Double Runs

OBWON

From next Monday on I will have more free time on my hands. I would like to hear peoples opinion on doing double runs on one day. Say for example you do 10 miles normally. Do you get the same benefit by doing say 4 miles in the morning and 6 in the evening. Or should you do all the 10 together.

Or if you have the opportunity to do double runs can you make the mileage per week bigger but make each run a little shorter.

Very interested to hear what people think about double runs in the one day.

shels4ever

OBWON wrote: »

From next Monday on I will have more free time on my hands. I would like to hear peoples opinion on doing double runs on one day. Say for example you do 10 miles normally. Do you get the same benefit by doing say 4 miles in the morning and 6 in the evening. Or should you do all the 10 together.

Or if you have the opportunity to do double runs can you make the mileage per week bigger but make each run a little shorter.

Very interested to hear what people think about double runs in the one day.

My view would be that a double day would have a session and a recovery run , so either a long run , tempo , speed followed by an easy recovery run.

So splitting a 10 mile training run into a 6 and a 4 wouldn't be a great idea. Unless you just want to increase mileage.

christeb

Pfitzinger and Douglas don't recommend them until you're at the level where you have to do them due to time constraints (i.e. sub 2.50 mara). This is mostly due to time to get ready, warm up time before you do any really 'useful' miles and warm down miles, which would be at least 1 mile either side.

Highway_To_Hell

If you are trying to fill your time why not introduce some cross training instead and introduce cycling/swimming into your routine. With the summer coming (I hope) can't beat a nice bike session or sea swim.

wizwill

http://www.pfitzinger.com/labreports/twoadays.shtml

Woddle

Lydiard reckons that 1 run a day of equal distance is better than 2 runs adding up to the same total. I have tried them before and they start to become a hassle, you never have enough gear as they'll all be in the wash and you start to feel more tired. I remember reading that if your milage is less than 70 per week you don't need doubles.

hunnymonster

I've moved the offshoot discussion about dirty washing to a new thread.

cfitz

hunnymonster wrote: »

I've moved the offshoot discussion about dirty washing to a new thread.

Nice one, can you fold it and put it away when it's done? Cheers

Sosa

wizwill wrote: »

http://www.pfitzinger.com/labreports/twoadays.shtml

+1

tergat

OBWON wrote: »

From next Monday on I will have more free time on my hands. I would like to hear peoples opinion on doing double runs on one day. Say for example you do 10 miles normally. Do you get the same benefit by doing say 4 miles in the morning and 6 in the evening. Or should you do all the 10 together.

Or if you have the opportunity to do double runs can you make the mileage per week bigger but make each run a little shorter.

Very interested to hear what people think about double runs in the one day.

OBWON,

There is no perfect answer. I generally think that once you run more than half an hour a day, it's fine to add in second runs, even if that means a 10-15minute morning run, which you were not doing before.

Do not let people convince you that you must do everything in singles. That's not true. Each person is an experiment of one, and many, many people benefit from running doubles right away. The more you do without breaking down, the better you'll be; up to a high point. If you were running 20 miles a week in singles and you add 3 runs of 2 miles to your schedule, you are running 26 miles, which is better training.

It is good idea to double on days you are doing harder runs. However, you can double any day, anytime! The more you double, the more mileage you will be able to handle without breaking down. You'll elevate metabolic processing of ATP without fatigue (that is improve efficiency).

I used to think that middle distance runners should double when they went above 50 miles per week and distance runners should double when they exceeded 70 miles per week. I still think that's a good general rule, but I know recognise that doing doubles even if your mileage is below that is better if it elevates your mileage.

Right now, just pay attention to your body and back off the pace when you run so that your body will absorb the training. I'm sure you'll be fine, as long as you aren't combining new hard workouts with more distance work. The two added together tend to put a runner in the 'red zone' in a hurry. I've always found I could raise my own mileage fast if I didn't do faster/harder workouts. Combining the two always leads to soreness, fatigue, and a need to recover.

Tergat

ss43

OBWON wrote: »

From next Monday on I will have more free time on my hands. I would like to hear peoples opinion on doing double runs on one day. Say for example you do 10 miles normally. Do you get the same benefit by doing say 4 miles in the morning and 6 in the evening. Or should you do all the 10 together.

Or if you have the opportunity to do double runs can you make the mileage per week bigger but make each run a little shorter.

Very interested to hear what people think about double runs in the one day.

breaking a 10 mile run into 2 runs makes it easier and has less of an effect on your aerobic conditioning. If you're on a recovery day that might be what you want but in general this wouldn't be a good thing. Adding a 4 mile easy to run somewhere in the day to your 10 mile run would in general be beneficial (presuming this wasn't too much for you).

Highway_To_Hell wrote: »

If you are trying to fill your time why not introduce some cross training instead and introduce cycling/swimming into your routine. With the summer coming (I hope) can't beat a nice bike session or sea swim.

Better spend the time doing more specific training i.e. running until you've reached your running limit.

Woddle wrote: »

Lydiard reckons that 1 run a day of equal distance is better than 2 runs adding up to the same total. I have tried them before and they start to become a hassle, you never have enough gear as they'll all be in the wash and you start to feel more tired. I remember reading that if your milage is less than 70 per week you don't need doubles.

Lydiard did however advocate doing easy supplementary jogging (as much as you had time/energy for) along with the day's main run.

There are lots of ways to incorporate doubles: easy morning run to get the body going before the day's main session, 2 very easy runs to help recovery, easy recovery run after a tough session, 2 hard sessions in the one day to allow for increased adaptation (should only be used if very fit and injury resistant and even then rarely with 2 easy days before and after it). It all depends on what you're trying to achieve.

I personally think as long as your extra run is in addition to your current training (not just dividing your current training) then they're a good idea. You might need more rest to go along with the extra training though.

OBWON

I am tempted to do the double run but not every day. Maybe twice in the week. But about 4 miles in the morning extra. I read an article on Lydiard and he said that any run you do even if it is only a mile will help.

http://www.fitnesssports.com/lyd_clinic_guide/Arthur%20Lydiard.pdf

"Miles make champions" is his saying. Good article on marathon conditioning.