Advice - Running Less

[Jamesa87]

So since completing c25k some weeks ago I have been mixing my workouts up a bit

Tuesday's - 30 minutes invertals on bike

Thursday - 30 minutes intervals cross trainer

Saturday's - long run (adding 10% to time each week)

I love the idea of completing ju-ju's plan and may look to start the new one.

The question I have is by doing what I am above will it reduce my running ability as I'm only running once a week or will it be beneficial as I'm working other areas on non run days and doing interval training on top?

I have attached the current plan I'm using (auto fills green based on date)

Thanks as always

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10]

From what I’ve read, once a week is enough to maintain your running legs... and twice a week gives some development. I think it’s going to be a struggle, therefore, to keep increasing the workload on leg muscles that are not doing much if any extra conditioning to running. I’ve seen 10k plans from running 5 days a week down to 2, but I’ve never seen one based on just one run.

Is there a reason you’re training 3 days a week only? If you could run Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, then Monday Wednesday and Friday are all open for cross training, and Sunday the couch could have you!

The other comment I have is that the NHS recommendation is for 150 minutes of cardio a week plus a couple of strength and flexibility sessions... your progress from 90 to 150 minutes is going to be slow and you don’t appear to have any work of the other types. Strengthening and flexibility work really help running form and also help to prevent injuries.

Edit: 75 minutes is the minimum recommended if it’s all running... 150 otherwise.

nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/

[Jamesa87 Graduate10 in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Hi

Thanks for your reply. The 3 days only is due to time. I generally do over 10000 steps a day on top of my cardio days.

I was doing 3 runs a week when doing c25k just did alot of reading on interval training which I have added via bike and cross trainer.

I did suffer from shin splints for 3 weeks which is now gone but since then is when I reduced to 1 run per week with lower impact on other days.

Additional to the plan you see I generally do 15mins of weights and 15 mins of sit ups following each work out.

Will look to add a additional run in. Do you think I should keep the additional one to a easy 30min run and go for the increase on Saturdays still?

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10 in reply to Jamesa87]

It depends what your end goal is... if it’s purely to reach 10k and it’s more of a fitness thing then 30 easy and a long would do the trick, or maybe sometimes go short on the extra run... hill sprints take very little time and build runners legs, but I’d only do speed 1 in every 10 runs or so. I have sometimes found I have 30 minutes where I could get a run in... 5 minutes to get changed, 5 minute warmup, 15 minute run with a half way alert to turn me round and I’m back in time for whatever was demanding my time. Since post C25K consolidation I think I’ve run 30 minutes maybe twice an actual 5k 3 times... my runs are varied and so I can generally fit them in around life... and I feel great on the long run.

[Jamesa87 Graduate10 in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Hi

The initial aim is to run for a hour at 5.8mph (Treadmill btw)

Think is will stick with the above plan but do the 3 days running like you said then fit in the cross trainer / bike on non run days.

I guess the reason I dropped is the worry of shin splints coming back as they were awful.

I always worry if I do runs shorter than my long run my body would get use to running shorter runs and then find the long run hard (silly I know!)

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10 in reply to Jamesa87]

That last thought is a remnant of C25K... most if not all running plans beyond have short runs in too. Even without speed work, a 5k run is easier if not preceded by 5k runs at the same pace, so slow and short leaves something in the legs. The 10% rule applies more to weekly mileage than individual runs, so in theory 30x3 could be followed by 20, 30, 39 but I’m not sure I’d do that much of a push on the long run.

Shin splints can strike any runner, especially when pushing hard for distance and/or pace increase, but they’re more common in new runners. There’s a test out there that you can do to predict them... apparently if you pass the tests there’s a really tiny chance of shin splints and if you don’t then they could be coming... I’ll find the link.

Edit: runnersworld.com/health-inj...

I’ve been doing this for a while, but no shin splints doesn’t prove the theory I guess.

[Jamesa87 Graduate10 in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Thanks for all the advice

10k here I come

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to Jamesa87]

I was going to reply but Unfitnomore has covered it all. I am on the magic plan for the 2nd time. It’s a good way to keep things interesting. Enjoy!

[me2019]

I took a look at this today

military.com/military-fitne...

Might be of interest to you...?

I’m keen to keep strength training going and rowing (I love rowing).

I was surprised to see in the military training a week off from running - yet makes sense.

I’m now doing 2 short runs (5km) and one longer run (increasing each week by 5-10%).

I’m also looking for an app that’s similar in intention to C2:5km yet strength related.

The military’s suggestion seems interesting.