Running with a purpose
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bluebirdbiker posted 2 years ago.
It basically depends what your focus is. The Sprint, Oly have one style of training where as the IM stuff is usually structured different.
BBB
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JohnieTri posted 2 years ago.
I'd say my main focus is Olympic. Currently, I'll average 20-22min in 5k/45-48min in 10k/ off the bike. Obviously not very fast but comfortable. Just really don't know what kind of effort to put into another run per week.
-Johnie
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beads1985 posted 2 years ago.
JohnieTri wrote:
Just wanting to know if all runs in a training week should have a purpose? I read alot about how it is beneficial to increase the frequency of your runs per week, but want to know if they all are supposed to have a specific purpose(i.e. speedwork, recovery, LSD, tempo, etc.) I like running and value the fat burning characteristics, but don't want to waste valuable training time with junk miles. Currently I have a speedwork/hill day, a tempo run day, and a LSD day. Concentrating on mostly sprint and olympic distance races with a possible HIM in August, would it benefit me to add another day of a short 3-4 mile aerobic run or some other type?
Truly no miles are junk miles. If you have the time it doesn't hurt to do an additional run. It gets your legs used to running at the very least. You are still expending energy. Make sure you get proper rest and recovery time too!! :D
Nothing to it, but to do it
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Anton posted 2 years ago.
I'm with Beads...Alot of times it's great to "just run" with no goal in mind but to shed the days crap.
Are you running off the bike on a regular basis? T runs are another great way to get in some more miles...as is the occasional two a day.
Most schedules have and most people do the speed/tempo/LR day thing. I think folks cheat themselves out of the joy of the sport by thinking thats it. Sometimes run when you feel like it...just for the joy of it.
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ChuckyFinster posted 2 years ago.
If you are training for a race, your workouts should all have a focus or goal. It can be effort or form, but you should definitely have a goal for every workout. Would you ever just jump in the pool and swim without focus or jump on your bike and ride without focus?
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beads1985 posted 2 years ago.
ChuckyFinster wrote:
If you are training for a race, your workouts should all have a focus or goal. It can be effort or form, but you should definitely have a goal for every workout. Would you ever just jump in the pool and swim without focus or jump on your bike and ride without focus?
I think sometimes even if you are training for a race, it is good to run bike or swim with the only goal is just to get out there.
As stated by Anton previously...
Anton wrote:
I'm with Beads...Alot of times it's great to "just run" with no goal in mind but to shed the days crap.
Are you running off the bike on a regular basis? T runs are another great way to get in some more miles...as is the occasional two a day.
Most schedules have and most people do the speed/tempo/LR day thing. I think folks cheat themselves out of the joy of the sport by thinking thats it. Sometimes run when you feel like it...just for the joy of it.
Nothing to it, but to do it
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JohnieTri posted 2 years ago.
Thanks for the replies. I think I'll add an extra short run in really concentrating on form.
-Johnie
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Beldrueger posted 2 years ago.
beads1985 wrote:
I think sometimes even if you are training for a race, it is good to run bike or swim with the only goal is just to get out there.
As stated by Anton previously...
I don't fully agree. I am with Chucky on this one. I think every workout should have a goal. I think that adding 3-4 soft miles a week would be much more useful if you tack them on the end to your LSD day than just going out and doing a light 3-4 mile workout.
If you do just want to do a run that short, it should be a heavy interval session.
I have a very limited time budget for training, so I need to maximize every workout. I also train for sprint to olympic distance races. I put in about 9-12 hrs a week, but every hour is focused.
If I did have more time to train, it would still be focused. I would stretch out my LSD days.
I should add that my goal is to be as competitive as possible, and I'm a pretty competitive guy. Your goals may be different, so just soak up the different opinions. If your ambition is to be as competitive as possible and to push your body to its genetic limits, then more goals, determination, and focus will always help.
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RV posted 2 years ago.
It is important to know what the purpose is for each workout. That is the whole purpose of training.
However, running just to run especially for some active recovery or as a release is fine as well.
You just don't want to replace your training runs with those easy junk miles. And make sure that you hold your form, posture, etc on those runs as well.
RV
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kona_expat posted 2 years ago.
JohnieTri wrote:
Just wanting to know if all runs in a training week should have a purpose? I read alot about how it is beneficial to increase the frequency of your runs per week, but want to know if they all are supposed to have a specific purpose(i.e. speedwork, recovery, LSD, tempo, etc.) I like running and value the fat burning characteristics, but don't want to waste valuable training time with junk miles. Currently I have a speedwork/hill day, a tempo run day, and a LSD day. Concentrating on mostly sprint and olympic distance races with a possible HIM in August, would it benefit me to add another day of a short 3-4 mile aerobic run or some other type?
You SHOULD add 1 more run and you could add one more. The SHOULD would be a brick run, just by time (:30) after your long ride, where you go out easy and come back picking it up a little bit.
The COULD run would be maybe :40 min. VERY EASY, but include some form work like strides for about :10.
Run frequency is a good thing. Bricks are good to teach you how it feels to run off the bike, but if you are just used to running frequently, you will experience all sorts of different levels of leg tiredness, and then a brick run is just another variety of tired.
But if you add 1 or more runs, do it slowly, don't break volume increase rules and also watch the intensity. For example, if you add the brick run, you might want to shorten the hill run. Remember that intensity and time are not 1 for 1 interchangeable.
Just wanting to know if all runs in a training week should have a purpose? I read alot about how it is beneficial to increase the frequency of your runs per week, but want to know if they all are supposed to have a specific purpose(i.e. speedwork, recovery, LSD, tempo, etc.) I like running and value the fat burning characteristics, but don't want to waste valuable training time with junk miles. Currently I have a speedwork/hill day, a tempo run day, and a LSD day. Concentrating on mostly sprint and olympic distance races with a possible HIM in August, would it benefit me to add another day of a short 3-4 mile aerobic run or some other type?
-Johnie