Summer Miles

Summer Mileage Guideline

The most important factor that we can control in having success in distance running is our weekly running mileage. With that being said, it is a balancing act. We want to accrue as many miles as we can while maintaining health and avoiding mental fatigue. It takes patience and consistency, especially for those that haven’t run much before.  We have a “250 club” for all those that log at least 250 miles from the start of summer (starting the week of May 29th) until we have our first meet (the week of August 6th). Runners would need to average about 23 miles a week in order to get 250. Most can accomplish this if they are consistent throughout the summer. Each runner will turn in a weekly log letting me know how many miles they did the previous week.    

I wanted to send out some general guidelines for weekly mileage.

Beginners

Most beginners should start with 18 - 23 miles per week and build from there. It's often easy to think in terms of time rather than miles. Start by going for run/walk for 20-30 minutes. Increase the amount of running and decrease the amount of walking over time.  They should not increase more than 2-5 miles per week. This will require them to run outside of the three days we meet during the week. One of the most important runs should be the long run on Saturday. It should be about 25% of their weekly total and should be done at an easy pace. It’s ok if some walking is required. I always tell them to get in the long run even if it requires walking or even crawling 😀!

Experienced

Starting mileage for experienced runners varies depending on a number of factors. These components include injury history, if you participated in track, number of years distance running and many other factors. Depending on these factors you may be starting your weekly mileage anywhere from 25-45 miles. I will try to talk to each of you individually and help you to figure out where you should be. The long run is essential to developing an aerobic base!