I have a question about off-season run pacing. This past year, I went from couch potato to sprint tri guy, but had some serious problems with shin splints along the way. I started off the year running 30 minute 5ks and ended the year being able to run 23-24 minutes, but I’m afraid to run too fast to make sure I heal properly. It is 8 months until the next triathlon for me after all. My question is how you recommend I handle my offseason training. For 3-4 months I’ll be stuck inside on the treadmill and can only stand running 3-4 miles most days in there. Since I can’t add too many miles, I’d really like to be working on my speed, but again don’t want to hurt myself in the process. What kind of pace do you all run in your training runs compared to race speed? How do you handle offseason workouts? Would a few slower runs and one faster run each week be a good plan? Again, injury prevention is priority #1 and then speed/base are next. Thanks for your help.
My suggestion is to run often, 5 to 6 times a week at a shorter distance.
This is what I did last year, it may or may not be right for you.
1 longer run in zone 2 mostly on the indoor track at my health club
1 tempo run on track varying from 3 to 5 miles (near goal race pace)
1 hill run on treadmill 3 to 4 miles
1 interval run on tread mill 3 to 4 miles every other week (400m faster than goal pace)
1 run with 30 second pickups a couple times a mile 3-4 miles
1 easy run of 4 to 6 miles in zone 2
I built my milage up with easy runs and then added the specific runs one at a time untill I got near this schedule. I also use 3 week training cycles, 2 weeks hard then 1 week easy. Some people say with that short of a cycle that you lose a lot of training time but you really only have 1 extra rest week for every 12 weeks.
my $.02
jaretj
my suggestion is to run twice a week. especially since you just started running recently. i’ve been running for 7 years and i had a few problems when i was running a lot of mileage. now i only run twice a week and i’m still getting faster. what i do is one track workout (intervals) and one up tempo run each week. i think that’s all you need. especially if you are a triathlete. i had my best marathon race when i was running 30 miles a week (2:40). (i run 2:55 when i was running 70 miles a week)
i really don’t believe in long runs unless you are training for ironman races.
just an opinion
Well, that’s about the two most opposite opinions I could get. I’d like to move up to at least Olympic distance this next year and possibly a half IM at the end of the season so I’d probably need more miles than the second opinion, but I think the theory might still apply that maybe I’d be fine running with a day off in between each run which could help a lot in injury prevention. My running increase this year was when I barely ran at all. I just increased my bike mileage and then got back running a bit when my legs healed. I’d be curious to hear more opinions on whether less is more or if I really do need to run 5-6 times a week. Thanks for the replies.
Several years ago, I started back up with endurance sports by finishing my first marathon in just barely under 5 hours. Last year, I ran a 3:47 marathon. This year I ran a 1:50 half marathon to finish my first half IM. During this entire period of time, I have rarely run as often as four times a week. In fact, I have often run only three times a week. The next couple months, for the first time since my one year of track in ninth grade, I am planning on getting up to 5 days a week of running because I am focusing on trying to knock a fair bit off my marathon PR. It is only because I have been relatively injury free for a number of years that I am even considering this.
So, anyway, my advice would be simply to try to run three days a week consistently for most of this winter. Don’t worry about how quickly you are going. Since you are just starting out, just running consistently is going to make you a faster runner. I usually drop down to between 10 and 15 miles per week during the winter for lots of reasons and don’t worry too much about pace as you just can’t run quickly on roads and sidewalks that are often snowy and somethimes icy. If you run consistently all winter, you are going to get a good start on teaching your legs how to run consistently. That’s going to help a lot down the road with injury prevention. It’s also going to give you a really good base so that late next spring and summer you can do some speedwork without getting hurt. But, even then, just start easy on the speedwork. High intensity work is the best way to get yourself injured and then you can’t train at all.
My 2 cents…watch your miles. Every “runner” I’ve known has been down and out with a running injury at one time or another. They just seem to run too many miles. Running takes a toll on the body. Lots of miles may not be the answer to getting faster. I find if I go over 9-12 miles per week, it does not help and may even hinder since I can’t recover and heal.
I run 3 times a week…MAX…Thats a long week for me, unless I’m training for a 1/2IM or IM. As a sprinter…your sprint work is the best way to get faster. I’m not real fast, but for the miles I run, my age (50) and all my broken body parts I can hold a 21-22 in a sprint race (5k). Fast enough to place or win, depending on my swim and bike legs.
SO…go easy…watch the miles…use sprint workouts to get faster.
My sprint workouts are on a track. 1/4, 1/2 OR 1 miles repeats. To a whopping 3-4 miles total. on any given day I’ll do one of the distances (1/4, 1/2 or mile repeats). Obviously, the longer repeat you do the less you’ll need to do to get the 3 -4 miles in for the day. This is how I trained for my 5K PR and it worked for me. I did repeats FASTER then my 5K average/mile.
I would venture to say that most of us here have experienced a myriad of injuries during our transformations from couch potato to athlete. It just goes with the territory, partially due to the body’s inability to adapt to the physical pounding of running versus the relative speed of the aerobic improvement. In addition to the 10% rule - increase your weekly mileage by no more than ten percent per week - you may want to be properly fitted for running shoes that match your weight & stride. I developed shin splints due to a combination of trying to run in shoes that didn’t match my feet, and trying to keep my mileage in tune with my aerobic ability. Bad idea.
If you have not done so already, go to a running store & have them analyze your stride & foot shape to be sure you’re in the right shoes for the job.
