How many miles do you run a week ?

I keep this quote handy for when I cannot find time to do something; "For disappearing acts it is difficult to beat what happens to the 8 hours left after you spent 8 hours asleep and 8 hours at work" attributed to Doug Larson, a gold medal winner in 1924 after being asked how he finds the time to train. What does happen to it?

TimR wrote (see)

Sorry Ratzer, it takes me 1:45 to run 10miles. 15minutes to cooldown, shower and change is 2hours a day. Add that to 12hours of commute/work, an hour cooking and eating, that gives me 9 hours a day to sleep and get ready for work. Assuming the wife is in to look after the kids, if she's out then there is nowhere to fit the 2hours in.

For some people that sort of dedication is just not possible.

I've read back through and I'm not sure what this thread is covering.  There's a tendency to claim "my commitments are tougher than your commitments" and a counter-argument of "well, if you wanted it enough...".

If you don't have time to run, why be a runner?

I don't have time to coach, so I'm not a coach.  I don't have money to become a doctor because I can't take out six years unpaid due to my other commitments.  I can run a bit, and have manipulated and managed the rest of my life around to give myself an opportunity to do what I enjoy to the best of my ability, without losing out on other commitments, responsibilities, and enjoyments.

When I had a 44+ mile commute to work, I changed jobs.  I wasn't a runner back then.  Simply in the opinions of me and my family it wasn't sustainable for us.  That's no comment on whether anyone else is capable of or able to make that change.  You either fit what pastime you enjoy into the time you have, or you don't really enjoy it as much as you enjoy the rest of what you are doing anyway.

ashman wrote (see)

How many miles do you run a week?

Its just that i've been reading my new book and there's a chap in there that used to bang out 160 miles a weeks !! obviously an elite runner but still thats amazing.  Us normal people who work and have other commitments struggle sometimes just to find the time..

44 this week.  About 8 with my son at athletics club.  About 12 during his two football training sessions between dropping him off and picking him up.  8-10 on Sunday morning whilst the family lies in.  The rest speckled into early morning runs before I leave for work - only a couple of miles each - and lunchtime runs in the office.  When higher mileage training does arrive I drive to about 12 miles away from the office, cycle in and then run back to the car.  The following morning I do the opposite.  On Wednesday mornings I take my daughter to swimming club before school, and swim in the public lanes alongside.

If I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't do it.

Ratzer wrote (see)

I've read back through and I'm not sure what this thread is covering.  There's a tendency to claim "my commitments are tougher than your commitments"

I agree, this is beginning to sound like the old Monty Python Yorkshiremen sketch, for those of a certain age

Do people still get lunch breaks? I don't get any breaks when I'm at work. Working 19hrs from this afternoon.

44 isn't a very high mileage week though is it. I manage 45 - 50 and I think that's fairly low mileage.

Also - why is it that you think people are making excuses for not wanting something. Isn't it enough that they don't want it. You don't need an excuse.

Why should I make an excuse for only running a few miles? I want to swim rather than run. That's not an excuse, that's what I want. Couldn't really give a toss that you think I'm making excuses for only running a few miles. That's what I want. If it's not good enough for anyone - tough, their problem.

(The above isn't really aimed at anyone in particular, just that not wanting something or wanting one thing over and above another shouldn't be seen as making excuses for not doing the thing you want less.)
real life does get in the way. If I wasn't going to work today I'd be cycling 15 miles, swimming 2k and going for a second run. As it is I'll make do with one run and cycling 12 miles to work and having no sleep tonight. That's my choice.

T-mouse - agree totally, no one needs make any excuses for what they do or don't do. Running is primarily for fun and enjoyment, although it's a competitive thing by nature, how much we do or what time we devote to it, should not turn into a pissing contest.

T.mouse wrote (see)

44 isn't a very high mileage week though is it. I manage 45 - 50 and I think that's fairly low mileage.

No, it's not.  Though in my defence I spent the summer as a sprinter, so I'm still ramping up.  44 is way too much for a sprinter during competition season!

I assumed the very precise 44 reference was aimed at me... 

(I might have lied earlier in this thread...)

ashman wrote (see)

 

Its just that i've been reading my new book and there's a chap in there that used to bang out 160 miles a weeks !!

Another tendency - beyond mere exaggeration in the cock-waving stakes - is to quote peak mileage weeks, when the average is probably somewhat less.  My immediate answer off the top of my head would be "about 60 miles per week" (it was 60 exactly last week) but if I look at my actual training log for this year, it averages just 42 mpw.    That's thanks in no small part to a worse than usual record for picking up viruses this year, but that's beside the point.  That surprised me a bit.

And I've got no commitments at all.  Must try harder. 

Phil - I agree with you, an ideal week in peak training would be good mileage. As an example, last week was a recovery week from a long race so only covered just over 20 miles of running. If I average out my mileage over a whole year to include peak training weeks, recovery weeks, tapering etc then it would be a lot lower than what I would probably say if someone asked me.

Andy - Has being a 'full time' runner helped you much? Do you get many more miles in as a total or can you just divide your time up a bit better and apply your training differently? I would think the main part is the recovery side of things would be improved by taking out the need to get up for work, work all day, commute, get in later than you would like etc.

This year I've averaged 19 miles per week. The most I've run in a week is 32 miles (marathon training). Personally, I run for fun and I think if I was pushing myself towards higher mileage I'd enjoy it less. I also have some concerns about the injury risk of higher mile.

There's also the effort / reward thing, in that I'm running what I consider to be decent times (sub-20 for 5K, 42:xx for 10K, 1:37:xx for HM) and I feel like I'd have to really bust my arse to get sub-19, sub-40 or sub 1:30 and it doesn't seem worth it.

Cheers Andy. I don't know how long you have been doing it for but have you seen a benefit in your racing too? Do you have a comparison of maybe HM before and after or even better a marathon time before and after?

Sounds ideal though, good on you for getting into a position to be able to do it, I would enjoy nothing more than to be able to spend my days running

surely people run as much as they want to, or as much as they can. Not sure why it matters so much to anyone else.

for the record, I'm wayyy off the volumes that some of you guys are at currently. I did 23 last week, 30 planned for this week. I mostly enjoy it, I'll run more as I get fitter, and if i don't feel like it I will take a guilt-free break from it, and run again when I do feel like it.

I'm addicted to it and don't mind admitting it. My training log has 2 averages on there, weekly average for year and weekly average over the last 10 weeks.

Both are just slightly over 50. So I can say I run 50 miles per week. I run cos i flippin well enjoy it (most of the time) and that i can. Fortunately do most of my running at lunchtimes (can flex 2 hours). This is huge for me, getting out of the office is so therapaeutic. Sorry about the spelling.

Andy - Sounds good. Well done on the improvements so far.

T.mouse wrote (see)

Whoops - Stevie G, you're nearly 20 years my junior.

 

If you're pushing 50, and can get upto 50miles a week in, I think that's a pretty excellent amount of training!

I doubt there's too many FV50's who do more!