Am i doing too many miles?

[BigEd]

Hi all, my runs this week:

Monday 3.6 miles

Wednesday 4 miles

Friday 5.9 miles

today 3 miles

Am i doing too many miles considering i want to do a half marathon in March.

Your thoughts please boys and girls, Ed x

[Greg_M Graduate]

I wouldn't have said so no, I suspect you are going to need to start stretching some of those runs out further from now aren't you if you are aiming for 13 miles in a couple of months?

Looks like a good solid regime to me!

[BigEd]

Hi Greg, thanks for that. Thats a good idea, i should increase the distance, maybe see if i can get to ten miles. Good thinking, Ed

[Greg_M Graduate in reply to BigEd]

Just a bit at a time. Figure out how many weeks between now and the run and divide the distanceyou have to increase by that.

That's all you need don't try a big leap in distance.

[BigEd in reply to Greg_M]

Oh thats a good idea, i will do that. Thanks Greg, Ed x

[greenlegs Graduate]

Wow! 5.9 miles Ed! (That's a big jump up from last week isn't it?) Is it too cheeky to ask how long did that it take you? Which bit of March is the half marathon in? This is getting exciting!

(I'm not surprised you can't get the rest of your family to join in - it would put me off to have someone in the same family moving on at that pace - but at a distance like this, it is inspiring. Odd!)

[BigEd in reply to greenlegs]

Hi Green, yes it is a jump but since i changed how i land, my running has improved a lot. The 5.9 miler was about 74 mins. I am rather a plodder. The half is on the 3rd March. My son is a fat lad but doesn't like to interact with the old man. My wife and daughter won't run, they are a little on the heavy side.

[greenlegs Graduate in reply to BigEd]

Not that I know anything about this game, and I think you've done it before anyway, but this schedule for beginners seems pretty close to what you're doing: running.about.com/od/racetr...

It looks as though you only need to stretch out one of the runs a week, and keep the others about the same? Does the time matter? Have you read anything about the run-walk way to improve times and endurance? (Jeff Galloway)

I love reading about new things, even if I'm not doing them!

[BigEd in reply to greenlegs]

Hi Green, thanks for the info, i will have a look at the link you sent. I havent seen Mr Galloways idea but i will.

Thanks Green, Ed

[rolphie2 Graduate]

Wow that's some distance covered well done, have a friend that is doing a half marathon soon and she tries to do one 10 mile run a week but she has been running for quite a long time. Good luck with the rest of your training

[BigEd in reply to rolphie2]

Hi rolphie, thanks for the info. I think i will try that. I live in a village surrounded by farmland so should be easy to map out a route, Ed x

[rolphie2 Graduate in reply to BigEd]

I can't imagine ever thinking running 10 miles will be easy but I live in hope!!!

[BigEd in reply to rolphie2]

Oh no, it will kill my calves. They are tight as hell now. However, its very easy to sit on the sofa and do nothing. Ed x

[Vivwestie Graduate]

Blimey, Ed! Are you following a 1/2 marathon training plan?

[VintagePat]

Hi Ed, what are you trying to achieve?

From 5k to 21k introduces lots of new considerations.

Attempt too much too soon you will get injured.

Attempt too much too quickly in speed or time and you might have to pay the price of being out of training for ages, with damage that will hurt your fitness forever.

What are you trying to achieve?

[BigEd in reply to VintagePat]

Hi vintage. Just a hakf marathon. I am careful though

[mark909 Graduate]

Are you following a plan? Your runs seem a bit random in length?

BUPA have some good training plans.

bupa.co.uk/running/training...

You really want to be mixing up the types of runs you do as well. You need to incorporate some interval training or hill training into your routine as well as some long slow runs.

There's a wealth of information I created in this thread a while ago. It's worth a read.

couchto5k.healthunlocked.co...

[BigEd in reply to mark909]

Hi Mark yes they are a bit random. Thanks i will have a read. Ed

[mark909 Graduate]

Have a read through this biged it describes 3 different types of runs to incorporate into your training.

scribd.com/doc/111572911/Ho...

