What are some of the precautions and tips to running twice a day? I’m training for a marathon and trying to qualify for Boston. I’m 35 with a PR of 3:10.xx. I am doing two runs a day currently and at about 65 mpw (progressed up to it using 10% rule). I’m going to peak at about 75 mpw and I run 6 days a week, never 7 with no injuries to speak of atm. Time is not a limiting factor either so I could theoretically do this with 1 run a day but since all the cool kids are running twice a day I thought there must be something to it.
I’m making sure to hit my 3 key runs per week.
Speed/track runs averaging 5 miles with warm up and cool down.
Tempo run averaging 20-30 min at 15-20 seconds faster than race pace (calculated from Jack Daniels formula) total of about 7 miles with warm up/cool down.
Long run 15-18 miles at 7:30-8 min mi.
That gets me any where from 25-30 mpw. Should the rest of the runs in between just be 8 min mile easy just to get the miles? Is it good to do two a days every day other than the long run?
A lot of different ways to skin a cow. I’m about 10+ minutes faster than you at the marathon distance. I do 2x a day, 3-4 days a week. My total weekly mileage is in the 80-100 range, spread over 7 days of running. It wouldn’t be unusual for some of my 2-day runs to be in the 9+ min/mile range.
I spend 0 miles at the track. It’s mostly easy volume building miles. Once a week I may throw in a 6-8 mile tempo run in the middle of one of my semi-long runs. Not saying my way is right or better than yours, just a different perspective.
Like you I run 6 days per week and do doubles. My second run of the day is always very easy.
Btw, I’ve done up to 3-4 runs per day for long stretches. I go through periods where I run commute. I’ll do my primary workout from home and can be up to 10-12 miles. Then another 2.3 easy miles to work. Then 3-4 easy miles during mid-day for a break from work and then another 2.3 easy miles back home.
A lot of different ways to skin a cow. I’m about 10+ minutes faster than you at the marathon distance. I do 2x a day, 3-4 days a week. My total weekly mileage is in the 80-100 range, spread over 7 days of running. It wouldn’t be unusual for some of my 2-day runs to be in the 9+ min/mile range.
I spend 0 miles at the track. It’s mostly easy volume building miles. Once a week I may throw in a 6-8 mile tempo run in the middle of one of my semi-long runs. Not saying my way is right or better than yours, just a different perspective.
Gasp… Didn’t you read the other thread? Running will kill you, you will need 30 days off after a run faster than 9 min pace. Just bike, biking makes you fast in any sport then you don’t really have to do that sport.
I wouldn’t run 2x a day. Gaining endurance like that takes time. Be patient and don’t overdo it. Your route will just lead to injury.
I was in college in the early 80’s. To be a “serious” college runner back then, one was expected to do double dailies. This led to a lot of injuries. Us college kids recovered faster than any 35yr old. All those microtears and other micro level stresses and strains require time to heal or they will accumulate. Give them that time.
When I marathon train I tend to run a whole lot more than 75. I don’t think you really need to double on 75 for marathon training. But here’s how I used to schedule my weeks
M: 2 runs, both “maintenance” effort or about 45 seconds slower than current marathon pace, often 10 miles + 5 miles
T: Workout in the morning and usually a maintenance run in the afternoon
W: 2 easy recovery runs, say 5 miles each
T: Just like Monday
F: Light workout, say 200s or 400s or a light tempo run, maybe a PM run
S: Long run, maintenance effort
S: 4-5 recovery
When I did this I’d be up in the 90s/100s. If you double, follow the same logic and add runs with a purpose.
No. I follow no plans. During marathon training, I just try to go out and run as much as I can. Can’t run 15 miles on a single run every day, so I split them up
A lot of different ways to skin a cow. I’m about 10+ minutes faster than you at the marathon distance. I do 2x a day, 3-4 days a week. My total weekly mileage is in the 80-100 range, spread over 7 days of running. It wouldn’t be unusual for some of my 2-day runs to be in the 9+ min/mile range.
I spend 0 miles at the track. It’s mostly easy volume building miles. Once a week I may throw in a 6-8 mile tempo run in the middle of one of my semi-long runs. Not saying my way is right or better than yours, just a different perspective.
Doubles are a good thing to start regularly incorporating once you start getting weekly mileage up into the 60s. Start with one day per week. The ideal first double you should add is, say, 3-4 easy miles on the morning of a speed-workout day. (That is, assuming you are doing the speed workout in the evening/afternoon). That will leave you nice and loose for the evening speed workout.
