Can we talk about chunking?

[backintime]

I keep reading about people chunking

What are the advantages?

[AlMorr Half Marathon]

What is "chunking "?

[backintime 10 Miles in reply to AlMorr]

Hi Al

How are you?

From what I read, it's breaking a long run up into smaller portions to be run on the same day.

I'm hoping someone on here can confirm that and tell me what are the advantages to do that in a training plan

[AlMorr Half Marathon in reply to backintime]

Thanks for that reply backintime, I am feeling very well thank you, yes Tbae mentioned that word regarding his quest to run a marathon or ultra marathon, he said he ran a 5K at 6am, 12 noon and a third 5K at 6pm, so chunking is probably breaking a run with a few complete breaks over the course of a day.

[backintime 10 Miles in reply to AlMorr]

Yes, that's what I understood, I'm just wondering what advantages chunking brings to a training plan

[AlMorr Half Marathon in reply to backintime]

Perhaps a expert on this forum can answer that question. 😊 🏃🏾

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

I'm no expert, but I can think of a few possible reasons for chunking in the way you describe (or for back to back to runs on consecutive days).- for long distances, they shorten the time spent on individual training runs (it's not always possible to get out for hours at a time, you don't need to take as much fuel with you etc.)

- they allow you to go further, but with a very conscious break where you can check in with your body for niggles or signs of injury before continuing on with the next portion of the run

- they help train us (both mentally and physically) that we can run further on tired legs

There may well be more benefits too.

Chunking can also refer to breaking up a long run into several smaller parts. That is largely a mental strategy rather than a physical one.

[backintime 10 Miles in reply to linda9389]

Thanks Linda, that makes sense

[Tbae Metric Marathon]

Hi Backintime,Love all your replies.

I have read nothing on Chunking. Roseabi suggested it to me and in a senior moment I tried to give it a sexier name which I have now forgotten, Chunting I think.🙈😂

Anyway hope this next bit helps.

My snails pace 10mins/km or 6km/ hour at best leaves me with the dilemma of very many hours to complete a M or U.

I have never run a Marathon and want to experience that.

Last year I did 31km continuous 5hours++.

I have to be realistic and at present the only solution I see to ✅ the box is to build up using the following chunking strategy.

I looked closely and posted on a continuous build up strategy and change over to the chunking strategy.This is a side issue and very bespoke for an old person, two long runs per week,I need a C25k type run ticking discipline,

Anyway here is my chunking plan,

3x5k start time 0600/1200/1800 per that outing.

3x6k

3x7k

3x8k

3x9k

3x 10k

3x 11k

3x 12k

3x13k

3x 14k Marathon distance covered and experience felt.

Although the 10 outings equate to only 5 weeks I was starting from a fitness level 1-2 months of building up to two 18km continuous long runs per week.

As Linda has posted many advantages particularly for an oldie like me.

Fuelling is greatly simplified, start and finish is from my door, excluded hills, got a few routes with build up loops, yes boring but I am out there,consistent hard surface giving an energy return,I need to know my route at all times and need to feel in control,1234,1234 ( Laura keeps me right).

There are no problems only solutions and this is my one hope of tasting the M and U distance.

Who knows after chunking it might enable me to ✅ off a continuous M & U which is 8/9/10 hours for me.

I applied everything I have learned from C25k and the three sister forums.

May the Running Gods smile on these Forums.

🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️🌟🌟👏👏💪💪🙏🙏💫💫⚡️⚡️

[Cmoi Marathon]

Hi backintime , I started doing the psychological version of "chunking" during C25K without even knowing it was a thing! I still find it very helpful: if I go out counting down the km of a HM it feels like a long way, whereas10k twice over plus a bit more to get home feels much more achievable.

I've not tried "chunking" in the sense of breaking up a longer run into several shorter ones. However it could be very useful when you need to get the miles in but don't have the time to do longer runs in one block. That's frequently been my situation recently.