When 2 runs are better than 1

With every training cycle I make subtle changes to my training plan. I do this because I once read the following quote "if you do something the same way every time, why should you ever expect a different result". I may have paraphrase a little but you get the idea.

If you use the same training plan every time, how do you ever expect to improve?

Case in point, this training cycle I decided to introduce a 2-a-day runs but with a twist.

Now 2-a-day runs are not new for me. I have often run 2-a-day workouts and for that matter race more than once in a day. But training wise, typically, my 2-a-day runs consist of a heavy stressor during the morning and short easy run in the evening to help with the recovery.

For my Boston Training plan, I decided to go with to moderately short runs of 6 miles in the morning and 6 miles in the evening. Why 6 miles? Well, 6 seemed like a nice round number between 4 miles and 10 miles. Also I do a lot of 7 and 8 mile runs so I didn't want to make it the same as those runs.

I started doing these workouts at the beginning of January and so far I have to say that I like it.

And truth be told, I actually look forward to each Wednesday.

Generally, these runs take between 40 and 48 minutes to complete. Therefore, they don't last long enough that I feel tired as with my longer Tuesday runs or sore from my tempo or hill workouts. By and large, I am left feeling ready to start the day and with some extra energy.

And because it is only 6 miles, it is fairly easy to squeeze in a 2^nd run during the afternoon and I am still hitting my mileage for the day.

Just a thought, but you might want to look are your own training plans. Breaking something up into 2 runs might just be the ticket to give both the body and the mind that much needed mid week break.

 

Thoughts from the Cool Down Runner