Running more by running less (often)

bf in az

bf in az

Barefooters
Jun 19, 2012
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Show Low, AZ
bfinaz.blogspot.com
#1
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#2
yes. rest is very important. it allows the muscles to recover and grow.
 
#3
Psychologically, I feel like I NEED to run daily. But, you are correct: the day after runs are never all that great.
And in any case, I may be trying your mileage schedule come fall to fit in about 40 miles and still have time to deal with life demands.
I like the idea of a 10 miler and a 20 miler or so each week.
 
#4
#5
Well, my approach is bit like opposite. I run more by running more often. Usually twice a day and yesterday I tried out five runs in day and so I did run a total of marathon distance. Well, it was bit extreme, but I was so close of getting 500 km in month, that I just put in little extra effort, with dividing the amount into many runs seemed to work great. Marathon distance is quite exhausting, but dividing it, I had just five easy runs. Now I plan to rest by running maybe just once today.
 
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#6
A lot depends on your age as well, the older you get the more recovery you need, i run 40-50mile weeks by running every other day and that's more than enough for me.
The body needs time to repair damaged muscle fibers, which is in effect what fitness is, repaired mild trauma. Every time a repair takes place the muscles get a little larger and stronger, fail to give the body enough time to recover and your fitness level will suffer, the over training syndrome that can take months to recover from.
 
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#7
I usually run every other day, but this week I've been doing some back-to-back runs as I build back up from a few weeks of little running due to tofp. I'm liking it. I think in the future I may do this more often, possibly viewing the second run as an easy recovery run, but may instead run a fast mile or two the following day, thus altering longer and slower with short and fast. I'll probably just play it by ear, but I like the idea of running pretty much every day and maintaining a consistent daily routine. I know with weights it's generally a good idea to allow 48 hours rest, but it's not as necessary with running, which is much more aerobic, and sometimes even with weights there's benefit to doing consecutive days once in a while, as long as you don't do too many in a row. The extra breakdown/stimulus can lead to greater recovery/adaptation, as long as there is a recovery period at some point. It may also be beneficial to take a whole week off every three months or so.

I do have a friend whose brother has run at least one mile every day for more than forty years, so for some individuals at least, there's no need to take whole days off.

If you want to see more responses to this topic, check out the thread "more of less, or less of more?" of a month or two ago.
 
#8
I have been doing the every other day routine, this is one of the big things I have changed when I did my bfr transition. Besides my terrible form, back to back days of running I think were making my leg pains worse.

I would think it has to do with how advanced you are. The better shape your in, better diet, and good form, should all help you recover faster and to be able to do back to back runs. I think the beginner needs more time to heal. I know all through my transition I am usually a little sore the next day or soles still tender. I still am that way if I run >8 miles. If I ran less I feel I could probably try consecutive, but I usually do that much or more now every run, and also trying to do some faster paces for some upcomming races. 12-13miles is the most I have done so far, and the few times in that range I feel I need 2 days off to recover. I figure maybe next year I may try doing some back to back training, but for this year I am going to stick to every other day.
 
#9
I'm back on an every other day schedule right now and frankly don't care for it. i felt like i was doing well with my Tuesday to Friday, then Sunday running schedule. Five days was a good load and and I got a variety of runs in (short and speedy, middle distance with some pace and a good, long run). I sort of buy into the old line of if you want to run better run more, with quality in mind all the time.

But, you know, we're all different...
 
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#10
Does endurance running wild animals take days off? ;)

Actually, just few days ago, it crossed my mind - why walk, if you can run? From then on, I have been running (or lightly jogging) about every distance that is more than 5 meters, when it's not socially awkward and otherwise possible. Mostly at work - got to say that it boosts my working efficiency and also makes me feel much more energetic. I don't see any reason to walk, as running is faster and more enjoyable.
 
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#11
flammee said:
Does endurance running wild animals take days off? ;)

Mostly at work - got to say that it boosts my working efficiency and also makes me feel much more energetic. I don't see any reason to walk, as running is faster and more enjoyable.
Click to expand...
+1, and it also keeps me smiling. I have a hard time disciplining my son when the teachers are always complaining "he runs everywhere when he's supposed to WALK down the hall in an orderly way" because that would make me a bigger hypocrite than I already am.

BTW, if you can control your arm swing you can run with a cup of coffee in your hands. It can become your office parlor trick!
 
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#12
flammee said:
Does endurance running wild animals take days off? ;)

Actually, just few days ago, it crossed my mind - why walk, if you can run? From then on, I have been running (or lightly jogging) about every distance that is more than 5 meters, when it's not socially awkward and otherwise possible. Mostly at work - got to say that it boosts my working efficiency and also makes me feel much more energetic. I don't see any reason to walk, as running is faster and more enjoyable.
Click to expand...

Erm, most animals, if any, are endurance runners mainly because they are covered in fur and can't sweat.
There are migratory animals that cover large distances, and the predators that follow or wait in ambush for their arrival, but the migrates will have to stop to rest and graze and the predators likewise, when they have made a kill and have no need to expend any more energy.
 
#13
There is a fair amount of science on this topic. The difficulty is understanding exactly how much damage you've done to your body during any given workout. Any strenuous workout will cause your body to go into "build" mode to repair and strengthen the muscles and tissues you've worked/damaged. The trick is, have you done enough damage to warrant only a 24 hr recovery, or do you need longer ? There is no easy answer to this.

If you're an experienced runner, putting in 30+ miles per week, then a 5 mile run may be very easy to recover from, since very little "damage" has been done to your muscles/tissues. The same 5 mile run for a new runner would require significantly more recovery time as their muscles are not as conditioned, and therefore endure significantly more stress.

To me the whole TMTS discussion always comes back to balancing the stress you put on your body with the appropriate recovery periods. Bad form will obviously stress your body more, to the point where it may cause injury even in relatively modest schedules. The better your form, the less damage you do, the less recovery you require. I don't have any issues with running back to back days, as long as I don't stress my body to the point where I'm doing more damage than I'm allowing recovery time for. Age is a factor here, as the older we get, the longer it takes to recover. Also, inactivity in older people will cause their bodies to breakdown far quicker than younger people, so there is an argument to be made that more frequent workouts may be preferable the older you get.

It's an interesting topic, but as is typically the case, there is no one right answer. The variables in play (age, experience, form, frequency, etc) are different for all of us, so the right approach will vary for each of us, and vary for the same person as the variables change.
 
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#14
flammee said:
Does endurance running wild animals take days off? ;)
Click to expand...


But those animals have also been running like that thier entire life. If I ran every day for my whole life then yeah I would be conditioned to that. And thinking back to high school cross country when I was in my best shape I ran 6 days in a row every week during the season, and that included 2 races per week sometimes at sub 6min pace. And I dont remeber ever being sore the next day. But I slept more, ate better, weighed less, was younger... Now being sore the next day is pretty much a norm, atleast on my longer days. But I do run longer distances at a time now atleast.
 
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#16
I'm 55 years old and this body runs every other day.

It's as much a scheduling restriction as a health/fitness issue. My wife already chafes at the time I'm out running (though my gf is all gung ho.) My boss has no idea how much time I acutally spend running during the week and I don't want to push it any more than I do.

Maybe someday I might reconsider, but I don't feel any particular urge to do so now.
 
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#17
I've been only running 2-3 times per week for the couple of years that I've been back at it (because running barefoot made it possible). With cross training(biking, swimming, dancing), this has worked out very well for me. I place well in races for my age (always first in my age group so far, but we don't live in a huge metropolis) and I have fun. :)
 
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#20
wife and gf? how do you do it and where do you live? europe?
 
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