So, Let's Ask the Right Question!!

[The Donald]

How does one become a better distance runner? No injuries, just better running!

Maybe I am just a jerk, but I am a persistent one!

[ultraslacker]

how is this question different from the last one?

[The Donald]

Then what is going to get me an answer? I was told I was asking the wrong question, so what is the problem?? I am inquiring, but I don't get answers, just reprimands!

At least I admit that I don't know what I am doing! But I guess no one wants to help! FINE!!

And maybe that will make it my last question.

[Jwolf]

Donald, didn't we already try to help?

It's it not that complicated, really:

Run. Run lots. Run most of your runs at a pace that allows you to run lots. Do some running fast.

And have fun.

[The Donald]

Thanks Jennifer. You are a good friend!

[DougG]

That's the best advice I have read so far. Jen is wise.

[UltraQueenga]

Donald, didn't we already try to help?

It's it not that complicated, really:

Run. Run lots. Run most of your runs at a pace that allows you to run lots. Do some running fast.

And have fun.

True that.
Save your legs. Run on TRAILS OR SOFT SURFACES.

[DougG]

Pretend you are Forrest Gump.

[chunkymonkeymelonhed]

Donald
I am training, post -injury ,now. I had to stop running back in April and did not run at all for 6 weeks. It's been a slow process getting back to it but I do finally feel like I am training now. Like you ,I want to become a better distance runner and, most importantly, remain injury free! I have built up from running 2x/week to 4/week and this week I'm going to get in 5 days of running. My long runs are slow. Nice and easy, I am enjoying running pain free and building my mileage back up. During the week I do try and pick up the pace on at least one of my runs. I alternate between progression runs, where I try to steadily increase my pace every 10 minutes or so until the end of my run and intervals where I am running at a harder pace for a set distance and then easing back for a set distance. One run is usually hills which I use to build strength.

I am no expert, I am someone who enjoys running and has definite goals in mind. I enjoy making progress and getting better at my running.
That is my two cents. I wish you HAPPY, INJURY-FREE running.

[Joe Dwarf]

How does one become a better distance runner?

There's multiple books devoted to this question, and many of the people here derive their training plans directly or indirectly from those books. What are you hoping to get beyond the stock plans? Maybe it would help if you posted what you're currently doing and why you feel it is not working for you.

[Dstew]

The answer is both simple and complicated.

Simple in that there was a book I read some time ago written by Hendricks (?) and he was asked the same question and his reply was to run further, you run further, to run faster, you run faster.

So as Jen said, run and run some more and run as far and as often as you can.

But that is where it gets complicated. One author in the Running Times speculated that about 40-45% of people would do better with a focus on quantity, 40-45% would do better with a focus on quality and around 5% or so, nothing is going to help them. But that would be to optimize your results and so it is not to say you cannot achieve what you want to achieve by doing something that is less than optimum.

And you have to figure out how much can you run. Genetics, weight, age, athletic history, running history all factor into that equation and the answer is to play it really safe, you should keep it somewhere under 30 - 35 miles per week but needless to say you might be one of many who can safely run well over that amount and not suffer an injury. Plus with that mileage, process may be very slow or non-existent and one does risk some "temporary" heart damage after running a full marathon at low mileage. It is risk v reward, playing the odds. Then again, another study speculated that the average runner will get hurt every 1,000 - 1,500 miles so maybe the weekly number does not matter so push hard, achieve your goal and continue on until statistics catch up to you. Plus, do you embrace and accept the saving power of the running religion and thus follow the dogma and rituals or do you have other interests and thus running is but one of many activities.


Needless to say, what is your definition of better? Three basic runs: Long, tempo and some sort of speed work if done properly and over an extended period of time should make you a "better" runner. Or does better mean the "best" you can be, to run at your potential? Or is to to qualify for Boston and if that means by one second, you do not need to do any more?

In my case, my best marathon started a week after my first marathon. I knew that the next year I wanted to qualify for Boston so I thought the best way was to increase my top end speed. So I trained for a 5 K race in August, about one month after the marathon. Then I switched to half marathons to translated that speed over a greater distance and ran those two half marathons in the fall. After that, all winter was get out and run and despite my best efforts to run too fast, it was a cold, snowy and icy winter so I ended up running much slower than I would have been inclined to do. I would do at least a 20K long run and some weeks, it might be back to back 25 K runs. Test half marathon in the spring showed the base was there and so I switched at the end of April to "quality" runs. I did two 40 K runs with the last 5 K at marathon pace. I ran and qualified for Boston.

I was not content with that so I up the ante. I followed a good Boston training program and pushed too hard and ended up with a stress fracture. And by pushing too far, I followed that schedule come hell or high water and once I got that injury, I was screwed. In hindsight, I would run to protect the left leg and screwed up the right hip and then compensate for that and ... so I went from up to 100K a week down to 30 - 50 K and qualified for Boston again because of a great base. Now, 18 k is a challenge and I know I am going to suffer so Marathons are off the table. For me, it was all worth it because I got to run Boston twice and so if I never ran another marathon again, who cares. Plus, who is to say I had not pushed too hard I would gone down the same path eventually and maybe never qualified for Boston?


Which brings us back to run as much as you can and want to run. Build up a great base over a number of months, at the very least, add in some speed and see where you go from there. Do some time trials ever so often and if you are getting better, continue, if not change things up.

[ROW]

Donald, didn't we already try to help?

It's it not that complicated, really:

Run. Run lots. Run most of your runs at a pace that allows you to run lots. Do some running fast.

And have fun.

I thought this was pretty obvious. No offence to anyone that didn't know that..

[Jwolf]

Donald, didn't we already try to help?

It's it not that complicated, really:

Run. Run lots. Run most of your runs at a pace that allows you to run lots. Do some running fast.

And have fun.

I thought this was pretty obvious. No offence to anyone that didn't know that..

It's amazing how we can complicate the most simple things.

[fingerboy]

Run 3-4x a week,

Run at a pace you feel comfortable

Stretch after your run

Rest, Relax, and have fun.

Once a week (or once every two weeks) start increasing the distance by 10% - make this your long run.

Stay hydrated.

Rest, Relax, and have fun.