Long Run Solutions

Twice is nice when it comes to running

A friend of mine asked me a really good question in an email today, and that was:

"Is it significantly better to run one longer run a day or is it OK to run twice a day?"

The short answer is yes, it is OK to run twice a day and the benefits are the same as one longer run.

There are two main reasons to run twice a day rather than once. First, you simply do not have time for a longer run at any time during the day. It's important to remember that if you are training for a distance run like a half marathon or a marathon, your running during the week is:

1. to build mileage up to a "base level" where you can do legitimate distance training on the weekends
2. to maintain the level of fitness that allows you to build up to longer and longer weekend distance runs

The second reason is that it is a way to maintain high mileage while getting more rest days in as you age. Most running coaches will tell you that 40 years old is a threshold where rest days become more important . In other words, the risk of over training increases substantially as we age. Some distance runners will run their best marathons in their 40s,. Some even in their 50s. However, this kind of performance requires more rest than marathoning at a younger age.

So, the bottom line is this: If you want to build up to a half marathon or marathon, two-a-days can be a great way to do it. Here is a possible training schedule for a 35 plus year old.

• Day one - 2 to 3 miles twice during the day
• Day two - 3 to 4 miles once during the day
• Day three - light cross training like stationary bike or curcuit training
• Day four - 2.5 to 4 miles twice during the day
• Day five - rest
• Day six - this is the prime time day for building up distance work and doing speed work
• Day seven - go for a walk or light run of only 3 to 4 miles

Here are a couple of standard disclaimers:

1. Know your body and the difference between soreness and injury. If your sore, slow down and stay on the low side of workouts. If your injured, even a minor injury, you must take time off.
2. Running during the week is only to maintain your fitness level. If you need an extra day off, take it.

Let me know how your two-a-days go.

I was just wondering.....6.11.08

This question was inspired by my daughter. I hope you find it as fascinating as I do.

What is your favorite thing about yourself?

I was just wondering.....5.27.08

Do you want to be defined by your work?

I think I just heard most of you scoff and say no. Right? Why did you do that?  I challenge you to spend a few minutes thinking about what you want to define you as a person, as a friend, a parent or a sister or brother. Will you let life and work define you as it happens to you, or will you actively define yourself? The answer may be worth the time you take to consider it.

I was just wondering.....04.13.08

When you hear someone's words, do you also hear their intentions? their fears?  and their aspirations?

I recently ran across this quote said to be of the thirteenth-century Sufi poet Rumi:

Reach your long hand out

to another door, beyond where

you go on the street, the street

where everyone says, "how are you?"

And no one says how aren't you?

I was just wondering......3.24.08

Is it better to ask the right questions or to have the right answers?

How would you know you had the right answers if you don't ask the right questions? Which leads me to wonder, "How can I put myself in position to ask the best questions"? And, "How much knowledge, which could be considered answers, do I need to ask the right questions?"

Is this a chicken or the egg question, or is there more to it than that? If I had the right answer to the first question would I be violating my own thought process if I thought the right question was more important?

Hmmm.

I was just wondering......2.11.08

How shall we live our life so that it means more than a moment of biological existence that will soon disappear forever?

I was just wondering.....2.4.08

When we have a strong sense of where we've come from and how far along the Lord has brought us, how does it impact our everyday lives?

I was just wondering......1.27.08

If your feeling far away from God, who moved?

I was just wondering.......1.14.08

What would the implications be if you could not feel emotional pain?

I was just wondering.....12.02.07

Why is urban sprawl bad anyway?

I got to thinking about this question and my wife and I started talking about it and it got to be a very strange conversation. Seriously, why is urban sprawl bad? O.K., here is my answer. Urban sprawl is bad because of global warming....dahhh. Once we figured this out the conversation was over and all is well in the world again. Oh, thank God we don't have to wrestle with that anymore. I mean, had I thought of global warming in the first place the conversation would have been much briefer. And from now on, it will be. In fact I'm pretty sure I can shorten up a lot of conversations with that answer. What a beauty answer it is, too. No need to question it at all. I need to find more answers like "global warming" in my life. You know, the kind that you need not ever question if you are above average intelligence.