Run-Down Forums

[Guest]

yeah i was wondering on how you can motivate yourself to do 75 mile weeks. i normally run around 45-50 miles a week. and i was wondering how can i keep myself in focus, by running all these miles. it's really tough. so if you have any ideas, suggestions or things that have worked for you, then please tell me thanks!

[Anonymously Posted by: 'Mark Wilins']

[Dan]

50 is the most I've been able to maintain, so I can't really offer you much advice beyond that level. I know people who run high mileage generally require a few years to steadily build to that level. Trying to do it overnight will likely lead to injury and a subsequent loss of motivation.

Dan

[mjsbossman]

Well do you have a goal? Are you going to be running in some races? I will be a Junior in High School and will be running Cross Country andI am just motivated to be good, so I make sure I run days a week. If you dont have a goal, it is very hard to be motivated.

[Guest]

I've run back-to-back 100 mile weeks and averaged over 80 for a 16 week period. During that time I had to come to grips with the only real "secret" of distance running. It never lets up. You have to keep at it day after day after day, week after week, year after year. If you can't face this and deal with it, you will not reach yoru potential.

As far as doing the milage, you actually have to become a little bit adicted to it and compulsive. You need to have a set milage goal at the begining of the week so that you don't have an excuse to fall behind.

It helps a HELL of a lot if you have someone to run with. I couldn't have gotten in my high milage phase without a buddy who would be at my door at 6:15 every other morning.

I also did all my running in Boulder CO which helps a bit.

Oh yeah, the one bit of warning, I crashed and burned bad. Not because of the milage, but becuase my fitness got ahead of what my body could really handle. I ended up hammering 20 milers at altitude and put myself into a tailspin of exhaustion. You have to be close to that edge to get the most out of yourself, but be careful about how you go about your milage. Be comfortable with the distance before you try to really hammer it. You can't go slow every day, but be sure to go easy when your body tells you to.

BTW, 80-100 mpw summers were the norm for high school kids 30 years ago when 9:00 wouldn't get you on the national list. Don Sage has been running them since 8th grade.

Paul

[Anonymously Posted by: 'Paul']

[training2run]

I manage to cope with the long miles and hours by fantasizing, writing mental letters, talking to myself, talking to my training partners, reliving old races, and stufff like that.

When worse comes to worse (racing or training), I run from bush to bush, tree to tree or light pole to light pole, rather than thinking about the entire 50 miles or whatever the distance. Mad Dog Mike www.training2run.com