Hi,
I have recently started to run over the last few months and have really enjoyed using the Nike+ and iTouch systems.

Due to my location, I am really limited on where I can run, so with that said, I have been running on a treadmill over the last few weeks, usually ranging from three to four miles.

Should I be mixing this up? Four miles has been my max as of now. I'm sure I could go longer, but have yet to try it. Should I run four miles one day, then maybe two the next just at a faster pace, then four miles again the next day?

am completely lost on how to build a schedule or what I should do? Thank you for any advice.

Regards,
Chris

Chris -
Thanks for the email and I hope you don't mind that I make an assumption here; I'm going to assume that you want to get better and that you want to race at some point, anything from a 5k to a full marathon. But the reason I want to preface my comments is that running is an important contemplative time, and often times, for someone grieving or someone who has an unreasonable amount of life stress or someone who simply is trying to loss weight, a daily run that never varies is still a wonderful thing. So, if I'm made a horrible assumption and you simply want to use running as exercise that it is also contemplative then don't change anything.

If you want to gain fitness and if you hope to run races then you MUST alternate both volume (i.e. distance, duration) and intensity. The changes can be subtle; you could theoretically run 4 miles every day for 5 days, three days being easy, one day a two mile fartlek and one day a 2 mile threshold effort (1 mile warm-up and 1 mile cool-down each day). If you add a long run of 6-7 miles then you've got a 26-27 mile week that is sound. But for most people, they eventually get to the level where they run 5-6 days a week, they have a long run that is 20-25% of their weekly volume for that week (if you're running 50 miles a week or more than don't go above 20%, but if you're running 28 miles a week a 7 mile run is sound) and they have a day off and/or a day of cross training. There are numerous progressions out there, but I wrote one on this blog for a 5k race a couple months back.

Key point: the body will adapt to what ever you give it and if you want to race then you better not give it the same run at the same pace every day or you'll be doomed to run a a level below your potential.

Thanks Chris and good luck.

Hi Coach Jay,
This is an email from a guy who will do WHATEVER IT TAKES. That is, I have the willpower, discipline, and time to do whatever training is necessary. (I teach college in the fall and spring, so in the summers my training time is only limited to what my body will do.)

Background: I've been running for 20+ years and have completed many, many marathons and half marathons. I have no health issues.

I have experimented with this, but for the past two weeks have really begun in earnest...two-a-days. Most days I run 6 miles in the morning and 6 in the afternoons. Some days 7 & 6, 7 & 7, 8 & 6. I think I'd like to bump up to 8 & 8, and, I don't know, maybe get to 10 & 10. (Again, my knees, etc., are fine.)

Anyway, I'm totally at sea about two-a-day programs and haven't really found many resources out there that help.

My diet is very good (I really do view food as fuel and eat very healthy). I'm 5' 11" and 175 lbs--and I know I'm carrying too much weight. My goal is to get my body-fat percentage down to 8% or lower.

I'm one of those guys who will do whatever you say (even trying to adopt Ryan Hall's or Deena Kastor's training program), so the harder the better!

Warmly,
Shannon

Shannon -
What ever it takes, huh? I was grinning reading your question, as my first thought was, "None of the elite athletes I work with would say that because practice is already 2-3 hours and even if they could physically work out longer, mentally they are at their limit." So be careful what you wish for big guy (I can say that as I too am a big guy....currently 15-20 lbs. over my collegiate race weight - yikes!)

Seriously though, I love your enthusiasm and I wanted to respond not only to help you but also because your question is actually very similar to Chris' question...or at least the answer is going to be similar. What the answer? You need variation in your training.

Specifically, you need the three workouts that every serious runner has in their week or 10 day cycle: a long run, a threshold run and a seasonal, race appropriate workout. The first two have been covered in previous posts, but since the last one is always changing based on the time of year and your upcoming race goals, let's look at that third workout.

Bill Bowerman is, by far, by a factor of a million, the most important person to have their image smashed repeatedly by the human calcaneus bone. Bowerman is the guy pictured in the heal of your Bowerman Series shoe.* Bill Bowerman was an amazing coach at the University of Oregon, mostly because he understood people and he took the time to "learn each athlete." He was also an innovative coach in training methodology and it's my understanding that he came up with the terms Date Pace and Goal Pace.** Example. My current date pace fitness for 5k is 18 minutes, which I know because I simply ran a 5k race. I think I can run 16:30 by September 1st, which is my goal pace. That gives me about 10 weeks to gain the fitness to run 16:30, yet next week I need to run Date Pace (17:50? 17:40? Who knows?***) during my fartlek workout, not Goal Pace. So, pick a half marathon in September or decide to run Chicago in October and set a reasonable goal time for those race, but then be honest with yourself about current fitness and when in doubt, assume your less fit than you are. Or as my college coach loved to say, "Never underestimate the humane capacity for self deception."

One more thing. 5ks are fun. 10ks, run well, are beautiful. If you want to run PRs at the half marathon and marathon distances don't look down your nose at the 5k and 10k distances. A client of mine who is training for Chicago has really enjoyed the 5k and 10k races we've chosen, which give us a good, hard workout, but also a benchmark for his fitness. So, once every 3-4 weeks this summer consider running a 5k or 10k race as your workout.

Thanks Shannon and when I want to blow off the gardening work this weekend, I'm just going to remind myself that "I have the willpower, disciple and time." Love it.

Thanks!
Coach Jay

NOTES:

*May I recommend the Pegasus +25? It's sort of a "faker" shoe, but I love it for my slow days, though the LunarTrainer is just amazing. I never thought I could run in that type of shoe, but I've had no foot problems, though I lack the requisite "style" to make a white shoe with red and day-glow yellow look cool...I just look like the dorkyest wannabe runner Dad running behind the baby jogger. Oh well

**My understanding of running is limited and narrow...I read what I want to read and I read outside of running. That said, I think Bowerman came up with Date Pace and Goal Pace, but I could be wrong, yet there is no doubt that when you read through his training two things keep coming up (at least for me). The influence of Lydiard and the underlying theme/thesis that you can't and should run Goal Pace throughout the year but should start with Date Pace and work to Goal Pace.

***And no, Bo Jackson does not know, but if you know the reference then you should Just Do It and smile.

*Coach Jay’s advice is provided as general training information. Use at your own risk. Always consult with your own heath care provider for questions relating to your specific training and nutrition.