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Can you run less to run more?

London Marathon

by Richard Irvine-Brown - BBC Sport (U7774651) 29 February 2008

Hello again, all, I trust your running’s going well.

Thanks for last week's comments.

Remember when I had my first 20-mile jog? I took the following two days off, licked my wounds here on 606, and then ran a great 10km with steep gradients and some flying sprints.

Then ran the same course 24 hours later and felt pooped.

I hadn’t had two days off in a row since my training began, and have run 13 days out of every 14, following a variety of training schedules.

Given my griping of late, have I been going at it too hard?

Having come to the end of my seven-week trial of the Runners’ World Intermediate schedule (which I thoroughly enjoyed and really noticed the progression in the long(est) and middle distance runs), I thought I’d have a crack at the run-less-often-but-run-better theory.

The contention is that if you are better rested for a run you will run further or faster and the more you will get out of it. Running nearly every day may give your body preparation for the ardour of a marathon and should help break up weeks with high mileage targets in to more achievable runs, but it may not let your legs recover sufficiently, rebuild muscle, or drain lactose fluid. Y’know, the things that actually make running work.

What differences would I notice? Could I concentrate on the quality and objectives of a run better if I made sure I rested between them? And just how guilty and nervous would I feel on my ‘slacking’ days?

(Although such strategy may include much longer runs, at my level it does sacrifice total weekly mileage for quality training as I dropped from 47 miles a week (over seven runs) to 40 miles over four runs.)

The first run of the trial, following a rest day, was a 10km fartlek with a two-mile jog-sprint-hill-repeat chaser.

I felt as knackered as I expected but was chuffed to have taken 58 seconds off my 10km PB (set 2005). Could be a fluke, could be previous months of training.

Day off. No guilt. Then the same 10km and two-mile hill-run routine: Felt totally fresh afterwards, buoyed by taking 70 seconds off that new PB.

The next day I trained at half-marathon speed for four miles (93% of my 10km pace). Barely broke sweat.

Day off. Felt like a bit of a shirker but two PBs massaged that.

Then my second attempt at a 20-mile endurance run, having run only 20 miles in the previous six days. On the advice of (606-user) WindsorAndy I carbo-loaded the night before on very currant-y porridge.

On RichardMeade13’s advice, I took music but I really didn’t want to carry two drinks and two gels with me for twenty miles. Also, you may not think it, but it’s hard to find a gradient-free 20 miles in West London. So I ran 90 lengths of my street, with all my supplies sat on my front wall.

Brickies stood agog, local children pointed me out to their parents, and local teenagers laughed at my ‘recovery’ pace.

My neighbours may well be forming an injunction petition to the council as I type but at least I know some of them better now and it is the furthest I’ve ever run without having to walk a bit (including the 2005 London Marathon). In dead-on three hours.

Ironically, though not having my total distance not broken up in to many smaller chunks across the week, this longest run itself was far more manageable in such tiny (380 yard) dashes and recovery jogs. (90 is also a great number to divide 20 miles by – letting me focus on 1, 5, 9, 10, 15, 30 or 45 markers all the way through.)

I cannot deny that this may be the most absurd run I have ever completed. It may be the most absurd thing I’ve ever done, full stop but, given that I have regularly hit the wall at 12-16 miles, I was surprised and delighted (in retrospect) to not reach my lactate threshold until mile 18.

After a recovery day really milking my achievement I’ve had one more run (eight miles) with Saturday free and the Milton Keynes Half on Sunday. A month ago I was worried about such a landmark (coincidentally, I’ve never run an organised HM before), but today I am quietly growling ‘bring it on’. If only I could run 147 times around the same roundabout.

How often do you take rest days? Do you have a quiet suspicion that just maybe you should sneak a small run in anyway? Do you find that running less often helps you go quicker or for longer?

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comment by Real_Sports_Fan (U10392050)

posted Mar 4, 2008

Im doing the London Marathon in April. I crosstrain hard Monday to Friday for an hour per day using a mixture of weights, short sprints and rowing. I run once a week on Sundays and did my first 18 miler on Sunday and feel very well prepared for the Marathon.

I started running in October and up to Xmas ran 3-4 times per week and was continually knackered and got terrible shin splints. With my new training I have loads of energy and have had no niggles at all. I beat my 10 mile best by 15 minutes a couple of weeks ago.

We are all different but for me, less running is much more.

Interestingly no running magazines or marathon plans endorse my approach which I obtained from my personal trainer who follows the Crossfit training principles.

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comment by Matt Newsum - BBC Sport (U8090940)

posted Mar 4, 2008

I once read something about Kenyan sprinters training very intensively for a short time but spending much of their time sitting on the sofa drinking tea and rest being very important.

This is probably better for sprinting rather than long-distance running though.

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comment by Richard Irvine-Brown - BBC Sport (U7774651)

posted Mar 4, 2008

Hi all, thanks for the comments, keep them coming!

And, for those that care, my MK HM time was 1'45'11.
http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/emea/v1/race/index.html?datapath=/nikeplus/emea/v1/race/milton_keynes/&lang=en#/graph?user=764

I didn't plan my fluids well and had to stop for a minute about three miles in. I also went too fast at the start (all that 10km training), and the last three miles were a real push.

Not the best but I'm aiming to take something off that at Silverstone.
http://adidashalfmarathon.co.uk/

Fun_runner, hope the 20 went well. (And also to handy-legend and Saaaam) I think I'll be doing more about nutrition/hydration soon, looking forward to your thoughts.

biggustimmus, how did you get on at the MK HM? Is it just me or is the RW definition of 'flat' a bit off? Granted, it's not 'undulating' but there are some cheeky short bursts of uphill in that run.

