The runners thread

[FRPLG]

Once you get up towards 10 miles the challenge isn't physical but mental. I have never finished a race or run (of greater than say 7 mikes), no matter what the pace, that left me feeling I couldn't go another mile. Once your body can go a legit distance...it can do any reasonable legit distance. Just becomes a battle in your head. But...it is not a good idea to add more than say 10ish% total mileage a week.

If you shoot for 1 mile a day, every other day, you should add say a 1/4 mile to every other run the second week and then 1/4 to the other runs the third week.

Week 1
M - 1
W - 1
F - 1

Week 2
M - 1.25
W - 1
F - 1.25

Week 3
M - 1.25
W - 1.25
F - 1.25

Week 4
M - 1.5
W - 1.25
F - 1.5

That gives you 3 miles in week one and by the end of week 4 you're at 4.25.

Listen to your legs...pain is bad...sore and tired is fine. There's a difference. Ice your knees religiously after runs...you'll thank me for that one. When I got back into running after taking 10+ years off I spent a year building a base of about 30 miles a week. I iced religiously...now I don't have to ice. My legs and body have gotten used to the running and adjusted physiologically to handle it. It takes a year.