Two a days. Beneficial or overtraining?

msthang444

Hey all, currently my workout routine is half marathon training and half weights. I run Mon/Wed/Thur/Sat (long run) and lift Tues Fri and maybe try to squeeze in another lift during the week.

I've been contemplating doing another workout 20-30 minutes maybe in the morning. A fast and furious insanity or a 30 day shred by jillian.

Helpful? or overtraining?

Roadie2000

I've been contemplating doing another workout 20-30 minutes maybe in the morning. A fast and furious insanity or a 30 day shred by jillian.

How often? I wouldn't do it every day, but in my opinion you could add some light cardio or yoga.

Pretty tough to say if it's over training though since I know nothing about your current fitness level or nutrition.

Also depends on your goals. I wouldn't do it to try to lose weight quicker, but if you feel like you're not getting enough out of your current program, you can bump it up slowly.

rybo

What do you hope to accomplish from that workout? It's not going to benefit your lifting or your running.

msthang444

Ummm... I'm 5'2 153ish. I am not in bad shape, but I'm not in good shape. Hubby and I started training for a marathon in October and got through about 10 weeks before I got the flu, then bronchitis, then a stomach bug and decided my body was telling me to chill out. So, now we're training for a half marathon.

week usually looks similar to this:

(upping the long run by 1-2 miles each week and daily mileage every 2-3)

Mon - run 3 miles
Wed - run 5 miles
Thur - run 3 miles
Sat - run 8 miles.

Now I use "run" loosely. I'm about a 12 minute miler on anything over 3.

Tues/Fri/(other day) 5 sets of 6 of bench, squats, overhead press, shoulders, abs (250).

I guess I'm just wondering if my running is enough. I've done insanity before. I've done P90x, and I guess I am contemplating whether or not I need to incorporate some HIIT or at least some type of interval training.

dbmata

When I was training for my triathlon last year I'd sometimes do three a days.

If you keep it reasonable and know what your goals are, and baseline data for analysis against current, you should be fine.

wonderwoman234

It depends on your age, fitness level, body composition, joint/ligament health, etc. Also, what are your goals? I know when I started running 7 miles a day every day, that's when I started getting injuries.

Are you training for a half marathon? If so, cross training might help to prevent injury, but if you aren't getting any rest days, it will catch up with you.

msthang444

accomplish? I guess I just feel like I'm "cheating" because I'm not doing "real cardio". I've done the insanity and know that I reaaaalllly have to push myself in that. Jogging is not the same type of challenge....

msthang444

Are you training for a half marathon? If so, cross training might help to prevent injury, but if you aren't getting any rest days, it will catch up with you.

Yes, half marathon. Rest day is Sunday.

Ainar

Is that some kind of running program or are just running on your own. Cos if you are running on your own then you might add some HIIT. In decent marathon programs all the training you need will be included already. If you are not sure if your training is sufficient go and buy a half marathon program or download one online for free, there are some free basic ones on Google.

Anyhow, one thing for sure, you should not use Insanity or Michel's to get better at running, just like you would not do deadlifts to get better at squats.. you do squats to get better at squats. Use sprinting if you wanna get HIIT in (cos sprinting is running and if you wanna get better at running you should do running) cos of marathon. That will benefit you the most.

You are not overtraining if you can recover. You could work out 20 hours a day and not overtrain if you can recover. Can you recover? It's your body so we can't tell that. See if you have signs of overtraining and if you do slow down. But if you are getting faster and stronger, and gaining endurance as well as feeling good I would say you are fine. Listen to your body. There sin't a set exact line what if you will cross you will overtrain, it depends do you recover and each of us recovers differently, some faster some slower, etc.

Huffdogg

I don't know that you've clarified *why* you would be adding a second workout on any given day. Are you trying to speed up weight loss or improve cardiovascular performance?

msthang444

Is that some kind of running program or are just running on your own. Cos if you are running on your own then you might add some HIIT. In decent marathon programs all the training you need will be included already. If you are not sure if your training is sufficient go and buy a half marathon program or download one online for free, there are some free basic ones on Google.

For me.... I'm not running for time. I'm running for completion. So I can say I did it. This will be my first marathon, so...for me completion is an acceptable goal.

I started with the program based on the book marathon training for non-runners, but when i switched to the half marathon I used the one from marathon rookie.

msthang444

I don't know that you've clarified *why* you would be adding a second workout on any given day. Are you trying to speed up weight loss or improve cardiovascular performance?

Neither really. I guess I"m trying to make sure I'm covering all my bases . As stated in a previous post... I feel like I'm "cheating" by just jogging. That doesn't really challenge me (other than the long run). So... contemplating adding in some interval cardio. I don't really care about the "number" but I do care about the most beneficial workouts. The marathon training covers some cardio, but I know that I am not winded and out of breath when I'm done.

Huffdogg

Sounds like the "marathon training" isn't doing much at all. Instead of adding a second workout per day, I'd just replace it with some cardio that actually does challenge you.

"Covering your bases" would be "do something good for your heart and lungs" and "do something good for your muscles and bones." Interval cardio + strength training would be probably the best combination.

wonderwoman234

Wait.....did you just say that running is not "real cardio"?! The fact that you feel like you are "cheating" when you do so much exercise makes me think maybe you may be heading to an unhealthy place, in terms of your mindset. That type of thinking is perfectionistic and what folks with eating disorders (which can take the shape of exercise anorexia) are prone to. I belong to a women's eating disorder support group where we talk about this type of stuff....

Edited to add: If you want to challenge yourself, try throwing in some Fartlek's to your running routine. The sprinting a few days a week will progress you much faster than steady-state running will.

Nothing wrong with getting lots of exercise, but doing it because you feel guilty or you are not doing everything perfectly is a red flag.

