mrinertia, you are not alone.  I think everyone scratches their head about this at the beginning and then a few months later can't believe they ever ran so hard every day when now they run easy most days and are improving at a fast rate!

Anyway, here's my advice, fwiw:

Go over and start reading the "truth about mileage" thread in the basic training forum. That's a good start.

Then order a Jack Daniels book on amazon.  He does a wonderful job explaining the basic physiology of training.  Caveat:  his training plans are generally considered aggressive, so I wouldn't necessarily go out and use one of his training plans just yet.  Read his book to understand the basic principlesno matter who designed your training plan, the principles are generally the same.  The difference in most training plans is in the pace to use for different types of runs and perhaps the distance or duration of those runs. <br /><br />After reading Daniels I would go read about some other approaches to training (Pfitzinger, Higgons, even Gallowaythey're all popular and easy to get info on).  Think about all the info and then decide what approach you want to take.

I certainly agree that on your miles that more than 45 minutes is not a recovery run. BUT, if you take the day off after your long run, you may not need the recovery run or recovery pace. Listen to your body. A far as tempo paces. Generally, faster tempo (3 miles or 3-4 X 1 mile) is around 30 sec. slower than current 5K pace. And a slower Tinman tempo (4-6 miles) would be more like 50-60 seconds slower than 5K race pace but for longer distance.

Here is my suggestion for what it's worth

Saturday: 12 mile long run comfortable w/ last 2-3 at a faster pace if feeling good and 4-8 striders
Sunday: off
Monday 5 miles comfortable
Tuesday: 8-10 mile with 3-5 miles at tempo pace.
One week do a faster tempo pace of 3 miles and the other week do 4-5 miles at a bit slower tempo pace. Can't give paces until you run a 5K race or 10K to assess your current level of fitness
Wednesday: off or 2 - 3 miles slow
Thursday: 7 miles comfortable with 4 working up to 8 quick 100M striders
Friday: 4 - 7 miles comfortable




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Todd[/URL" target="_blank">

I have only been running 7 months, and less weekly mileage, about 18-25 currently. I have found success by doing an easy 3-4 mile run, a tempo or interval run of 5 miles, another short easy run, then a 10 miler or 8 miles with hills at a good pace for my long run.
like you, I find it difficult to slow down, but feel that with limited miles I should try to do harder runs than someone running further. (Quite often I do only 3 runs in a week, for the lower total.)

Being 56 I find it takes me a bit longer than some to recover after a longer or faster run. I ran the Toronto Sporting Life 10k on Sunday in 51:50, but it is flat or slightly downhill all the way so perhaps adding 2 minutes would give a fair comparison.

My point is that I think what works best for each of us may be an individual thing, I do think more mileage would make me faster, and am planning to gradually increase with the goal of running a half marathon this fall.

At your performance level, doing 1 long run and 1 interval or tempo run per week is perfectly sensible. Any more than that is asking for injuries, burnout, and staleness.

Give your body time to adjust. Be patient. More is fine, but not necessarily better. Often, the more is better philosophy is synonymous with impatience. Most runners who've had injuries will tell you there problem was rushing the process - doing too much, too soon, too fast.

Remember this basic observation: Just because you can do something doesn't mean it is good for you. And just because something is good for you in a small amount doesn't mean it's good for you in a bigger amount.

Good luck!

Tinman
runfastcoach@gmail.com

mrinertia,

Have you ever done any running with a heart rate monitor (HRM)? If you're analytical you might really enjoy it. I'm extremely analytical and it makes my running much more enjoyable. My entire program is based on HR percentages and not paces. There's one way to know for sure if your different runs are being done at the correct intensity. Strap on a monitor and find out. My blog discusses the topic, you could buy a book by Parker called "HR Training for the Compleat Idiot", or find one of many threads on the board here if you're interested. For the analytical mind it might be just what you're looking for. If you're interested I'd be happy to help get you started.

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My Profile[/URL" target="_blank">

"Pain is temporary. Regret hurts forever."
http://www.hrmarathontraining.blogspot.com/