You shouldn't increase your long run by more than 10% each week and perhaps more importantly, your long run shouldn't total more than about 20% of your weekly mileage. That's putting way too much emphasis on one workout and a good way to get injured. So if your plan maxs out with a long run of 10 miles, then you should be planning on running about 45-50 miles that week (in a perfect world.)
I think though, that if your goal was to just complete the 13.1, something like the Galloway plan that incorporates running and walking would make it a lot more feasible and less likely to result in injury.
Wait, what?? 45-50 miles a week training for a half?? If 10 is the long run of the week you basically have to run close to that distance every day to hit the weekly mileage you're talking about. In marathon training when you do a 20-22 mile long run, how the heck are you supposed to run 100+ miles/week according to this 20% rule?
FWIW, I work at a LRS and our full training classes peak at about 50 miles/week so I'm genuinely curious who the heck follows that 20% rule.
You shouldn't increase your long run by more than 10% each week and perhaps more importantly, your long run shouldn't total more than about 20% of your weekly mileage. That's putting way too much emphasis on one workout and a good way to get injured. So if your plan maxs out with a long run of 10 miles, then you should be planning on running about 45-50 miles that week (in a perfect world.)
I think though, that if your goal was to just complete the 13.1, something like the Galloway plan that incorporates running and walking would make it a lot more feasible and less likely to result in injury.
Wait, what?? 45-50 miles a week training for a half?? If 10 is the long run of the week you basically have to run close to that distance every day to hit the weekly mileage you're talking about. In marathon training when you do a 20-22 mile long run, how the heck are you supposed to run 100+ miles/week according to this 20% rule?
FWIW, I work at a LRS and our full training classes peak at about 50 miles/week so I'm genuinely curious who the heck follows that 20% rule.
Yeah. The Higdon novice 1 plan calls for a max of 23 weekly miles, with 10 of that ( or 43%) coming in the long run. Mathematically I don't see how a long run could be only 20% of your weekly mileage and still be, well, LONG. If the long run is 20% of the mileage, then you have to get 80% in over three other runs. That makes each weekday run 23.33% of the mileage, which is more than the long run.
Just to put in my 2 cents. A good training program includes step back weeks. These are essential to allow your body to heal. 8 weeks seems very short unless you have a strong solid base and history with running. I would plan on more like 10-12 weeks with your first. That being said I think 1/2 marathons are hard!
Post by katinthehat on Aug 25, 2013 8:26:14 GMT -5
@angryharpy and k3pick read Jack Daniels and the Hanson brothers, but especially the Jack Daniels book. Of course your long run can be more than 25% but and this the huge but, most people get much more injury prone and worn out if their long run regularly compromises more than 30% of their weekly mileage. It's why the Hansons are so novel with their max long run of 16 miles in their marathon book. If you want to do a 20 miler in marathon training, then running 80 miles that week would put you at 25% of your weekly mileage, leaving you 60 to run the rest of the week. You could do that with a 15, three 10 milers and double up with two 7 milers in another day. Of course that's a lot of running, but imagine if that was your week. Monday is an easy 15. Tuesday is 10 miles at tempo pace. Wednesday is an easy 7 in the morning and 7 miles of intervals in the evening. Thursday is an easy 10. Friday is another 10 mile tempo and Saturday is your 20 miler. If you missed that 20 miler or had to cut it short or had a bad run,would you feel awful about if the rest of your week look like what I wrote out? Probably not, because that long run is such a small piece of your overall week. But if you week looked like rest on Monday, 5 on Tuesday, 10 on Wednesday, 5 on Thursday, rest on Friday, 20 on Saturday and cross train on Sunday. You'd probably be pretty upset and freaked out if anything messed up with that Saturday run and I'd argue that you'd also be pretty beat up and tired and the chances of making that cross training day would be slim as well. And that's the Hal Higdon Novice 1 plan.
I don't know many people who actually follow the under 30% rule for their long runs. But the people that I know that do follow that are super fast, super fit and super not injury prone.
And on another note, if you have any interest at all in learning how to make your own running plans or the science behind a lot of training plans, Jack Daniel's Lore of Running is honestly as close to a Bible as you'll find in the running world. I think just reading it makes you a better runner.
Wait. Now you're saying under 30%. You originally said no more than 20%. You do see how, unless one is running 6 times per week, it is mathematically impossible for a long run to be only 20% of the weekly mileage and still be the longest run of the week, right?
Post by katinthehat on Aug 25, 2013 8:51:15 GMT -5
Yes, the general rule of thumb is between 20-30%, just like it's a general rule of thumb that you shouldn't increase your weekly mileage by more than about 10% each week. Just general rules of thumb here. And the example I gave above was for your longest run week, which probably is going to be a little higher than your lower weeks. If your longest run is 12 miles, then running 60 miles that week is going to give you a long run total of 20%, spreading out the other miles over five days of running is about 9.5 miles a day. And a lot of people, including some of the fastest ladies on here would make the argument you should be running six days a week, especially for the longer distance races.
We seek to emulate the pros in everything, down to buying the same gear they use and eating the same foods they eat but we rarely seek to emulate their training. I know most of us don't have the time or money or even desire to be full time runners but you can look at the overriding rules of their training and seek to apply those to your own training. You're not going to hear Meb talk about, oh yeah, went out for my longest run of 20 miles this training cycle because they don't do longest runs like that. They do consistent weeks of high mileage that incorporate speed work and recovery runs and running on tired legs. You might not be able to run 100+ mile weeks but you can take those guidelines their coaches use when writing up training plans and apply them to come up with your own training plans.
I'm not experienced enough to get on the pro debate but can say with a pretty high amount of confidence that I will not be running 100+ weeks. Ever.
I did my longest run yet of 8 mi. yesterday and felt really good - no cramps or side stitches or anything. My legs are a little tires but I slept in compression sleeves last night and I think that helped. It was an "easy run"pace wise, but I just ran around our (very middle-of-nowhere) neighborhood, which is a lot of hills, all gravel roads and trails. Then I went to a school, did a few laps around their track, ran up the road to a gas station and stretched out a little at my halfway point. Turned around and did basically the same thing again. I didn't plan my route at all before I headed out, so I think wandering may have hurt my pace a little but not significantly, and I think the hills were probably good for my legs, even if I went slower than I would have liked. FWIW I finished 8 in just over 1:20:00.
'Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body. But rather, to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, screaming 'Woohoo! What a ride!' So every day is a holiday and every meal a feast."
I really think you'll be OK. Most people don't fall into the 20% rule. I do 30% & have been very happy with my improvements, but many people have success with even less than that.
You'll be fine. DH trains by running a few times a week. He follows a plan for his long runs, and then throws in a couple shorter runs depending on how much time he has. It is plenty for him because he lifts and bikes regularly. Would he be faster if he followed a plan and increased his miles? Of course! Does he give a fuck? Nope. He has fun and his biking and other activities seem to keep him from getting hurt. We don't all have the same goals.
Post by wanderlustmom on Aug 25, 2013 20:37:30 GMT -5
I just wanted to wish you good luck. I am too much of a novice to give any real advice (I don't even time my runs) but I am just loving my running. My fitness has improved so much and yes, I have to find the time to train for my marathon and deal with the soreness in my feet and "snap crackle pop" of my knees. Hell, it's not even making me lose weight, but I have never felt happier or stronger.