8 replies to this topic

[Leomarc]

Hi Cool Runners,

I started running about 6 months ago and now feel capable of doing a half marathon. I'm up to 15km runs, interspersed with tempo, intervals and hill running (Mt Cootha).

I run every day with a few two short runs per day every now and then. I know the importance of resting to prevent over training and injuries. But how much training and running is too much?

Your insights and views would be greatly appreciated.

Leomarc

[funrunner63]

Leomarc, on Dec 9 2008, 03:17 PM, said:

Hi Cool Runners,

I started running about 6 months ago and now feel capable of doing a half marathon. I'm up to 15km runs, interspersed with tempo, intervals and hill running (Mt Cootha).

I run every day with a few two short runs per day every now and then. I know the importance of resting to prevent over training and injuries. But how much training and running is too much?

Your insights and views would be greatly appreciated.

Leomarc

Hey Leomarc,

Welcome to Coolrunning. 15k long runs and tackling Mt Cootha- sounds like you're well on your way to doing your first half.

You probably only need to run 4-5 times per week but 3 of those ideally would be quality sessions. Running more than that won't give you enough time to freshen up before those quality sessions, so their quality will be diminished. The rest days are also when your body absorbs the training and rebuilds itself- faster, stronger etc.

Theres 2 half marathons coming up in early 2009 before the "faster" ones at Doomben, Gold Coast and Noosa.

Brisbane Road Runners at WestEnd normally hold one in early March, date yet to be announced; and Intraining are putting on one on April 5th. You could easily manage one of those. Keep building that long run up- getting it up to 18k 2 weeks out from your race is normally enough for a first-timer, don't ignore your tempos and intervals, have a lighter week every 4th week or so, and avoid injury !!!! You've already done a lot of hard work- don't blow it with overenthusiasm!!

Best of Luck, we'll be looking out for you,

Funrunner aka Craig

[Peterhorse]

all good advice from FR63AKACRAIG there Leomarc.

I was just going to add that a good guid to avoid over trianing is the 10% rule. i.e. on a week to week basis, don't increase your distance for any one run more than 10% over the longest one in the previous week and ideally, keep the total weekly volume increasing at no more than 10% week to week. This guide is bit harder if you just start out, and makes more sense once you start doing 3-4 runs a week consistently.
I also apply this rule to the intensity of the sessions in a week - 1 or 2 faster sessions is heaps for me, 2-3 each has be over trained in no time, not just the distance. i.e. keep the week to week increase in pace no more than that... but i can't usually do that anyway it's usually the number of sessions per week that makes me too tired out.
good luck with your Half next year - good to join up and train with others if you can - where are you based? suburb etc? lots of runners come into the city and run in groups .
cheers
PH

[walker1st]

this is not my original idea, but modified and simplified could be like this :

have a regular easy run on the same course, same distance, same day per week.

say one of the recovery runs, example very easy 5-8 kms depending on Your level.

record the time and the average HR on this run.

try for easy pace real recovery, low HR.

keep accumulating teh data.

If You get to teh situation, that to keep the same pace = same finishing time You need to push harder - higher HR, that is a signal of overtraining or comming illness.

or if for the same HR the finishing times are getting slower.

It used to be resting HR giving this signal, but resting HR depends on lots of stuff and fit heart does not give overtarain ing signal soon enough in resting mode it is visible much sooner at recovery run mode.

Of course You would see at racing pace vs HR mode as well but You do not want to have check signal to be generated by exhaustion do You ?


so if overtraining signal is generated than teh hard runs are droped and only recovery pace is used till teh numbers - time vs HR are good again - so testing in recovery mode provides recovery itself and can tested every day if need so.

[Leomarc]

PH,

Thanks for your insights. Will modify my training to enable sufficient recovery time.

I'm here for a long time and not a hard time.

Leomarc

[Leomarc]

PH

I live in Ashgrove and frequent Brisbane riverside a bit with my runs. Love going for a swim at Southbank after a run followed by a coffee.

Leo

[Leomarc]

Walker1st,

Thanks for the great tip. I have a Garmin Forerunner 305 and will be able to monitor pace and HR.

I was interested in the overtraining question as a result of reading Dean Karnazes' books, He's a machine and legend. He runs and runs and runs without wearing himself out.

Cheers
Leomarc

[Leofisio]

For the guys who are really interested in overtraining and recovery... this book is a must, it is written by Michael Kellmann, one of the best authorities in overtraining worldwide...very recommended...

http://www.humankinetics.com/PRODUCTS/SHOW...ISBN=0736034005

This book can be bought on the website above, or www.amazon.com

Leo

[Leomarc]

Walker1st,

Thanks for the great tip. I have a Garmin Forerunner 305 and will be able to monitor pace and HR.

I was interested in the overtraining question as a result of reading Dean Karnazes' books, He's a machine and legend. He runs and runs and runs without wearing himself out.

Cheers
Leomarc