7 miles total. All nice and easy - nothing below a 9 minute pace. (3 with Smo, 3.5 by my lonesome, .5 with Liv and Sherm) So ... I have been thinking a lot the last little while about injuries. I think it can be very misleading to tell someone to build up their mileage by 10% a week to avoid injury. There is a huge difference with the amount of stress/strain our bodies experience when someone runs, hmmm ... let's say 10 miles at a 11 minute pace versus someone who runs 10 miles at a 7 minute pace. And then, of course, you have to take into consideration how difficult an 11 minute pace is for someone. Whereas someone may feel like they are barely moving at an 11 minute pace that may very well be another's marathon pace. So many variables to consider. A simple 10% increase seems ridiculous. So this is what I have been thinking: Why not implement the stress/strain curve type principle. For example: STRESS RATES: VO₂ or faster = 10 10K pace = 8 HM pace = 6 MP = 4 MP + 1 min = 3 MP + 2 min = 2 MP + > 2 min = 1 Hills = ??? (perhaps assign by effort) Total Stress = Stress number x mileage The point is to allot yourself so many points to start with (for example, 10-15 points when coming off of injury). Then safely increase your training by allotting yourself 10-15% more points per week. Use them how you wish. Plan out a couple of key workouts, see how many points you use up, and then make do with whatever points you have left. So if you are doing faster runs and/or hills a couple of times then you are likely going to be running very slowly the rest of the week. I am still playing with the numbers, and maybe there is something like this already out there. BUT, I am convinced that it would work. I am going to use it for a while and see how it goes! :) |