What do you understand by the 10% rule?

[notbad]

I had been working on up to 10% increase in distance per week and had got to 9 miles this way, then got an injury (strain). The physio looked horrified when I told him and told me "No, 10% a month"!

Have I picked up the wrong end of the stick, I was sure it was okay per week?!

Thanks

[SBG356 Graduate]

Interesting! I upped mine 10% a week doing 3 runs in the week then moving up until I reached 10k. I have been very lucky in not getting any injuries; I dont know if it is down to taking it gradual like this or not but I couldnt imagine having to wait a month at a time to increase the distance, that would drive me mad!!

Hope the strain clears up soon.

Sue

[mrqwest Graduate]

10% a month?! Blimey! I always read it as per week.

[jenniej Graduate]

I thought it was 10% a week either in distance or time. I've also read that as you go beyond 5k, every third or fourth week you should reduce time and distance for one week, so you have an easier week, before building up again. Sorry to hear about your strain, hope it gets better very soon.

[Rollertoaster Graduate]

It's got to be a week surely? Otherwise it would take months to make any progress!

[Rollertoaster Graduate in reply to Rollertoaster]

It probably also depends how many times you run per week. I imagine you would need to run 3 times a week before stepping it up 10% the next week. For example if you only ran once a week, you probably shouldn't then run 10% extra the next week etc. Sorry I'm rambling, thinking out loud really!

[swanscot Graduate]

I think we're both right. Many books/training plans/ running websites suggest increasing your total weekly distance by no more than 10% a week.

Your physio may be thinking in terms of the 4-week training cycle. As jenniej says, increase weeks 1-3, then the 4th week is a step back.

I'm currently reading "Running for Women' - Jason Karp, Carolyn Smith, and in the section where they talk about Base Building, ie building a base mileage, they suggest:

Weeks 1 to 4: 30-30-30-20 miles

Weeks 5 to 8: 35-35-35-23 miles

Weeks 9 to 12: 40-40-40-26 miles

This is the total mileage for the week. In the detailed training plan this consists of 6 runs per week, with the weekly long run increasing by 1 mile for each of the first three weeks (and the other 5 runs adding or dropping miles each week to give the right weekly totals). Therefore the long run goes 7, 8, 9. 6, 9, 10 ...

I'm not following this plan as it's way more complicated that I'm going to bother with.

[notbad Graduate in reply to swanscot]

Thanks swanscot, I only increased my long distance run 10% and left my tempo and speedwork the same distance so my weekly increase would be well below 10%. I will be extra cautious from now on, I still have some pain but have been given the all clear to run, I'm taking it slowly and keeping well under the pain threshold.

[notbad Graduate]

Thanks everyone, glad I'm not the only one who works on 10% a week, I run 3x btw which he was fine with. Good point about the 4th week scaling back, perhaps he was meaning this, he did look shocked at the idea of per week though and I got the impression he isn't a runner himself (he's not a specific sports physio, but a general nhs physio). He has however given me some stretches which are easing the problem, so he certainly knows his job.