'How many days a week should you run?'

[John_W]

If you haven't happened across ThisMessyHappy, they are a pair of PE teachers that have recently relocated to Thailand. Ben is a keen triathlete and coach, and has free plans for 5, 10k, HM and Ms. This flow chart of his is a nice guide:

youtube.com/watch?v=61juEfx...(Not working as expected?)

[damienair Administrator]

Depends I guess on what you are training for. Normally 3 times per week is good. Personally I’m training for a 13K mountain race in November, moment of madness. So I’m running 4 times per week now. 5K on a Tuesday, 5K interval training on Thursday and parkrun on Saturday. I have started doing a longer slower run on Sunday. Currently at 10K for the long run, plan to be running 15K by race day.

Thanks for sharing the Video. Backs up advice from here for the past few years. Rest days are very important. I am amazed how they look so good after running 17K, i would look like as if I'd need to be thrown into the back of an ambulance.

😀

[Irish-John Graduate10 in reply to damienair]

I couldn't relate to this guy much tbph. I didn't watch past the first point on the flow chart. The kind of running he does is so far beyond my ability I just can't believe he has any clue what running is like for people like me. He certainly is a great, well meaning and a hell of a lot more knowledgeable about running than me - but just as I cannot imagine how it must be to be as "great" a runner as him, he has no true knowledge of what it feels like to be a runner like me. I guess an example is that there is never a start of a run where I "hear" triumphant music - more like "Please don't let this all and be a dream and I actually am attempting to run this morning with a fair chance of achieving some distance at some pace" :)Not knocking the guy, but to me a blatant example of a natural born runner giving "Jump in at the deep end" advice like "If you are new to running, definitely three or four times a week" is where I figured there would be too big a gap between what he can achieve and what I can so his undoubtedly good advice for proficient runners is lost on this not-proficient runner

Maybe its time a video is made of someone like some of us here? Show me lumbering along all over the shop - but with a smile on my face when I reach my stipping point Not so much "inspirational" for newbies as "I can identify with that - he "can't run" bit yet he "does run" and enjoys it!"

Anyway - just my tuppence worth

[damienair Administrator in reply to Irish-John]

I totally agree. This forum is a step up from C25K and for anyone content running 5K or moving onto 10K. Some of the members here are good runners and capable of running 5K in around 22 minutes. But the vast majority are just content running 5K or anywhere up to 10K at a pace which suits them to get the job done. And the beauty of this forum is that we are all here to support each other. Certainly none of us are professional runners. These video's are great, but from the perspective of a Gazelle, so for the rest of us anywhere between 2-3 runs per week is good. However what I take away from this Video is very good advice, which is, unless you are a professional runner involved in a professional training camp then running 3-4 times per week is absolutely all you need to do. Sometimes you will see the odd Question from a new 10K graduate asking when is it OK to run every day. The answer is in that Video, there is no need, and rest days are just as important as run days.

[John_W Graduate10 in reply to damienair]

Which is exactly why I've posted it in Bridge and not C25K.

[damienair Administrator in reply to John_W]

And the advice is very good advice. It backs up the advice here. Rest days are important. Thanks for sharing.

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to damienair]

Totally agree. I got up to 6 days a week at one point recently but have dropped back to 4 due to various factors. I never resent having a rest day.

[John_W Graduate10 in reply to Irish-John]

John! I completely see your point and actually agree and have had a similar thought myself re: the type of video you mention. In my defence, I deliberately posted in Bridge, not C25K. It would be at home equally in our Marathon forum.

[Irish-John Graduate10 in reply to John_W]

John, my sincere apologies if my post came across as critical of you for posting the video, thst was the furthest thing from my mind I assure you.

My intent was merely to voice my puzzlement and frustration at the relative lack of Vids -and movies, literature etc - which could cater to people like me who will never find running "easy" but who considers one of the luckiest days of his life were finding the programme and then the Forum

Its got to be a generation gap thing too. Honestly, while I like dogs in general and appreciate Highway signs - it's like "Why on earth do you clutter up and interrupt the flow by showing these?" 🤔

Dang, a very instructive inspirational and humerous vid could be made called

"Irish John runs 5k, and despite how he looks not only finished but doesn't die at the end...and can't wait to fi it again the fat b....st..d!!"

I think it would encourage a lot of people to go be running a go, because if I can do it....😉

Again, definitely not a critique of your decision to post, nor the potential value of the Video. 👍🏻

[John_W Graduate10 in reply to Irish-John]

It's OK John, no worries. Similarly, I think there's a big gap in the running vlog space for a high quality 'how-to' C25K series featuring, shall we say, back of the pack runners?

[Irish-John Graduate10 in reply to John_W]

Thank you John 👍🏻

[Hidden in reply to Irish-John]

I will buy that video mate 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Irish-John Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Lol lol lol! 😂😂😂😂

[Cmoi Graduate10 in reply to Irish-John]

Well at least you appear to have watched the video Irish John. I tried, and the other one too, but I switched each off after a couple of minutes as I found the guy absolutely infuriating. I'm a frivolous old slug-a-bed though 😜

[Irish-John Graduate10 in reply to Cmoi]

He has passion and a great Runner and trying to help, but no way can he ever understand truly what he would feel like if he was running with what I bring to the start line

I wish someone would do a "How to run like crap and have great fun doing it" Vid lol. That would probably find a wider audience

[damienair Administrator in reply to Irish-John]

Check out this book. An Accidental Athlete: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Middle Age by John Bingham

Really good read. Exactly the kind of thing your looking for. A mere mortal like the rest of us here.

