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High mileage weeksHow do you clock up 160km in a week?


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#1 Pom

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 09:39 AM

Just curious really, as I have read that serious Marathon training involves anything up to 160km. For my Marathon training, my maximum weekly distance will be about 70-80km. I have previoulsy managed 100km in a week, but am curious to know how someone would fit 120-160km into a week.  I guess there would be some days with 2 sessions?

Pom

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#2 chops

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 10:08 AM

I run to work 14.5k, run home 13.5k mon-thurs. 11k + 11k fridays. Nothing Saturday,20k and 30k alternate Sundays.

#3 Mixie

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 10:13 AM

Hi Pom,
  This week will be a 161k week for me and includes 4 doubles.

I'm training for a marathon in May so will probably max out at this level.

Monday-2 easy 10k runs-total 20k
Tuesday-17k including 5*100 strides and 5k timed effort at moderate effort
Wednesday-33k long run
Thursday-2 10k runs-total 20k
Friday-    17k easy
Saturday-18k including 4*2k at mp and easy 6k in evening-total 24k
Sunday-24k easy run and 6k easy in evening-total-30k

#4 Road Runner

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 11:24 AM

Back in the 1970s, I believe that most elite marathon runners were logging about 200 kms a week.

I'm currently training for a half marathon (next month), and this week, I'm doing 11 sessions, but that's mainly because the summers here are long and hot (it's open country where I run, so no taps).  I've been dreaming of doing another marathon this year, and if I proceed, the plan is to run twice a day most days, with a peak week of 126 (that would be a maximum of 10.5 hours of running).  I initially thought of 140, but I figured that was a bit ambitious for an old guy like me!

#5 Action

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 11:35 AM

I am averaging 130k a week on one session a day, all starting at about 5am.  This week was typical - I start  on a Sunday as it takes away any pressure to knock off a long run on the last day of the week!.  

35 long
10 rec
20 medium with some reps
15 tempo
25 long(ish)
15 rec / reps
10 sloth

#6 Pom

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 12:21 PM

Thanks for the info everyone.  It was after I managed to fit in 100km to a week, that whilst on a 28km last weekend I got wondering how someone's 160km week would look.   I pretty much work 6 days a week, and with 2 young children, I'm just happy to get out 5 times in a week.

#7 Easy Tiger

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 05:08 PM

It's no surprise the Japanese convert their limited speed to great marathon performances:-

Toshihiko Seko 2:08 in the early 80's was reputed to be consistently running 240km weeks and up to 320km, including regular over marathon distance runs, up to 88km. In the lead up to LA '84 he was trying to run 40-50km twice per week to compensate for lack of intensity in his training due to oppressive heat in Japan that summer. Didn't help him though, he bombed finishing 14th in 2:14.

Douglas Wakiihuri a Kenyan based in Japan ran 300km weeks year round.

Mizuki Noguchi does 448km weeks in marathon prep, she ran one of the greatest races of all time in winning Olympic Gold in Athens.

Toshinari Takaoka 2:06, ran up to 70km days. Long Arms has good knowledge of his training.

Takayuki Inabushi http://www.bunnhill....gs/inubushi.htm

Alot of the Japanese still do blocks of over distance work, current day star Yuki Kawauchi 2:08 does the occasional 50+ km long run.

#8 Unlikelyrunner

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 05:48 PM

Last year I did quite a few ultra's and was quite impressed with my annual total of over 2500kms, with several weeks up around 120kms, but that is for ultras.

I must agree that 80km is about right for a marathon hack (non sub 3hr marathoner) but was at a running camp last weekend with Steve Moneghetti and in 1993 he ran 7500kms.  I nearly fell off my chair when he said that, cause thats insane!!!

#9 Bellthorpe

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 05:56 PM

View Postchops, on 18 February 2012 - 10:08 AM, said:

I run to work 14.5k, run home 13.5k mon-thurs. 11k + 11k fridays. Nothing Saturday,20k and 30k alternate Sundays.

OK, enquiring minds want to know.

From Monday to Thursday, why does the distance from home to work change during the course of the day? And, it would seem, change back overnight.

#10 Tony123

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 06:01 PM

View PostEasy Tiger, on 18 February 2012 - 05:08 PM, said:


A lot of "jog" runs in his program, and looks like most of them are at 5min/km (2min/km slower than his marathon pace).  I think I could probably learn from that, I run my easy runs at 5min/km and I'm not a 2:08 marathon runner.  Probably should slow the easy runs down to 6min/km.

#11 chops

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 06:17 PM

View PostBellthorpe, on 18 February 2012 - 05:56 PM, said:

View Postchops, on 18 February 2012 - 10:08 AM, said:

I run to work 14.5k, run home 13.5k mon-thurs. 11k + 11k fridays. Nothing Saturday,20k and 30k alternate Sundays.

OK, enquiring minds want to know.

From Monday to Thursday, why does the distance from home to work change during the course of the day? And, it would seem, change back overnight.
11k is the shortest route between home and work
13.5k is coming home from work the long way around
14.5k is the same as the 13.5k but taking a detour up a steep (for me) hill, which I do in the morning because it goes through an industrial estate and the is a lot less traffic at 5am than there is at 3.30.
I also do an occasional 14k which is a completely different route altogether but involves taking in a less select area.

It would be easier to show on a map.

#12 vat

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 09:38 PM

Sounds like my old issue with living in Gladesville and working in St Leonards - the short way was about 9-10k but had a long steepish downhill 2k stretch that used to pound the beejesus out of my quads, so I'd be quite sore next day, or the longer varation via the Harbour Bridge and Balmain.  I had a few variations on both.

#13 Caterpillar

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Posted 28 March 2012 - 01:00 PM

If I were capable of running that much I'd need a daily siesta.

#14 MelbourneFootballClub

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Posted 19 June 2012 - 01:39 PM

Can't believe some of the stuff I just read........sorry had to say that.

#15 UnfitnessFanatic

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Posted 19 June 2012 - 04:48 PM

Interesting stuff, especially about the jog runs the japanese runner was doing.  Maybe I need to take more notice of what pace I am told to run my long runs and easy/jog runs at.

Oh and FWIW I am running avg 80km a week and had a maximum week of 111km last week in the lead up to the 10km race at gold coast.  I am not looking forward to where my program may head in the second half of the year when my goals are city 2 surf and Melbourne Half.....

Edited by UnfitnessFanatic, 19 June 2012 - 04:50 PM.


#16 Rico

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Posted 19 June 2012 - 07:50 PM

We should have a thread where everyone posts what they consider a solid week's kilometrage for them plus their best marathon time on that program.

Coz every time I read these where someone says "I'm doing well on 30km/week" or "I'm up to 200km/week and finally making some progress" i'm always really keen to see what sort of times they are running.,

#17 johnnyboyrun

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Posted 19 June 2012 - 08:03 PM

View PostRico, on 19 June 2012 - 07:50 PM, said:

We should have a thread where everyone posts what they consider a solid week's kilometrage for them plus their best marathon time on that program.

Coz every time I read these where someone says "I'm doing well on 30km/week" or "I'm up to 200km/week and finally making some progress" i'm always really keen to see what sort of times they are running.,
good idea. Maybe how long they have been running for too.