Thanks for your replies. I do think my initial injury came in part to being sized wrong in shoes. I got the foot measurement sitting down, but not standing up and ended up with shoes that were sized wrong. I eventually went to the local place all the running clubs recommend and have been doing much better since. I am starting to think that less runs will be better. That’s what my head kept telling me, but the macho part wants to get out and do lots of long runs. I’ll do my best to follow my head.
A few things to think about: How will you maintain and improve your aerobic base? If you are cycling, swimming, (whatever) plenty then you can get away with running less. But you still want to keep your legs in running condition.
jaretj’s plan is good: It can be summed up like this: run often and at many different paces and rest plenty too. Do a couple 25 mile weeks, then do jsut 15 miles in a week, repeat … I find frequency works great, lots of 20 to 30 minute runs 4-5 times a week. Long runs only need to be done 2 or 3 times a month if i am cycling a lot. And your run speed can be maintained with upping the incline on the treadmill sometimes and by running fast strides (5-10 30 sec. pushes) at the end of some runs.
Lets see. I run twice a week. A 4 miles speed work run on Weds. I then do a long, 1.5 hours cross country run on Sunday. I pretty much do this all year round.
I have done 16 Tris so far this season. 2 sprints, 12 oly, and 2 Half. I will do doing a sprint next sunday, and then my first full IM on the 17th.
So, we shall see if mileage is critical. I do not believe based on examples of folks who have done the IM at 8 to 10 weeks of training. Also, at 48, I sure know that tons of running would just break my knees and I would be done.
Dave
I have done 16 Tris so far this season. 2 sprints, 12 oly, and 2 Half. I will do doing a sprint next sunday, and then my first full IM on the 17th.
Also, at 48, I sure know that tons of running would just break my knees and I would be done.
Dave
That’s funny - IM coming, tons of running would just break your knees at 48, and only 16 tris this season? Since there are only 52 weeks/year (really only 50 useable), you are basically running 3 x week then. I have no idea how my family let me do 7. Doing 16 would require serious travel time in the spring/fall/winter to accomplish for sure. Do you walk the runs 
There are lots of races in northern within a 2 hr drive of my home. I did 10 weekends in a row until 2 weeks ago when I could not find a race close. For those 10 weeks, my weekend run and bike were just the races. I am lucky my wife loves to go watch me at the races!! Having my kids in college now makes this possible.
So far have not had to walk any of the runs, with around a 7:16 run average pace which I am very happy with. I know it will get slower so I have been putting more effort on the bike to see if I can make up the slower runs times coming in the near future.
Now, since I have never done an IM, I would like to not walk much of the run. So, my current goal is to take the bike at a nice even pace, will be happy with a 18 mph if there is no killer head wind, and then see if I can put a nice even 9:00 average pace in for the marathon.
If I can finish and make around 13 to 14 hours, I will be very very happy!!
Dave
Well, a 7:16 pace is plenty respectable at any age. You will likely need to do a few long runs/bricks though to not walk some of the mary in an IM though. 4 hour IM mary is a good goal (about mine too)
If a 9 min pace is 4 hours, maybe I better shoot for 5 hours on the run. My first marathon last year was 3:43 which was full out for most of the race.
Yes, I am very happy I can get that run pace at the end of a tri. I can not even do those in my 4 mile track workouts. I only tend to go full out on a race.
One thing I have been able to do fairly well this year is judge how much I can give so I do not bonk during the race. Again, I have no idea what I am getting into wtih the IM. I do know that eatting food and drinking is CRITICAL!!
The other factor that I think helps is I have been doing this for about 7 years now. Once tri season is over, I have gone into doing half marathons and did the one full marathon. At my age, if I just stop, I will lose it too quickly, and will take too long to get back.
Best of luck, just do not do too much running. I want my knees to last as long as possible.
Dave
It’s obvious that like you didn’t like what you heard from me.
You could take the easy suggestion and run only a few days a week and improve slowly. I tried that route and kept hurting my knees over and over. It was after I took other people’s suggestions and increased frequency while keeping the runs short that I realized how much better it was for me.
It is possible to run fast on 2 runs a week if you are naturally gifted in that respect, and there are a lot of people here like that. But you described your first year as being very much like my first year and I wanted to let you know what worked for me in your situation.
IMHO, when someone wants to improve like you suggested, you will have to run more than twice a week. At first shorten the runs and run often.
jaretj
Thanks for your replies jaretj, I’m not sure what path to take. That’s why I’m posting here. The general consensus seems to be to run with less frequency to let myself heal. Frankly, your plan sounds like the most fun as I really enjoy running, but I’ve seen pretty good evidence this year that maybe staying on top of my bicycle fitness and doing say 3 runs a week works well. I think this may be something where there are a couple right ways to do it, but a better way is there and that’s what I’m trying to find out. Out of curiosity, how long do you consider short runs?
A short run for me at the time I started running 5 times a week was 2 miles, now it is 4 miles. I’m not training for IM this year, I am training for HIM’s. Off season my long runs were no more than 90 minutes.
I didn’t start doing 5 runs all at once, I slowly built up to it by adding 1 run to my weekly schedule of 15-20 miles every month, after that I started to increase milage, then the intensity appropriate for the phase of training I was in.
jaretj
For shin splints (which I had, oh, twenty years ago), I found that strengthening the muscles on the front of the shin helped. Tie a towel in a loop through a 25 lb. weight, hang it off your foot while sitting on a table, and do toe curls (lift your toes while keeping your calf vertical). A couple of sets of ten, 2-3 times a week.