Running: How much is too much?

fitoverfortymom

I've been running for a while now, and ran a lot in my youth. Since I've dropped 85+ lbs and am within 15lbs of goal weight, I've really upped my game. Originally I targeted 5k, and once I was consistently able to run 3 miles, I looked for 10k training plans. I don't have a race in mind per-se, more something to keep me on track. I've been following this: http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51122/10K-Novice-Training-Program. I found week 1 and 2 very easy, so I jumped to week 4. I still feel like I could do more, and have a hard time getting lighter workouts in on the cross train days, so I end up with basically 4 rest days and 3 running days, and I'm left wanting more.

Since I'm not actually training for a race, can I or should I run more frequently?

I feel like I finally got the hang of this and ran one day for 4.5 miles, and while I was definitely tired when I was done, ran it slow enough I was able to maintain a solid pace throughout the run and could have kept going.

Suggestions?

fitoverfortymom

Duh. Maybe my answer was "Click on the Intermediate" link: http://halhigdon.com/training/51123/10-K-Training-Guide-Intermedite-Program. This seems more like what I'm capable of and has more running days. I really struggle with non-running days because I don't really know what to do.

Any other thoughts or suggestions welcome.

KatieJane83

It's smart to stick to a plan when building mileage so that you don't overdo it, so it's good that you found one you like.

My recommendation is to work in some form of strength training as cross-training. I very strongly believe that this can help with injury prevention for runners, especially when you're increasing mileage, and starting to run higher miles.

lorrpb

How long is "awhile"?

TavistockToad

Cross training is a good idea, what do you struggle with?

timtam163

Hey that's awesome that you have so much energy and can go beyond the training program! I don't think there's a limit on how much is "too much"; as long as you are staying healthy and injury free, making sure your shoes fit you properly and suit your biomechanics, and most importantly, as long as you feel good, go as long as you want. If you are craving shorter faster runs, or untimed runs exploring a park or a trail, or if you find a race you feel motivated to sign up for, then do that. You can build in so much variety into your running; just keep it fun.

fitoverfortymom

lorrpb wrote: »

How long is "awhile"?

Recently? Around 3 months. I've ran off and on for years.

fitoverfortymom

TavistockToad wrote: »

Cross training is a good idea, what do you struggle with?

I don't know what to do other than walk.

michellersalo

There are tons of workouts online that you can stream (Body Rock, Daily Burn, Fitness Burner etc). This would be a nice way to cross train on your non running days! It is best to take some rest from running. Strength training would a be an even better option.

keithwp99

General advice is not to up your mileage by more than 10% per week. This is especially true for new runners and those returning from injury. Also, consider a strength / core work out on your non running days. Or, if you chose do one or both of the strength / core after a run.

keithwp99

Sorry meant to add that the 10% rule and strength/core to support running is to help prevent injuries. If you are looking for a cross training sport try swimming. It will definitely support your running.

AmyOutOfControl

I find that yoga and strength training help my running. I use these acitivities for active recovery days. I learned the hard way that just because you CAN doesn't mean you should.

I recently discovered kettlebell strength training. The workout kick my butt! Really works the core muscles (that are important for runners).

fitoverfortymom

I do think the core (and other) strength work will benefit me the most now, so rather than upping my runs, I can focus on that. I'm a little time and resource constrained, so free videos in the basement it will have to be.

andysport1

If you intend to keep upping your mileage walking on your off days is a good recovery, cross training like other folk have said a little strength training and agree stick to 10% increases, just think by Christmas you would be up to 40 miles for a long run and 80 miles a week sticking to the 10% rule. 100 miles a week is top end, a lot of runners are in the 40-50 miles a week range.

ijsantos2005

Any amount of time is too much running.

TavistockToad

fitoverfortymom wrote: »

TavistockToad wrote: »

Cross training is a good idea, what do you struggle with?

I don't know what to do other than walk.

Swimming or cycling go well with running.

I run 3x a week, bike 2 x and on biking days add in some bodyweight resistance work. Other days I'll just walk.

x_stephisaur_x

You can run as often as you like. Its called "run streaking" (not the other kind of streaking hahahaha)

Cross training wise, do anything that's not running! Cycling, Swimming, Rowing, Strength training... all of it is important so find something you enjoy

dewd2

fitoverfortymom wrote: »

TavistockToad wrote: »

Cross training is a good idea, what do you struggle with?

I don't know what to do other than walk.

I ride my bike, lift weights, and sometimes yoga. Find something else you enjoy.

