My non-running friends are always saying things like: "it's your own fault", "all this running is not healthy", and "you're crazy to run so much". When I get sick, they say "I told you so".
I have a cold. It started on Thursday as a sore throat. The previous evening I'd enjoyed a lovely run with Strewth around the East Basin Wetlands. On Thursday I felt terrible and cut my run short. Obviously I'd caught a virus earlier in the week. Perhaps at the Speedygeese dinner! Was it due to running too much? I don't think so. Anybody can catch a cold.
I had a rest from running on Friday, and, feeling much better on Saturday, set off for a 16k run. Bad idea! I got through it, but my lungs felt like those of a 40-a-day smoker. Today, after 10 hours' sleep and lots of fluids, the cold seems to be on the back foot. Having today off running will leave the diary with a somewhat less than Lydiard-like 73 kilometres for the week.
I've been wondering about how much daily running I should be attempting. Hadd-training, and the base phase of Lydiard, depends on a certain volume of weekly running. Arthur Lydiard experimented on himself with weekly volumes of up to 200 miles, before settling on 100 miles as being optimal for his athletes. Fast runners could do 100 weekly miles by averaging 90 minutes per day. I've been trying to average 15 kilometres per day, which takes me about 90 minutes. Should I run less? More? I'm inclined to try and average 12 to 13 kilometres per day for a while, to see if that volume of running leaves me feeling less like an upturned wombat.
I have a cold. It started on Thursday as a sore throat. The previous evening I'd enjoyed a lovely run with Strewth around the East Basin Wetlands. On Thursday I felt terrible and cut my run short. Obviously I'd caught a virus earlier in the week. Perhaps at the Speedygeese dinner! Was it due to running too much? I don't think so. Anybody can catch a cold.
I had a rest from running on Friday, and, feeling much better on Saturday, set off for a 16k run. Bad idea! I got through it, but my lungs felt like those of a 40-a-day smoker. Today, after 10 hours' sleep and lots of fluids, the cold seems to be on the back foot. Having today off running will leave the diary with a somewhat less than Lydiard-like 73 kilometres for the week.
I've been wondering about how much daily running I should be attempting. Hadd-training, and the base phase of Lydiard, depends on a certain volume of weekly running. Arthur Lydiard experimented on himself with weekly volumes of up to 200 miles, before settling on 100 miles as being optimal for his athletes. Fast runners could do 100 weekly miles by averaging 90 minutes per day. I've been trying to average 15 kilometres per day, which takes me about 90 minutes. Should I run less? More? I'm inclined to try and average 12 to 13 kilometres per day for a while, to see if that volume of running leaves me feeling less like an upturned wombat.
19 comments:
It would be interesting to do a study on who gets sick ore often - a couch potatoe or a Hadd disciple. My vote is it would be even.
What's wrong with the "sunbaking" wombats?
Interesting thoughts on the volume thing. Guess we'll probably never truly know the answer, which probably changes over time anyway.
Given you have been a runner for awhile it seems to me that you could handle and do with a little more than 90mins a day. If you get regular massages you should be able to handle that kind of mileage.
As for the cold I had much fewer when I was a 40 a day smoker. Seriously, with all that phlegm lining your throat and lungs cold germs just can't get a hold.
Still I wouldn't recommend you taking it up.
Take care Ewen. 40-pack-a-day? That sounds pretty bad . . . I've struggled with allergies pretty bad all summer, but nothing to the like of that. Take all the breaks you need.
Who knows? The easiest thing is probably not to have friends :-)
I think it comes back to Lydiard and in turn Mystery Coach's words about listening to your body rather than chasing any particular numbers. When I reached for Hadd's schedule of 60, 90, 70, 70, 90, 60, 120+ min per day, I did it before I was ready and paid the price -- or did some of the runs too fast and paid the price. Whatever the reason, I did too much and I paid. Should have eased up to that over several more weeks than what I did. As for the mileage angle, I think I read somewhere recently that the magic number was about 9 hours training per week. For fast guys that translates to 160 km, for guys like me, maybe 110 to 120, and for wombats, well, I'm not sure, but anything over 100k would have to be regarded as a pretty good week for a short-legged, ground-dwelling beast that eats roots and leaves.
I think the truth is somewhere between what the gods of running perscribe for elite runners and the equivelent distance that we mortal runners run in the same time. In fact, we need to look at 26 miles much more as an ultra event than do the elites. There is a big difference between staying on your feet for 2 hours and 4 hours. The amount of pounding we need to take is incredible.
Your doing fine. Your half marathon times prove that.
You just can't under estimate how much even a minor flu virus knocks you about, it took me about 3 weeks to feel normal again after mine.
Take care of yourself.
Your non running friends are just jealous they can't run fast enough to catch a cold.
I told you so!
Not much to add though i do hate it when non runners say rediculous things like your knees will go bad etc etc.
What would they know?
Anyhow i think the stress of running for 90 mins is the same for all runners...simply some runners cover more ground in that time...
Have you read Daniels running formula?
Great book.
Hi Ewen,
All part of the cycle when you train on the edge in terms of distance and all that life involves :-).
Cheers PLu
I reckon that runners are way healthier. Some filthy non runner passed their germs on to you.
PS Next time you see them give them a punch in the belly.
I'll still bet your non running friends get more colds than you.
Not having run either of the weekly distances you mention i wont offer any wisdom other than go with what your body is telling you. Hows that?
As much as mileage matters, I think that how much of that mileage is run hard vs. easy is a big determiner of what is best. I see a lot of ultrarunners who run over 100 miles per week and easy paces and never get hurt. I see runners who get hurt every time their mileage goes above 30. I think too many non-elites spend too much time running at paces faster than they should and can't recover from it over time.
I can't see how people can say that you run too much and thats why you have a cold?!? Non runners get colds too!
I like your thoughts on the 80% heartrate while running. Looking forward to giving it a go once the Doc gives me the all clear.
you have a sinuses half empty view. look at them as half full. then go blow some snot rockets!
If you only get one or two colds a year you are doing really well, I'm told. Many people get more than that.
Hope it doesn't take long to get over.
Hehehe, just having a chuckle at your comment on Gronkblog. I once decided rather foolishly to run some of the C2S course in reverse as I thought it would be rather nice to run down HBH for a change... Arsebreak hill is somewhat of an understated name for Military Rd in reverse - I can think of many other apt names but perhaps the language would be a tad fruity for your blog LOL
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