Once you hit 70, maybe add a second double. Turn one of those easy 8 mile days into a couple of easy 5 or 6 mile runs. Bumping up the weekly mileage a little more
Non-speedwork days should be easy, not slow. Most days, “easy” ***will ***be relatively slow. Some days it will be slow as molasses. But some days it will be fast. “Easy” is an effort, not a pace. During such a run, you should keep mentally returning to monitor how you feel. Like a mantra. Are you relaxed. Are you loose? Are you just floating along? Good. Don’t be checking your every mile splits on those runs (if you own a GPS, that is). In fact, don’t even look at your watch. The point is to do it feel and to learn what “easy” really is. When you finish such a run, if you feel relaxed and not drained, you did it right. If not, carry that lesson over into the next easy day.
Be a little less in love with the long run and a little more in love with higher weekly mileage. Yes, do long runs, but don’t think you need one every week. In fact, maybe every other week, instead of a 15-18 miler, do two 10 milers. Also, I would suggest you polarize your long runs. Either do them completely easy or plan a block right at your goal marathon pace. But don’t do those long runs where you are somewhere in between easy and goal pace. In my experience, all those “in-between” long runs get you is added fatigue for the next few days without added training benefit (over the easier ones).
I always know I’m doing right when I find myself coming to track workouts eager to finally be able to run fast and hard.
Doubles are a good thing to start regularly incorporating once you start getting weekly mileage up into the 60s. Start with one day per week. The ideal first double you should add is, say, 3-4 easy miles on the morning of a speed-workout day. (That is, assuming you are doing the speed workout in the evening/afternoon). That will leave you nice and loose for the evening speed workout.
Once you hit 70, maybe add a second double. Turn one of those easy 8 mile days into a couple of easy 5 or 6 mile runs. Bumping up the weekly mileage a little more
Non-speedwork days should be easy, not slow. Most days, “easy” ***will ***be relatively slow. Some days it will be slow as molasses. But some days it will be fast. “Easy” is an effort, not a pace. During such a run, you should keep mentally returning to monitor how you feel. Like a mantra. Are you relaxed. Are you loose? Are you just floating along? Good. Don’t be checking your every mile splits on those runs (if you own a GPS, that is). In fact, don’t even look at your watch. The point is to do it feel and to learn what “easy” really is. When you finish such a run, if you feel relaxed and not drained, you did it right. If not, carry that lesson over into the next easy day.
Be a little less in love with the long run and a little more in love with higher weekly mileage. Yes, do long runs, but don’t think you need one every week. In fact, maybe every other week, instead of a 15-18 miler, do two 10 milers. Also, I would suggest you polarize your long runs. Either do them completely easy or plan a block right at your goal marathon pace. But don’t do those long runs where you are somewhere in between easy and goal pace. In my experience, all those “in-between” long runs get you is added fatigue for the next few days without added training benefit (over the easier ones).
I always know I’m doing right when I find myself coming to track workouts eager to finally be able to run fast and hard.
This is all really good advice. I wouldn’t run more then 10 times a week. In college and after I would run 10 times a week and now also being 35 I don’t think my body could handle that stress. Nail your workouts and long run each week. Everything else is marginal. Important but marginal.
A lot of different ways to skin a cow. I’m about 10+ minutes faster than you at the marathon distance. I do 2x a day, 3-4 days a week. My total weekly mileage is in the 80-100 range, spread over 7 days of running. It wouldn’t be unusual for some of my 2-day runs to be in the 9+ min/mile range.
I spend 0 miles at the track. It’s mostly easy volume building miles. Once a week I may throw in a 6-8 mile tempo run in the middle of one of my semi-long runs. Not saying my way is right or better than yours, just a different perspective.
pretty similar here. I run mid to low 2:40s right now, so basically a minute per mile MP faster than the OP. Run around 70-80mpw, split into roughly 10 runs/week. 90-95% of my miles are easy, and often as slow as 8:30 or even 9 min/mile. I do a group track workout once per week, and sometimes do a fast finish or MP finish long run. Still getting faster.
OP, you are probably doing the vast majority of your running way too fast. Particularly if you want to add doubles, you are liable to burn out, get injured, or suboptimally train.
Tried that last season and was not able to recover. I hid a bike in the office. Ran 4 miles to work, rode for lunch break 50 minutes, and ran 4 miles back home. Those evening 4 miles felt way harder than usual. I made it a week into this routine before getting overtraining symptoms.
OP: Your #1 goal in your plan should be making sure those easy days are truly easy days. You should not have a pace in mind…just run by effort. I suggest flipping gps watch over and not look at it. Focus on good form and cadence. Some days you will be running 8 min pace and some days might be 9 or even 10 min pace. Don’t get caught up in pace. Also, 8 weeks out at some MP runs in your medium or long runs.