Saaaam and theoTF, good points. I've had the day off since the HM and am looking at an 8-miler today. Though my body is still unsure about it I just can't bring myself to have a second day off.

collie21 - I wouldn't like to say, part of the reason I'm doing these articles is because I don't know what I'm doing and am reliant on more capable people here to help out. The swimming sounds like it should see you right though with the muscle and lung training. But check out this previous discussion:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A29461043

saudioak, that's a great HM time, well done. I had a few chats with other runners at MK and must apologise to Australian Phil from Islington who I rudely jogged ahead of at 10 miles after our chat. Though he overtook me at 12 miles.

Budgeesmuggler - great name and fantastic work routine. I guess you had quite a good fitness base to start with, though. Post up your training and findings and stats, I'd certainly find them interesting! And good luck with the triathlon!

swrunner - tried that once but stopping really gives me jelly legs when i try to run again. Also, nipping off to Euro Food and Wine took me the wrong way on my long run and I missed my turning, climbed Kingston Hill, and ended up in Colliers' Wood. Once bitten and all that...

ForeFeet, thanks! Once Silverstone is run and gone I have three weeks to get back in to running every day (with some slower paces, shorter distances) if the current approach doesn't work for me (I'm not certain it does). Again, my Silverstone timing will give me a better indication (hopefully) of what I am capable of. Will let you all know.

RSF - that sounds like a hard schedule and is pretty close to my first marathon (2005), though I didn't run that for any reason beyond charity, and I don't think I was far off the pace that I'm on now. Let us know how you're getting on over the last few weeks. What weight training are you doing?

Matt N - good chat. I am currently on a sofa with some tea, so that works for me!

And congratulations to Buster Martin - http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A31564497 - who has just become the oldest person in the world (I think) to complete a HM at Roding Valley, Essex.

As ever, some disappointing photos of me in various states of knackered are now available:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/bbcsportlondonmarathontraining/
Or:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=21187&l=64ef7&id=556671497

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comment by Craig Currans Right Peg (CCRP) (U7079254)

posted Mar 4, 2008

Hi RichardI've had 3 races in the past week and a half.One was at Sefton Park, Liverpool to get the chance to represent Merseyside. I won the race and as a result represent Merseyside at Sefton Park next Saturday. The second was last Saturday at Alton Towers. It was the English National Cross Country Championships. I was running underage and came 91st out of well over 350 competitors. I wore the number 606 (how fitting!)Yestreday I ran at the Northen Schools Championships at Woodbank Park in Stockport. I won that race despite running a majority of it with 1 spike! I won by 22 seconds although the race officials said it would have been more if not for the loss of the spike (which i have recovered!)

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comment by Richard Irvine-Brown - BBC Sport (U7774651)

posted Mar 5, 2008

CCRP - great results and some fantastic achievements.

What sort of distances were the runs? And have you ever tried training less often (or shorter distances) with a focus or objective to your training?

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comment by redruthyella (U10362702)

posted Mar 5, 2008

I has to depend on you and you alone. Training schedules are a guide really and work for the author no doubt. I am slightly obsessive and think that long and regular is the best and it is working. My improvement is marked and my "walls" are very short and easy to get over. My wife does keep a record but her regimen is not patterned at all and she has only hit the wall once in a marathon and improves with encouragement more than mileage.

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comment by Richard Irvine-Brown - BBC Sport (U7774651)

posted Mar 5, 2008

redruthyella - totally, and I'm not convinced that less is more as I am disappointed in my HM time. This week I'm back to five days of seven running, totalling 45 miles in preparation for the Silverstone HM. I'll let you all know how the comparison works.

In other news, I didn't warm down properly yesterday. My calf is constantly stiff and even hurts when not being used. Always stretch after a run, kids.

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comment by fun_runner (U10420564)

posted Mar 5, 2008

Richard - don't be too disappointed. All the fitness you gained over months of training is still there, and a week of easier running won't have done you any harm. Marathon training can be difficult in that you will be pretty fatigued if you are doing it right, and won't necessarily see the results until after a decent taper (one week of hard running every second day running doesn't count as a taper). Some people get PBs all through their marathon training (lucky sods!) but others don't and it does not mean you are not getting it right. Keep the faith. I know it is hard (I'm feeling really discouraged due to un-exciting race times at the moment too) but just do what you are doing and stick with the training. Just 2 to 3 weeks of hard work left now and then time to taper. Think of MK as a good training session and move on.

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comment by Craig Currans Right Peg (CCRP) (U7079254)

posted Mar 5, 2008

Hi Richard
The Northerns Schools and Alton Towers race were both 4K. The Sefton Park race was a 2 miler.
Sometimes I do run shorter distances yes but work harder to get the most from it

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comment by Richard Irvine-Brown - BBC Sport (U7774651)

posted Mar 7, 2008

Cheers, f_r, chin up, stagger on, etc.

CCRP, good work as ever.

New article is online now...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A33190319

Other observations from the week:

Underworld at the Camden Roundhouse counts as core stability training.

Beer may count as carbo-loading but drastically tweaking your metabolism will leave you pole-axed from three pints.

Never curse out loud at the pain in your calves in a TVC corridor - they're curved and you never know when a comedy production unit is in earshot walking towards you. You will look like a random and violent man clutching his legs.

As always, have a great run!

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