When To Add Speed & Miles

written by runnergirl training

When progressing through a running program it is important to know how and when to add more speed or miles. Read more below!

If you are new to running maintain your weekly mileage for 4 weeks. If you have been running for a while, remember to only increase distance by no more than 10% per week. To be cautious you can repeat a week’s mileage again before increasing it. This gives your body additional time to adapt before adding miles.

A rest week can be added into your program every 4-5 weeks to prevent injuries and burnout. Another strategy to injury prevention is to alternate hard & easy workouts. For example, a long run should not be the day before or after a speed workout. If performing two speed workouts within a week have several days of easy running and rest between them.

Add miles to the long run first then to the speed workout. For example, if your long run was 10 miles last week the following week it might be 11 miles. The next week increase the speed work’s mileage. Often running programs will increase a long run’s mileage and the next week decrease it. Two weeks after, it will increase the mileage of the speed session.

Cross training with cycling can also help build aerobic endurance without pounding on joints. Increasing endurance will condition your body to handle more running mileage.

Preset running training plans will generally use these guidelines. If making your own program now you have the basic concepts to increase speed work and overall miles.