re: Running Mileage per Week

How long should one wait to run after eating a large meal?

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40 miles/week is beyond what is necessary.

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like he said

my definition of "in shape" might be different than yours

right now, I'm happy if I can squeeze in 20 miles per week and I do not consider myself "in shape"

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I'm 31, have a kid and a wife and full time job. I have no idea how I would ever find the time to run 40-50 miles in a week. I run halfs, 10ks etc and the most I will put in a single month is probably 85 and that is only one month per year. Just that alone takes a lot of getting up really early to run, going to bed early, and not much drinking. Do you guys that put in this many miles do anything else like play golf, party etc?


Exactly.

Finding the 3-5 hours per week is tough enough. Much less 10-12.

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This. I'm 32, and I've signed up for a half marathon this fall, after doing the CCC for the first time this spring. I try to run 3 times during the week, and then do a distance run on Saturday morning. I run a min of 4 miles/run during the week, and I've been doing 6.5 and up on the weekend. Did 9 for the first time two weeks ago. I only do this because I'm working on a jobsite that is 10 mins from my house right now, so I can run and get home at a decent time to be able to eat dinner with my family.

I want to start riding again, but its so damn hard to find time. Riding 56 yesterday, I left the house at 5:45 and got home at 12:30, by the time I drove to Mandeville. Its hot, and I'm pretty damn tired today.

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If someone came to you and wanted to get into basic, avg good shape would you consider 40 miles/week necessary?

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well no

but eventually that person will have to increase their mileage in order to keep seeing improvement

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If someone came to you and wanted to get into basic, avg good shape would you consider 40 miles/week necessary?



well no

but eventually that person will have to increase their mileage in order to keep seeing improvement

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Interesting response. I know you have a serious running background so I'm curious as to what you think about this statement....An individual who only runs 5K and 10K races can continue to improve their fitness and time running less than 40 miles a week as long as they do the right type of running and other fitness (additional weight training and cross training)? Don't mean this question as a flame, I'm really interested.

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An individual who only runs 5K and 10K races can continue to improve their fitness and time running less than 40 miles a week as long as they do the right type of running and other fitness

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sorry...as someone is who interesting in long distance running I guess I assumed the person in question would be interested in the same

you are correct, if they are just interested in 5k and 10ks, then yeah, they don't need to increase mileage but do more speed specific workouts to improve

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So after running 40/week do you have to up it to 60? Ridiculous.

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In order to keep seeing improvement in longer distances, which is what he was referring to, yes. You will have to up your mileage per week as well as improving times. There's a ceiling for each distance. But it's not limited to that.

For instance: this summer, the Southeastern CC team is required to get in 60 miles per week. And these guys don't even compete in half marathons.

so much thin privilege in this thread

Solid HS Cross Country teams teams get up to 50 and 60 miles per week. College XC kids? Please, they run anywhere from 60-100, depending on how much speed they have. They run them pretty fast too.

I went for a run on a recruiting visit with some of the guys on the college's team. At first it was people from every distance race, from the 10k to the 800m. The 10k guys stayed with the group for the first ten minutes but after that they absolutely took off. We were going a solid 6:30-6:40 minute/mile pace and they still were going way faster than us. They had to go 12 miles I think too, we only went 8. The distance guys in college run a lot more miles than some of y'all think is possible. Granted its a pretty good track team but they go far and hard everyday.