the weather outside, etc...

Any thoughts or research done on this? My initial reaction is that it's better to run more often, even if you're running the same amount and burning the same amount but I don't know exactly why.

Thanks!

BrianSharpe

Frequency is almost as important as distance and if you jumped from averaging 4 miles per run to 10 miles you've significantly increased the likelihood of injuring yourself. Your initial reaction is the right one! (The same principal applies to almost any skill, any musician will tell you it's more productive to practice 30 minutes every day rather than one marathon session a week)