I had fancied the idea of long distance running for over a decade now, but kept having to abandon prior attempts due to knee and then other issues. Now my knee feels 99% fine. I am now able to run ~10kms at ~7:30km / min. I run 3-4 times a week, and cycle 1-2 days. This is the progress from resuming running with a 15-min walk / run plan in August 2022. Plantar fasciitis and weird hip pain that shifts around between different parts / muscles are nearly gone. I’d love to build up to run a half marathon, and beyond. Male 46, 186cms / 74kgs so on the skinny side.
What should be my next focus?
- Increase long run distance?
- Increase weekly mileage?
- Improve speed?
- Improve form?
- Something else?
My priorities:
- Keep my running sustainable, so I can keep running until as old as possible.
- Be pain free.
- One day run an ultra.
Increasing my weekly long run distance at 10% seems to be fine up till now. But it feels weird – since the 10% increase equates to a larger amount each time, the logical conclusion seems to be to get to the point when +10% is too much for me to handle, and realising this by way of knocking on the doors of yet another injury. Is there a better way?
I was never a fast healer, and it seems to get dramatically slower with age. Now that I’m routinely running, the mere thought of a layoff makes me squirm.
I have been a lifelong runner with extended periods of time off. I’ve encountered similar ailments as you so here’s what I do. First, I’m not sure where you are located, but see if you can find a specialty running store to have your running gait analyzed. Sometimes physical pain really is as simple as having the wrong (or worn out) pair of shoes. Visit an orthopedic if pain continues as they may refer you to a physical therapist to work on specific muscles.
Consider strength training. Imbalances can cause all sorts of issues. A physically strong athlete is a better athlete. I’m not saying you need to be a power lifter, but some work on mobility, strength, and core can go a long way.
Next, I also try to stick to the 10% weekly mileage increase, but it shouldn’t be a hard rule. If you need to run two weeks with minimal mileage increase, so be it. If I were in your shoes (which I somewhat am), here’s my priority list:
- Build my base (slowly increase weekly mileage)
- The increase in “long runs” can be smaller if all runs during a week get minimal increases.
- Add in strength work
- If you are looking to race, set some 5k, 10k, and half marathon targets over the course of a YEAR and slowly build towards these goals
- In another year, if all goes well, continue all strength work and increase your goals to a half marathon, 20 miles, full marathon
As we age, recovery times can increase so take care of your body with stretching, strength, massage, and a good diet. For me, I used to be into the racing scene when I was 10-20 years younger, but now I’m focused on making sure I’m still around for my teenage kids and their kids. I’m playing the long game.
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For 10K target i would add little bit of speed since you already have a lot of base workouts,For example workout every two weeks for example. 20 minutes warmp up + 6 x 90s with 140s rest between each rep and to finish just 5minutes cool down
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I started running for almost the first time in my life at 45 (now I am 57). I was active (long list of sports) but not a runner, and I was 188/95kg, not so skinny. I read “born to run” (super fun read) and other books and it inspired me towards barefoot style running and I completed my first and only slow (4:49hr) marathon at the age of 48. I was training mostly at 10k at 7:30/km like you.
I attribute part of my success to barefoot style, which put more emphasis on forefront and mid-foot landing or “very quiet foot strike” as well as more bent knees for more shocks. Barefoot style takes years to work your way into and some people try to do too much too soon and get injured but since I am heavy and not a runner it worked for me.
I did actual barefoot on city streets for about a year. Speed is the enemy when it comes to increasing the chance of injury especially if you are trying to increase your distances. I also got inspired by Maffetone and his low heart rate books like “the big book of endurance.” But even great running coaches like Hal Higgdon and others suggest to start out doing a long base period which could even be two years in our 40s/50s that becomes more important, with almost exclusively or exclusively zone 2 HR running.
I would track your HRV and/or use the Intervals PMC chart and monitor your training stress balance to help you know if you are doing too much, but 10% every week without rest weeks is likely too much. If you recovery slowly every 3 weeks try to run even slower for only 5k like 3 of those days. It could be rest weeks every 4 weeks as well. If you are starting to feel something now, I would say back off immediately but you don’t necessarily need to stop but if what you are feeling gets worse and worse during the run, it’s better to stop and take a few days off.
My last year before my marathon I was regularly running 20-25k comfortably still at a pace similar to yours. I wish you luck. Having an enjoyable first marathon and the training leading up to it is a magical experience from my point of view. I would like to do it again. Our twins were born later that same year and I have struggled to run consistently since then but I am still active, I mostly MTB with my now 8-year olds and weight train but run a bit as well. Going out now.