May 2017 Running Challenge

@Orphia - If you want to calculate what your long run should be at 35% of your target weekly mileage, you would multiply your weekly mileage by 0.35 (mileage x 0.35). It might be best to multiply by 0.3 however since 35% is the aggressive, high-end range, with the preferred range between 25% and 35%. So 30% (0.30) is right in the middle of that range.

I make my own training plan, but it's built using a framework developed from everything I have learned here and online over the last few years, along with what I have discovered about my body and abilities during all that. I cross check everything I plan against some baseline advice though, which you will find repeated here and from reputable running authorities like Jack Daniels, Greg McMillan, Joe Friel and others.

I run 6 days per week to maximize my safe mileage potential and to recover most effectively (I am a big proponent of active recovery).

My daily and weekly mileage is essentially time-based, not distance based. I determine the distance based on time. Technically it is "time at effort".

My short, easy effort/recovery runs are meant to be in the 45-60 minute range at 60% to 80% MaxHR. Any further and they challenge the body harder than an easy/recovery run should, any less and I sacrifice potential.

My weekly long run is meant to be a minimum of 2.5 hours, and up to 3 hours (with a hesitant allowance to 3:15) at 70% to 85% MaxHR. That allowance would only be stretched longer than 3:15 during peak mileage weeks for a full marathon or ultra or something that demanded an occasional punishing run of that length. I'm not doing that so my long run goal is to be in the 2.5 to 3 hour range. These time limits are based on the body not taking on many physical adaptations past 2.5 hours and increased injury risk from fatigue after 3 hours.

I also do 2 mid-week medium length runs that if run at 60% to 80% MaxHR are between 1.5 and 2 hours in length. Basically a duration that triggers the same physical adaptations as a long run, but without the big impact and I can complete without any fueling, or even carrying water so long as it's not quite hot out. These are workout runs, either as just a long run, or as tempo workouts with some easy miles to warm up and cool down.

So my long run plus the two mid-week workouts are 3 of my 6 weekly runs, with the 3 easy/recovery runs in between, plus one rest day each week. All added up it should be between 7:45 and 10:15 hours of running per week. Typically I'm doing around 9.5 hours/week. Thats the main framework.

I am currently running 4 miles at easy effort in 54 to 55 minutes. So that is my distance for my short runs. Im hoping to bump that to 4.5 miles soon once my pace picks up enough to do the 4.5 miles comfortably in 60 minutes or less.

I can do 12 miles in just under 3 hours at easy/long run effort. That was my base long run distance heading into my current stamina-focused cycle.

It is not hard to figure out the middle distance runs from there. 8 miles, which I can do around 1:55 at easy/long effort.

That adds up to a 40 mile week right there, and was what I was running at the end of my last 6 week base building cycle as part of my "getting back to running" plan. The goal of that was to get my body used to running that amount of time weekly...which just so happens to be 40 miles in distance. I used that as the "base" for this current 6 week stamina building cycle, which adds harder/faster efforts instead of adding mileage as the "stressor".

In this current cycle I just made my "workout" runs a little harder, otherwise basically maintaining the same mileage. I added tempo/speedwork intervals to one midweek run, and a tempo run to the other. I bumped my long run up to 13.5 miles, thus making it a little more challenging too, but within the 35% rule.

Once I get my stamina built up in this cycle (or maybe the next if it takes that long), I will have built back up to a standard, healthy, long distance running regimen. A standard training week should have all of these, easy runs, medium distance runs with speedwork/tempo efforts thrown in, and of course the long run. I just built up to it a little differently is all. Instead of doing all those and building up distance over time, I started with nothing but easy effort runs at prescribed lengths of time, and got a base distance established, then started working on the stamina parts within that established mileage.

One thing I feel compelled to point out is a method @girlinahat mentioned a couple months back called the 3-2-1 method. It does require running 6 days/week. Basically, take your weekly mileage, or your short run, or your long run, and calculate your distances. You should do 3 short runs, 2 medium runs, and 1 long run per week. Thus one aspect of 3-2-1. Your long run should be 3 times the distance of your short run, and your medium runs 2 times the distance of your short run. Thus another aspect of 3-2-1.

So, let's say you can do a 12 mile long run. That would mean you should be doing three 4 mile runs (4x3=12)and two 8 mile runs (4x2=8) in addition to that. If that sounds extreme, then your long run is too long.

Alternatively, say you can run 4 miles easy every day it seems like. Then you could make a training week of three 4 mile easy runs, two 8 mile runs, and a 12 mile long run. If that seems insane then perhaps your easy runs aren't as truly easy as you thought.

Finally, you can take a weekly mileage you are comfortable with and base it on that, with your short run being 1/10th of your weekly mileage. If you add up the 3-2-1 runs...one 3 (long run), plus two 2's (medium runs), plus three 1's (short runs) you get 3+2+2+1+1+1 = 10. Meaning a short run is 1/10th of weekly mileage. If this is confusing, don't worry, just know that a short run is 1/10th of weekly mileage under the 3-2-1 method.

So, if you are comfortable doing 30 miles/week, then your 3 short runs would be 3 miles each (1/10th of 30), your two medium runs would be 6 miles, and your long run 9 miles.

May be a lot to digest. Hope I didn't spew on for too long!

Elise4270 wrote: »

RespectTheKitty wrote: »

MNLittleFinn wrote: »

mirelaavdich wrote: »

MNLittleFinn wrote: »

mirelaavdich wrote: »

Okay, so what is up with my nose running like crazy while I am running? This just started last week and it is not allergies as I have no issues otherwise.

Happens to me all the time. I have a deviated septum, but no real allergies, so I'm assuming it's me getting rid of gunk. Your body is probably just clearing everything out. Once you get the hang of blowing snot rockets, it won't phase you, you'll just blast them off and keep going.

I definitely thought about it but the park was crowded yesterday.

you'll get over worrying about that too... LOL

I've stopped worrying about any of that. Snot rockets, butt scratching, loogie horking, you name it. I think I'm just too old to care anymore.

@RespectTheKitty haha! Mee too! I always get caught pulling my shorts out of my thighs, and if I sneeze I now have to stop, cross my legs, hold it like a little kid with my hands so I don't pee myself. Of course, runnin' that's not always easy, so I pee myself and then get caught assessing how bad I peed myself. Hahaha!

One of the benefits of early morning running is that when things jiggle around down there and I end up 'dressing to the wrong side', no one has to witness my manual interventions to get things back in order. Race day's a different matter completely though...one day I'm sure someone's race picture will be completely ruined by me being in the background with my hand down my shorts, lol.