Book

[Irish-John Graduate10 in reply to damienair]

Oooo! :)Thank you D

[Cmoi Graduate10 in reply to Irish-John]

I completely agree. Videos like this are fantastic stuff for some people. Unfortunately my reaction is to feel completely inadequate. That's my responsibility, nobody else's. But there was a reason I decided to refer to my trail marathon as "An extra long walk with a few hills." It brought it into the realm of do-able for me. If I'd thought I had to get up at 5.00 and do serious scary training almost every day I'd never have gone near it !

[John_W Graduate10 in reply to Cmoi]

In their defence, they are in Thailand, work in schools and running at 5am is their only option considering how hot & sticky it gets when the sun rises.

[Cmoi Graduate10 in reply to John_W]

That's fair enough. It was his banging on and on about getting up at 5.00 as a kid that made me switch off.

There again, unless I need specific visual information about a process or procedure, I'd rather read than watch a video. Much, much quicker and more efficient.

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to Cmoi]

I share your frustration. For some people having things reiterated over 10-15 minutes is helpful. If that same information could be conveyed in a minute or two, that frustrates me.

(Don't get me started on some of the TV shows nowadays that are what seems like five minutes of real content padded out to fill an hour.)

[John_W Graduate10 in reply to Cmoi]

In which case, you'd be surprised at how many running vloggers are out there and how popular they are.

[Cmoi Graduate10 in reply to John_W]

Nah, I know there's masses of stuff out there on t'interweb, one of my past jobs was doing search engine optimisation for an internet company. That in itself accounts for some of my dislike of the medium!

[John_W Graduate10 in reply to Cmoi]

I genuinely think that there is a gap in the running vlog space - I think C25K beginners are poorly served on YouTube. This particular video is not aimed at beginner runners but perhaps intermediates and/or those looking to extend from 5k . I think the flowchart works reasonably well - it's an oft asked question - but I totally get that Ben won't be to everyone's taste.

[RunWillie Graduate10]

I found it helpful. I run 5 times a week and have really neglected the strength and conditioning. I like how he added the caveats. I run for mental health so 3-4 days isn’t really enough for me but I do need to work on strengthening especially if I’m going to go longer distance. Thanks for posting John_W 👍🏻

[Irishprincess Graduate10]

The percentage of runners running 3-4 days a week was higher than I would have thought. I would have liked to see an age related section too as I’m sure it’s more likely that a younger runner can get away with running more days than older runners. But it’s interesting and I liked the video.

After over eight years of running I still run mostly three days a week. Occasionally I do four but three suits my lifestyle and body! I do use the other days for strength training and have just increased this because during my last HM training I at last found that the strength training improved my running significantly and has sorted out my various niggles and injuries 👍

Also, as most of us here know, it’s the rest days that make us stronger runners and when the magic happens 🤗 so I’m not giving those up.

Finally, much as I adore my running and am passionate about it I don't want to run every day as I have other things to do that ultimately support my running. And as this is for life, I don't want to risk burn-out or boredom creeping in.

Good question John, thanks for posting 👍

[John_W Graduate10 in reply to Irishprincess]

Excellent post IP! However, I can't take credit for the question - it's the simply the title of the video

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

It's a good video for runners who already run sub 25 or sub 50 minute 5K's and 10K's already and want to run faster and longer runs as well, I thought at first the lady runner was one of the administrators on this forum as she looked like one of them.

[John_W Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

My initial feeling was that it was better for Bridge than C25K but I've had a rethink and think it's a good video for those who've just done or are even doing C25K. Think about how many times you see posts from beginners asking if it's ok if they can run every day or drop their rest days. I think his flowchart, whilst far from perfect, answers that.

[John_W Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

The lady runner is his wife, Mary - a fellow PE teacher. They've recently relocated to Thailand. He's a keen triathlete and also a coach.

[roseabi]

I think the flow chart is excellent! Especially for those of us who are getting older, I think it can be a very good idea to run less frequently. We can still maximise the impact of our runs, whether we are working on speed, endurance, or pure enjoyment 😊😊😊

I did find some aspects of their video editing a little annoying at first. But I have warmed to them having looked at a few more of their videos, and I thought the vid you posted on Couch, John, is particularly good.

N.B. A large number of online fitness instructors have their dogs in their videos, it's almost de rigueur!

[nowster Graduate10]

The bottom right of the flowchart has a split between "6 days" and "7 or more" without a decision box. 🤓

[sTrongFuse Graduate10]

I'm a 3-4 runs/week kind of person, averaging around 40-45km each week (typically 10-12k each run). That's just what I enjoy doing and what suits me. This time last year I was averaging around 30km a week, but as I've got quicker as I've got fitter/stronger, the distances have now increased even though the time I spend running is much the same as it was then.

And I guess that's the thing; running is my "me time", my "headspace". It's that 90 minutes of the day that I don't have to think about anything other than the sound of my breathing and my feet hitting the dirt.

As someone who only started running a couple of years ago as I was hurtling towards 50, I'll probably never run a sub-25 5k or sub-50 10k, but that's fine (my sub-2 hour HM last month was kind of a pinnacle and my 5k/10k times aren't too much above 25/50).

I run for the enjoyment and the benefits it brings me; speeds and distances are really just statistics that, while interesting, are really just a means of looking at your performance on any given run.

Don't get me wrong, I love a new PB as much as the next runner, and I get just as gutted when I miss a split by a couple of seconds as anyone else, but at the end of the day, if I'm running, then all is good, and that's all that matters to me.

Other people will have other takes on this, and they are all just as valid. I guess it really comes down to what we want out of running for ourselves.