Questions from a former athlete on facebook this spring. Definitely wanted to include this as it contains a wonderful endorsement for me.
Getting ready for a road race in a couple months.
Angela: Can you give me some of your professional running advice? I could look on the internet, but I think you’re more trustworthy. Ha, if you ever write a book I hope you put that on the back: “More trustworthy than the internet,” says anonymous source.
I want to train for the river run 10K on June 2. I just got back from a few months in China and Thailand a few weeks ago and I wasn’t able to run there at all. I’ve been stretching a lot and jogging a little. Can you give me any helpful tips to be efficient?
Rich: The first question is always, are you wanting to just run the whole thing or do you actually hope to “race?” Though either way it’s all about gradually increasing your weekly mileage and doing the bulk of your training as easier, aerobic runs.
With a little over two months until the River Run, I’d say you have time to build to 30 miles a week, if you were so inclined. Since you’re not new to running, you could probably be more aggressive than that or you could get by with less than that.
Give me an idea of how much “jogging a little” is for you and we can go from there. i.e. how far do you go in a single run and how many days a week do you run?
Angela: I would like to race, but I’m not sure how motivated I’ll actually be. I’ve been running about two miles like two times a week and the elliptical a couple times a week.
Rich: Okay. I’d say this week, up that to two 3 milers and one 2 mile run. Keep doing the elliptical unless time spent on it takes away time that could be spent running.
Starting next week, I’d say hit it full on as if it were CC practice – i.e. start training 5 days a week. That doesn’t have to be Monday-Friday, especially as it’s better not to have your two days off back to back. Go two 3-mile runs and three 2-mile runs, which will give you what should be a comfortable 12 miles for the week.
Then report back to me as we head into April.
Angela: Here is my full report: I have been actually doing okay doing the five days a week. The lower part of my calf has been hurting. It hurt in the fall when I was running. So I got new shoes last month and I’ve been stretching my hamstrings and calves really well. Just stretching well in general. It’s not getting better, but I don’t think it’s really getting worse either.
Thanks for helping me with my running endeavors!
Rich: You should start increasing the mileage slowly now, but only if your calf responds well. If it continues to get worse, you have to pull back the mileage. Healthy is always faster than hurt.
I recently read a book from a coach [Arthur Lydiard] who suggested an increase pattern like this – Let’s say your 5 runs had been 2,3,2,3,2. Typically, I would have said to go to 3,3,2,3,3 then 3,4,3,4,3 or something like that. He argues it would be better to go to 2,4,2,4,2 then 2,5,2,5,2 and I’m inclined to agree with him as, one four mile run is “better” than two 2 mile runs (due mostly, I believe, to the time it takes to gear up the aerobic system).
End conversation.