Serious running training

[Donationwitheverypack]

I've been running for years but have been doing much greater volume since lockdowns started and having turned 50 last year, am within touching distance of age group trophies in local races.

I've decided to take my training seriously and see what I can achieve.

I have a plan, which involves running 6 days per week. Today's scheduled run is and hour of easy running. I did a long run yesterday and have a hard reps session planned for tomorrow.

However, this morning I did a 30 mile social bike ride. Took things fairly easy, but there were hills and it's still a long way and I'm tired.

What do you reckon, the bike ride has equal value to an easy run and it would be better to rest this evening or if I'm taking this seriously I need to get off my backside and do the run too?

I think you should listen to your body. You are tired from the bike ride so consider it cross training to replace your easy run.

6 days a week! That's quite intense - rest days are really important.

And do you stretch, do yoga, or Pilates, and do proper strength training - I mean proper heavier weights, not just a pump class ... Or full body weight work outs: push ups, pull ups etc etc.

I don't think anybody could class you in the 'you need to get off your backside' category.

To be honest I'd suggest pulling back a little bit. 6 days a week is setting yourself up for injury. Maybe you're in the 'You need to get on your backside' category?

rest today. You need to build in more rest days, or you are going to get injured. 6 days a week is too much

Roughly equivalent, rest up.
A wise runner once said, remember that training breaks the body down - it's in the rest following that the body rebuilds itself stronger and faster.

And do you stretch, do yoga, or Pilates, and do proper strength training - I mean proper heavier weights, not just a pump class ... Or full body weight work outs: push ups, pull ups etc etc.

This is key. 6 days a week just running will lead to injury.

Plus, strength training & HIIT will improve your running technique & times.

If you are running years you are probably ok running 6 days a week, as long as there are easy recovery runs in there.
On the run today, I’d say if you did the cycle that’s likely enough though.

6 days a week is a lot. It can be done - but going by your post, it sounds like it wouldn’t be a good idea to do more.

Always remember that 80% of your running should be easy. The biggest mistake most runners make is training too hard.

6 days a week is fine if you've built up to it over a long period of time but if you recently stepped up the volume quite a bit, could be too much. Like if you were previously doing 3 days a week then in the course of the last year have moved it up to 5-6, that could maybe be too rapid a climb unless the majority of runs are easy.

I train with a coach and the two main things I've taken from it are:

• every run has a purpose, whether that's top end speed, speed endurance, aerobic capacity, strengthening etc. Make sure you know what that purpose is or you can end up running junk miles. On this basis I wouldn't do an easy run if I were already feeling tired from a bike ride unless the purpose of that run was to train adaptations to fatigue. If it were supposed to be a recovery run or general easy/aerobic run I would skip it.

-you can't effectively train for all distances at once. Pick a few key races and follow the principle of periodization, allow a bit of time to recover after each target race even though that means your fitness fluctuates, it's not possible to be in top form all the time.

Tbh if you are interested in AG awards etc coaching might be a good fit for you, they can really help you get the best out of yourself. My coach is also experienced at training veterans and knows how to adjust plans to ensure there's sufficient recovery etc.

Six days a week exercise is fine but I wouldn’t run six days a week. Cycling one day and Pilates or similar another would be good and run on four days. If you’ve cycled 30 miles today of course you don’t need to run as well (I have won age group categories in my younger days also).