For you runners out there

[MetalMat]

Since I cant go into my school gym anymore I have been running outside. Lately I have been running 2.5 miles, then walking 1.25 miles, the running another 2.5 miles. Will this be a good bit of excersise to keep me in shape if I do it every other day (And I bicycle, play bball and tennis on the off days usually)?

 

[bigrash]

no, you make us runners look bad. please run another 10 miles each way. thank you

 

[desteffy]

that is obviously a good workout. Why are you even asking this?

 

[MetalMat]

Originally posted by: desteffy
that is obviously a good workout. Why are you even asking this?

Cause I see people running like forever or talking about running 10 miles and stuff Maybe I am just a little confused between the occasional runner and the cross country dudes.

 

[kogase]

Run too much and you risk damage to your knees and muscle loss... or so I've heard. 10k is a common jog, which is about 6 miles.

 

[dds14u]

Originally posted by: kogase
Run too much and you risk damage to your knees and muscle loss... or so I've heard. 10k is a common jog, which is about 6 miles.

True true true...

I actually have a Seal workout spreadsheet...I think they end at around 6 miles ish...but that's also on top of the many push ups, pull ups, sit ups, bicycling/swimming you have to do.

 

[jalaram]

Originally posted by: MetalMat

Originally posted by: desteffy
that is obviously a good workout. Why are you even asking this?

Cause I see people running like forever or talking about running 10 miles and stuff Maybe I am just a little confused between the occasional runner and the cross country dudes.

Even 3 miles 3x a week is fine. It really depends on your pulse rate.

 

[phantom309]

That's a good routine. If you can do that you're in great shape. Just remember to watch your food intake - running that much will make you hungry all the time and it's very easy to "eat your workout".

If you overdo it you'll reach a point of diminishing returns. I found that more than 28 miles/week or so made me more likely to get colds and flu, and I'd eventually get tendon problems or the PF would flare up. But I'm unbelievably old, so you might do better than that.

 

[BSEagle1]

Originally posted by: kogase
Run too much and you risk damage to your knees and muscle loss... or so I've heard. 10k is a common jog, which is about 6 miles.

This is very true. Don't overtrain...you will hurt yourself and actually become weaker.

I'm 17 and am going to become a firefighter. I started physically training myself for it (I want to go into wildland firefighting...very arduous) a couple of weeks ago. I jog/run/powerwalk to build leg muscle and endurance...currently, I'm able to go almost 3 miles. I would suggest running every other day, with an extra day of rest sometime in the week.

Don't compare yourself to others, or to cross-country runners...run the distance you're capable of, try to eventually be able to run further, and listen to your body so you don't hurt yourself.

Here is one firefighter's workout if you want to see what he runs : http://www.wildlandfire.com/docs/2005/hstraining.htm

 

[PricklyPete]

Yes...even when I am running marathons, I still never run much more than 5 miles a day (closer to 6.5 is my normal route). When I am training for a marathon, I usually take one day to do a 10+ mile run (depending on the schedule) and another day or two to rest mid week depending on how my legs feel.

 

[CalvinHobbes]

I'm only running a mile every other day, I just get too bored to do any more than that.

 

[SWScorch]

20 miles per week is the optimum level for "fitness." 5 miles every other day is fine. You only need to run more if you're looking to improve, either speed or endurance. If you run more than 30 or 40 miles a week, you tend to enter the realm of marked improvement at the expense of muscle loss and higher chances of injury.

 

[Stuxnet]

Interesting topic...

I started running about 3 years ago, initially to lose some weight I had packed on since college.

I eventually got to the point where I could run "indefinitely"... "indefinitely" meaning I would likely pass out from bordom before passing out from fatigue.

At the peak of this routine, I was running just under 5 miles 6 days a week. To be precise, I was running 28.5 miles per week.

Like someone else mentioned, I tended to get sick more (got two different flus in two months), a constant cold, and very sore tendons in one foot and one knee. I was so obsessed with it though that I just went to the doc and he gave me some hefty anti-inflammatories and I just kept pushing forward.

I finally started to get burned out, thankfully before I permanently or severely injured myself. Right now I run about 3 miles 4 times a week, sometimes 5 if I feel like it.

Anywho, unless you have specific goals, there's no reason to beat the hell out of your body. I recall feeling my best when I was running about 20 miles a week, just like what someone else said. When the winter gets here, I'll probably go back to that. But here are a few tips:

1. Don't do so much that you'll get burned out. Running 15 miles a week over several years (preferrably a lifetime) is much better than running 30 miles a week for a few months and getting too burned out to continue.

2. Someone else brought up "eating your workout". If you're trying to lose weight, this is very important; but if you're in good shape, make sure you eat enough food (and the right kinds)... otherwise your body will deteriorate.

3. GET ENOUGH SLEEP. I have insomnia, so believe me when I tell you that not getting enough sleep is probably the easiest way to wreck your body, especially if you have an excersise regimen. Do whatever it takes to get your 8 hours (or whatever the key number is for you).

4. Be consistent. It's much easier to keep up with your program if it because part of your daily life (like brushing your teeth... hopefully). I get home, screw off for 45 minutes or so, and then I run.

The best advice is just to do what works for you, and unfortunately, that's just simply a learning process. No one can tell you how to get your own best results or what your optimum frequency and intensity is. You'll have to figure that out on your own.