12 1/2 Hours
This post follows my July 21 post on Five Cardinal Rules for Senior Runners. In that entry, Rule #1 was “Strength train and stretching”; Rule #2 was “Something every day.” The last three essentially fall under those first two. That post led me to think about how much time I typically train in the course of a week. I came up with 12 1/2 hours, the title of this post.
My sport is running. Everything I do revolves around that. I know others who do triathlons or long cycling rides. I do not. I’m something of a one-trick pony – my training is geared toward being the best runner I can be in my 70s. I am hardly alone – I know a number of folks who share this somewhat maniacal focus. However, one reason for writing that prior post is the observation that many short-shrift important training elements (i.e., the Five Cardinal Rules) aimed at keeping us on the roads and running to our full potential.
As I parsed out and totaled my training week, it roughly fell into a 5/5/2.5 hour allocation. Those three categories are running, including warmups and cooldowns (40%); strength training and stretching (also 40%); and running equivalents – water running, StairMaster, etc. (20%). It might seem that if all I do is run, then I might be frittering away important training time by spending 60% of it not running. If you feel this way, I am hoping the July 21 post might dissuade you.
The running part is self-evident. Whether it’s a long or easy run, a track workout, hills, drills, or jogging before and after the real action, it’s all feet on the ground. This is where our various systems, described in Chapters 4 through 7 in Senior Distance Running Essentials (SDRE), which is found here on TheSeniorRunner.com website, learn to work together and support our penchant for a credible time on race day. Five hours allows me to run up to 30 miles, incorporating all the elements noted above. But if I only have five hours in the course of a particular week to train, is running all I would do. I hope not!
Which gets to the second 40% – strength training and stretching. Strength training is a drum I beat throughout SDRE and Chapter 9 attempts to make the case for prioritizing this activity. But you will often see older folks in the gym as well as runners after a race, who not only walk around stiff legged but also show signs of spinal curvature. They look uncomfortable in their own bodies. Stretching, including yoga as well as the trusty foam roller, can help. But incorporating regular calf, hip-flexor, hamstring, quad, and back stretches make a big difference. How much stretching is useful and how much might actually be detrimental to our running performance? This will vary by individual. But it may come down to time. Most yoga classes last an hour. I frankly don’t have the patience and if I did three classes a week, that would be close to 25% of my training time. One way to add stretching is to do it in between weight training sets. In that way, you are always moving for the hour you are in the gym. It’s an efficient use of time and you cover the bases. What is a good split between strength work and stretching? In the course of a week, it’s probably around 60-65 (strength)/35-40 (stretching), since some dynamic stretching is wise before we run and ideally a fair amount of static stretching afterwards.
The last 20% is where the rubber does not hit the road — running equivalents (REQs). I have found it even harder to convince fellow runners about the importance of this component than strength training and stretching. Many combine their running and REQ time and just run to approximate an allocation of 60% running and 40% strength training/stretching. The data shows over 75% of those who ran in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, are not racing in their 60s. And that percentage continues to rise after age 70. We simply must do more than run if we want to stay in the game! Chapter 12 in SDRE attempts to make a case for REQs and provides some examples.
So, if 12 1/2 hours is my average weekly training, some weeks may only be eight or nine hours with a few up to 15. My guess is 75%+ of my weeks fall between 10 1/5 (90 minutes per day) and 14 hours (two hours a day). Yes, this is a big commitment, but it probably pales compared to the time triathletes and cyclist/runners spend honing their craft. For runners, I strongly believe the key is a regular split between the three components more than the number of hours. For example, an eight-hour week with six of that running may work here and there but not on a regular basis.
I encourage you to spend some time analyzing you own totals and allocations. You may discover some things that have flown under the radar; maybe even predisposed you to injury. While the 40/40/20 allocation has worked for me, you may find something that works better for you. But my guess is if your running is more than 50% of your training time, it’s probably too much in the long run.