If you want a home workout check out the Iron Strength DVD.

GiddyupTim

I really like the advice you are getting.
1) Do not increase your mileage by more than 10 percent per week to avoid injury.
2) If you want something more, find something else to do and cross train: Lift weights, or practice yoga, or swim, or bike, or take a spin class, or do Crossfit, or walk, or.......

MobyCarp

@fitoverfortymom - You've got some good advice, which is notably lacking in numbers quantifying how much is too much. I'd like to talk a bit about why there isn't a good numerical answer to your question.

How much you can run depends on how well developed your cardiovascular system is, and how well developed your musculo-skeletal system is. The cardiovascular system trains to efficiency faster, which allows runners to run themselves into injury. Hence, the common question about how much is too much.

Not only is the musculo-skeletal system slower to develop, it's harder to measure. It's pretty easy to tell when you reach your cardiovascular limits; you simply can't run that fast any longer. The muscles, tendons, and ligaments tend more to give you minor aches and other sensations that you can run through . . . until they become major pain that you can't run through.

Every coach and runner in the world will tell you, "Listen to your body." While I haven't found any better way of saying this, it's one of the most frustrating pieces of advice for the new runner. It's easy enough to listen to my body. The hard part is understanding what my body is saying. Some niggles don't mean anything. Some mean I've trained hard and need a rest day. Some mean I've done too much, too repetitively and need to back off to avoid injury. It's that last kind you really need to pay attention to.

So, how do you tell when a niggle is meaningless or good training sore versus a warning of impending injury? I haven't heard any good way of accurately describing the difference. Most runners I know had to learn by living through injury, and thinking back to the sensations that preceded the pain. I may tell another older runner that I'm backing off from 6 miles to 3 miles today because my right Achilles feels iffy. He says, "You're smart." I say, "I spent a lot of time on the couch learning to be this smart."

As to numbers . . . when I was a new runner, I ran myself into injury on a schedule of 5 days a week, less than 25 miles. It was too much, too soon for where I was then. This week I'm running 5 days and it feels like slacking because I usually run 6 in marathon training. And if I was running as few as 30 miles a week, that would mean I have a serious scheduling problem, I'm sick, or we have a major winter storm preventing me from using the roads or getting to the indoor track.

And that's the problem. Less than 6 years ago, 25 miles a week was too much for me. Two years ago, I recovered from a rolled ankle on 30 miles a week. Now, 40 miles is a light week. You change over time, but the changes don't happen quickly.

The 10% rule is frequently cited; don't increase either your long run or your weekly mileage by more than 10%. I'd like to add that 10% per week, several weeks in a row, may be too much. When I am in base building mode, I tend to increase 10%, leave the mileage steady for 3 weeks, then increase 10% again. But that's just me. You may find you can increase more, or that you need to be more cautious and increase more slowly. It's tough when you're increasing to new personal high distances. It's a bit easier when you're coming back from injury or simply in a training cycle and building up to high distances that you have done before.

If you have to make a mistake, my advice is to make the mistake on the side of not being aggressive enough. There is no bell ringing to tell you that you can run this many miles; there is only pain telling you that you made a mistake and ran too far. The objective is to feel that pain as little as possible.

fitoverfortymom

Wow. This is all so helpful. I'm definitely going to stick with the novice plan I've been on and am going to work on finding other things I enjoy to cross train. I mean, I'm mostly running simply to see how far I can take it, but I'm in no hurry. I definitely dont want a setback due to injury. I'm also 15lbs from my goal weight and really want to have a solid, active plan in place as I ease into maintenance.

juliet3455

@fitoverfortymom What @MobyCarp Posted above covers it all, really a great summary of all the comments above.
Come over to the Monthly Running Challenge and join us.

The only thing I can add from my own personal perspective is I like attending Running Events/Races as it gives me a Goal Event on a calendar which helps keep me on Track for training.

moogie_fit

fitoverfortymom wrote: »

I've been running for a while now, and ran a lot in my youth. Since I've dropped 85+ lbs and am within 15lbs of goal weight, I've really upped my game. Originally I targeted 5k, and once I was consistently able to run 3 miles, I looked for 10k training plans. I don't have a race in mind per-se, more something to keep me on track. I've been following this: http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51122/10K-Novice-Training-Program. I found week 1 and 2 very easy, so I jumped to week 4. I still feel like I could do more, and have a hard time getting lighter workouts in on the cross train days, so I end up with basically 4 rest days and 3 running days, and I'm left wanting more.

