Finding the balance

clubcard

I am out injured at the moment but just got thinking about how runners always come back too hard.
For example we try run the same pace ad start of doing too much.
I coud never get my head around x-training or aqua jogging.
If you where out of running for 4-6 weeks and usually run 40-50miles a week
what would you start back doing?
any suggestions would be appreciated.

ecoli

clubcard wrote: »

I am out injured at the moment but just got thinking about how runners always come back too hard.
For example we try run the same pace ad start of doing too much.
I coud never get my head around x-training or aqua jogging.
If you where out of running for 4-6 weeks and usually run 40-50miles a week
what would you start back doing?
any suggestions would be appreciated.

I think this is something that alot of people fall victim to (myself included) my idea would be to start slowly and build. It may be it takes a little longer to get to the fitness you were but a slow build up will ensure a relapse wont occur and will give you time to tackle your weaknesses

So.........

Week 1 20 miles
Week 2 30 miles
Week 3 35 miles
Week 4 40 miles
Week 5 50 miles

If you feel you are chomping at the bit to do more or feel guilty for not spending as much time with training then take the extra time you have working on flexibility and core to strengthen you weak areas

Consistency is the single most important part of training so better to spend few extra weeks at the start building up slowly and strengthening and stretching to ensure you are able to maintain a good 20-24 weeks of solid training or however long and through this consistency you will see major improvements

I am actually in similar situation myself at the moment and have been coming back slowly building back up mileage week in and week out the snow limiting the pace which was probable a blessing in disguise

clubcard

your post has just reinforced what I think about us runnners.
20miles into 30 and 40 and so on.that is a much too big increase.
Im sure in some other post you have advised 5-10% rule but yet that is way above this.

robinph

My coming back from being incapacitated was probably more inline with medically advised increases in mileage, but that is down to laziness. I do tend to go and race again far too quickly though, or do races when I really shouldn't in the lead up to others.

ecoli

clubcard wrote: »

your post has just reinforced what I think about us runnners.
20miles into 30 and 40 and so on.that is a much too big increase.
Im sure in some other post you have advised 5-10% rule but yet that is way above this.

When building mileage have suggested 10% more so as an easy general rule of thumb when mileage is at a high level however at lower levels i dont see this as feasible or coming back from injury as you are hindering your regaining of fitness by being too conservative

If you were to go by this at 20 miles your talking the following week running 22 and the week after that 24 which means you are looking at 4 weeks to go from 20 to 30 miles a week. I think you are talking of 10 weeks to come back from a 4-6 week injury. That being said I know some coaches who would say that it does take up to double the amount of time you are out injured to get back to the level of fitness so that would go perfectly in line with their ideas.

A persons training age (cumulative mileage over lifetime but moreso the last 3-4 years) also comes in account here someone who has years of high mileage behind them i feel will have the muscle fiber strength built up to do a less conservative build up. Also their injury history must be taken into account

This does not mean they can hike up the mileage very quickly but moreso nulifies the 10 % which is only to be used as a guideline to prevent people from trying to over do it

Hope this clarifies things a bit better