[BigEd in reply to mark909]

Cool will do mark.

[Julesdav Graduate]

Hiya. Sounds about the same as me. In a moment of madness I entered the bath half at the beginning of march. Was only up to a slow 5k before Xmas ...way behind schedule.

This week ran 5k hills on Tuesday and joined the local running club so a 4 mile run on Thursday. Did 3 miles yesterday....was a shame run as I intended to do my long run but when I looked out the window at 8 am crept back to bed...had to take some stick from my son. Today best distance and time..a whopping 10 k

Now I just have to run twice that!!! Oh my god....

I have looked at half marathon training schedules and think I'm still behind but plan to increase my long run at weekends by a mile or so a week

[BigEd in reply to Julesdav]

Hi jules we are very close. I am trying to do about 8 miles today

but legs very achey. Lets keep each other posted as to our progress

Ed x

[earl-grey-sian Graduate]

Of course you're not doing too many miles. After all I'm about 120 miles away! X

[BigEd]

Oh yes good point. I better up my distance! x

[VintagePat]

Hello Ed, (once more!)

In answer to your question of too many miles, at this stage, in prep for a March Half..?

Naturally the answer has a good deal to do with your residual fitness...

If you are relatively new to exercise then,

you are doing too much too soon,

too little in preparation for a March Half and

taking on this distance too soon in your training

agenda for your personal safety.

Too much too soon because "collective wisdom" dictates

you shouldn't be increasing your miles by more that 10% a week.

Too little for a Half in March.........

not enough time to build strong and healthy

for a distance that demands serious respect.

The difference between a 10 mile race and 13.1

will feel significantly more than three.

Without appropriate training and preparation

the final three miles will take you longer than the first five!

Injury will be weaiting to pounce in those final three too.

Once you get past eight miles weight loss is quickly apparent.

When you get past 10 miles nutritional issues play their part.

The good news is that it is unlikely to kill you.

The worst news it might affect your ability to train for some time.

[BigEd in reply to VintagePat]

Hi Pat that is very sensible advice. Others have given

me great advice too. I will put off that distance until

later in the year.

Thanks very much

Ed x

[VintagePat in reply to BigEd]

Good decision Ed,

March may be just a tad too soon.

I would have encouraged you towards an April "big one".

Do you have race experience?

Once you begin to race new considerations come into play!

The couch-to-5k is such a great kick-start into life long fitness.

The problem with running, for EVERYONE, is the first two or three miles.

Getting up and getting out, regardless of the weather.....

Getting into a comfy pace, breathing well...

Adjusting to the initial aches and pains.....

Adjusting and accommodating toilet requirements....

Drink considerations.

Once graduating to 5k learning to run and get fit begins.

Moving up from three to five miles is easy.

Pausing at five miles is wise.

Stay with that distance for a while and begin

to work speed, without going too fast.

Then move onto 10k and take part in a race.

10k is the building block for distance running.

Moving up from 6.2 - 8 miles is unbelievably comfy.

Once you are training at eight miles

the excess weight just melts away.

Moving up to 10 miles follows as night follows day.

Fat is melting, muscle defining, lungs expanding,

complexion improving, self esteem soaring.

Efforts towards 3 miles seem a world away.

Moving up to 13.1 is significant and

should be approached with caution.

Safe and happy training Ed.

btw, second only to a good pair of running

shoes is a fun loving training partner.

[BigEd in reply to VintagePat]

Hi Vintage, wow that is great advice. In fact i am going

to use it as a training plan. Thanks very much indeed

Ed x

[VintagePat]

Ed,

How is your training going?

Pat

[BigEd]

Hi Pat not very well to be honest. I have been on a diet recently, which worked but has left me very devoid of energy. I am going to increase my food intake to build up my energy levels and try and increase my running again. Thanks for asking Pat, Ed x