Since I'm not actually training for a race, can I or should I run more frequently?

I feel like I finally got the hang of this and ran one day for 4.5 miles, and while I was definitely tired when I was done, ran it slow enough I was able to maintain a solid pace throughout the run and could have kept going.

Suggestions?

I used to run.. I say used to because I got injured and couldn't run anymore. I was responsible for this injury because I over did it. I ran for 5 km first, then ten. When I started running ten, i liked thefeel of running and found it addicting due to the endorphins, or runners high per say, and gradually increased to ten km per day. I never got further than that, only running about 15 km on "long run" days. I developed plantars faciatus from this and even tried to keep running! It was terrible! Thus I had to stop and find alternatives.

My suggestion to you is if you are finding the current program for you is too easy, try to add some other more active activities in your life, or start strength training or yoga or walking if you feel you could exercise more. Don't overdo it!!

WickAndArtoo

@m00000100000 yes it can be very addicting, I definitely see how that could happen. I am battling the "how much is too much" and "how not to get hurt" battle myself right now. So your injury was permanent? How long ago did you over do it?

fitoverfortymom

m00000100000 wrote: »

fitoverfortymom wrote: »

I've been running for a while now, and ran a lot in my youth. Since I've dropped 85+ lbs and am within 15lbs of goal weight, I've really upped my game. Originally I targeted 5k, and once I was consistently able to run 3 miles, I looked for 10k training plans. I don't have a race in mind per-se, more something to keep me on track. I've been following this: http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51122/10K-Novice-Training-Program. I found week 1 and 2 very easy, so I jumped to week 4. I still feel like I could do more, and have a hard time getting lighter workouts in on the cross train days, so I end up with basically 4 rest days and 3 running days, and I'm left wanting more.

Since I'm not actually training for a race, can I or should I run more frequently?

I feel like I finally got the hang of this and ran one day for 4.5 miles, and while I was definitely tired when I was done, ran it slow enough I was able to maintain a solid pace throughout the run and could have kept going.

Suggestions?

I used to run.. I say used to because I got injured and couldn't run anymore. I was responsible for this injury because I over did it. I ran for 5 km first, then ten. When I started running ten, i liked thefeel of running and found it addicting due to the endorphins, or runners high per say, and gradually increased to ten km per day. I never got further than that, only running about 15 km on "long run" days. I developed plantars faciatus from this and even tried to keep running! It was terrible! Thus I had to stop and find alternatives.

My suggestion to you is if you are finding the current program for you is too easy, try to add some other more active activities in your life, or start strength training or yoga or walking if you feel you could exercise more. Don't overdo it!!

This so much! I totally and finally felt that high and wanted more.

mitch16

I love running, too--and didn't develop my love of it until I was over 40!

I've had to reduce the amount I do run due to an ACL tear/surgery last year (the orthopedist found some arthritis in my knees on MRI), but I still try to get 12-15 miles per week (this is down from 40/week before surgery/was running half marathons).

Anyways, enough about me... As others have said, try not to increase your mileage by more than 10% on a weekly basis, otherwise you run the risk of injury. Make sure you have rest days. On your non-running days, do some work to maintain your upper body/core/arm strength and maybe give your legs a bit of a rest. Make sure you do some exercises to strengthen your hips (squats, lunges, etc.) because running does not work these areas, and weak hips are the cause of many injuries due to compensation.

I swim, bike, do yoga, ski in the winter, surf and SUP in the summer to complement my running.

Good luck and have fun!

spiriteagle99

If you are following a plan like Higdon's, he will include a gradual increase that should keep you injury free.

If you want to increase the number of days that you run, try running the same total miles during the week (i.e. 15), but spread it out over 4 days instead of 3. (Instead of 5, 5, 5, do 4, 3, 4, 4. The following week you can add some mileage to one or more of your runs, but don't add too much too quickly. Keep that schedule for at least a month, then you can try adding another day if you want. Do the same thing, where you spread the same miles over more days, rather than adding both days and miles.

The 10% rule is often cited, though it doesn't work for everyone. Another way to do it is to add the number of miles per days you run (i.e. 3 or 4) to your weekly total, hold that for 3 weeks, then increase again. As stated above, cutting back your mileage every 3 or 4 weeks is beneficial. Again, if you are following a plan, it will probably include cut-back weeks.

Keep most of your runs slow and easy. Don't increase duration and intensity at the same time. You might try doing some races. They are a good motivator to keep you consistent. If you are consistent, you will improve.