Ainar

Is that some kind of running program or are just running on your own. Cos if you are running on your own then you might add some HIIT. In decent marathon programs all the training you need will be included already. If you are not sure if your training is sufficient go and buy a half marathon program or download one online for free, there are some free basic ones on Google.

For me.... I'm not running for time. I'm running for completion. So I can say I did it. This will be my first marathon, so...for me completion is an acceptable goal.

I started with the program based on the book marathon training for non-runners, but when i switched to the half marathon I used the one from marathon rookie.

Marathon rookie program is designed to increase endurance. There are no HIIT workouts because it does not focuses on speed whatsoever, just distance. Which you said is also your goal, that time does not matter to you just distance. So adding HIIT does not matters either. You can if you want to, it might help you finish a couple minutes faster than you would have otherwise, or make the run little easier. But waste of effort and time if you don't care about running speed. Also, you are not supposed to be out of breath when you are done, not a beginner like you who is just training for distance. Out of breath part comes in to play when you can already run half marathon and now wanna increase your time.

rybo

I don't know that you've clarified *why* you would be adding a second workout on any given day. Are you trying to speed up weight loss or improve cardiovascular performance?

Neither really. I guess I"m trying to make sure I'm covering all my bases . As stated in a previous post... I feel like I'm "cheating" by just jogging. That doesn't really challenge me (other than the long run). So... contemplating adding in some interval cardio. I don't really care about the "number" but I do care about the most beneficial workouts. The marathon training covers some cardio, but I know that I am not winded and out of breath when I'm done.

Then take one of your run days and make it a tempo run. Or finish the last mile at a faster pace than the rest of the run. If running isnt a priority and you don't care to improve, then drop a day and do whatever video you like. Running is about as true cardio as it gets. If you want to sweat more and be out of breath like you are in your videos, then run faster.

Huffdogg

Is that some kind of running program or are just running on your own. Cos if you are running on your own then you might add some HIIT. In decent marathon programs all the training you need will be included already. If you are not sure if your training is sufficient go and buy a half marathon program or download one online for free, there are some free basic ones on Google.

For me.... I'm not running for time. I'm running for completion. So I can say I did it. This will be my first marathon, so...for me completion is an acceptable goal.

I started with the program based on the book marathon training for non-runners, but when i switched to the half marathon I used the one from marathon rookie.

Marathon rookie program is designed to increase endurance. There are no HIIT workouts because it does not focuses on speed whatsoever, just distance. Which you said is also you goal, that time does not matter to you just distance. So adding HIIT does not matters either. You can if you want to, it might help you finish a couple minutes faster than you would have otherwise, or make the run little easier. But waste of effort and time if you don't care about running speed. Also, you are not supposed to be out of breath when you are done, not a beginner like you who is just training for distance. Out of breath part comes in to play when you can already run half marathon and now wanna increase your time.

I'm sorry if this sounds ignorant or trolling, but am I reading correctly that this program implies that some people are literally incapable of just covering that distance without training first? I find that very surprising.

ElliottTN

I don't know that you've clarified *why* you would be adding a second workout on any given day. Are you trying to speed up weight loss or improve cardiovascular performance?

Neither really. I guess I"m trying to make sure I'm covering all my bases . As stated in a previous post... I feel like I'm "cheating" by just jogging. That doesn't really challenge me (other than the long run). So... contemplating adding in some interval cardio. I don't really care about the "number" but I do care about the most beneficial workouts. The marathon training covers some cardio, but I know that I am not winded and out of breath when I'm done.

1. Stop saying marathon training if you are only doing a half, it is confusing and demands different things from your body.

2. If you are following a running program by anyone who knows anything remotely about programming then each run and each distance has an exact purpose, either physically or psychologically. The only time you should find yourself even remotely bored is during the slow short distance recovery runs..which really are probably not a very long time to bored with anyway.

3. You are fine to add extra workouts in as long as they do not interfere with your main training. If you want to run a half then leave p90 insanitariumx whatever at the door and save your leg strength for its training purposes. You can do plenty of cardio cross training that will leave you running muscles intact.

osuzorba

Wait.....did you just say that running is not "real cardio"?! The fact that you feel like you are "cheating" when you do so much exercise makes me think maybe you may be heading to an unhealthy place, in terms of your mindset. That type of thinking is perfectionistic and what folks with eating disorders (which can take the shape of exercise anorexia) are prone to. I belong to a women's eating disorder support group where we talk about this type of stuff....

Edited to add: If you want to challenge yourself, try throwing in some Fartlek's to your running routine. The sprinting a few days a week will progress you much faster than steady-state running will.

Nothing wrong with getting lots of exercise, but doing it because you feel guilty or you are not doing everything perfectly is a red flag.

It could also mean she just isn't pushing herself enough when running.

OP: I have a friend that has been doing a few marathons a year for awhile now. He added a yoga class to his normal training and really enjoyed it. But if you feel that you aren't getting "real cardio" from running you either need to speed up, or add some interval running to the mix.

sevsmom

Wow! Running for me is definitely "real cardio" and not "cheating". I bust my butt doing negative splits, interval runs, and hill repeats when I'm training (and when the weather doesn't SUCK). My routine has me doing stretching in the morning on 2 of my shorter run days. I do strength training 3 days.

The concept of 2 a days isn't bad. Just make sure you know what your goals are and what your body can handle.

trijoe

There are lots of running groups on MFP. I think you would do well to take this question to the runners and see what they have to say about it.

I'm a triathlete and I LOVE LOVE LOVE TADs. Any day I can TAD is a day I go to bed happy. But every workout has to have a purpose or it's a waste. And I don't have time or patience to waste workouts. Which is why, if you really want your TADS to be effective, go to the runners groups and see what they say. They may know the perfect TADs for you.