The 100-Mile Week: Should You Try It?

Training for a marathon requires more time and effort than most think. It is not all about just running. Getting your body to be able to reach 26.2 miles safely and injury-free requires several other components. The priority should be to make sure we can get to that 26.2-mile mark without getting injured, burnt out, or being zombie-like throughout the entire process. Besides running several days per week, training will require extra time for strengthening sessions, stretching and more sleep. Because of this, there are a variety of different training plans you may find that are a “minimalist” approach, which include the least amount of mileage per week that will get you ready for race day.

On the opposite spectrum, there are those hard-core marathoners who have been training for years and attempt those very high mileage weeks without a problem. The most difficult part of this type of high volume training is the amount of time it requires. If you have a regular work schedule and a family to tend to, the hours remaining in your day will just be for training and sleeping. Evidently, you must be okay with the sacrifice. For the regular person, a normal training plan will usually consist of 50 to 60 miles per week at the most, whereas high mileage would be considered 75+ miles. Scattered throughout the week with some days including a morning and evening run, it can definitely be doable.

What about the elite runners out there hitting 130 miles per week? It sounds crazy but there is a science behind this extraordinary mileage. The classic 100-mile week is something even the everyday hard-core marathoners try to achieve. Some may say it is completely unnecessary, and that may be so, but if research shows a benefit to getting you to that next level, it may be worth a try. Fifty miles per week probably feels hard enough when first starting out, so considering doubling up your training will most definitely seem impossible. The key to getting to this point is to gradually and safely increase the workload. And no, this training approach isn’t for everyone OR the only way to progress in distance running.

Why 100?

Running Economy

Well, training to hit a weekly mileage of specifically “100” miles is merely just to get to the triple digits, because in essence 95 miles will provide the same benefit. Several studies have been done on high volume training and have concluded that there are many benefits linked to improving running economy. Basically, this means the more miles you run the less your body will have to work during the race, allowing you put that extra energy into faster paces. This is due to muscle and tendons training to adapt to prolonged running. These adaptations lead to increased elasticity of joints including the ankle, which in turn leads to a more forceful and less vertical push-off from the ground with each step. This will save a good amount of energy over time.

Aerobic Endurance

The goal of marathon training is to get our bodies to be able to run far, and if possible, fast.. The higher mileage programs essentially increase the amount of mitochondria and capillary density in the body, as well as hemoglobin and red blood cells. The growth of these factors leads to more and better oxygen transport through the blood cells to the muscles. This is why marathoners are eventually able to run farther and faster over time. Once you train to run more miles your body will learn to use fat as fuel and store more glycogen, which means more energy will be readily available for when you really need it, like at the end of a race.

Resistance to Fatigue

When you go from running 50 or 60 miles per week to 100 miles per week, the majority of those extra miles should all be performed at a slow, easy pace. The lower intensity, high mileage prepares not only our bodies for long races but also our minds. When you ask someone who is not a runner how they feel about running 26.2 miles, they will most likely think it’s a crazy idea. That’s because our minds become just as fatigued at the thought of running for so long as our bodies do. Many of the training runs in a 100-mile program will be 10-15 mile easy runs, where your body will undergo uncomfortable fatigue and soreness at times. It is during these long, slow runs that we get our mind accustomed to this sensation so that come race day, we can push through it.

Should I Try It?

Training to reach a weekly target of 100 miles is definitely not easy, but it is doable. The difficult part besides the extra time and sacrifice it will require is the high risk of injury it brings. More time on your feet means more chances of both accidental injuries as well as overuse-type injuries. It is important to gradually increase mileage every week. This means setting enough weeks in your training cycle to build up to 100 miles with no more than 5-10% increases per week and low mileage weeks built in every few weeks. The most important rule is to listen to your body not only for signs of pain but also for symptoms of overtraining and fatigue as well. Along with the 100 miles should also be at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night and 2 to 3 days of strengthening exercises. If these components are possible with your schedule then incorporating this extraordinary mileage program can be attainable.

You Can Be an Everyday Runner Thanks to the New Brooks Ghost 13

Sponsored by Zappos Running. All opinions are my own.

Running every day does not take any magic. It’s all about discipline and routine. Runners just getting into the sport often times get discouraged when they see the consistent daily run schedules of their more experienced friends. They have the desire to do the same but wonder if they will ever be able to get into that daily habit. As a running coach, I see this discouragement in most of my athletes at the beginning of their journeys, but it never lasts very long. Just a couple of months later they are running almost every day without it feeling dreadful, and there’s no better feeling for them than seeing their bodies transform into endurance engines in such a short time! The hardest part about getting to this point is understanding how much more goes into being an everyday runner than just running itself.

It takes strength, proper recovery, and ideal gear to get us to do this without burning out or getting injured. The first thing I advise my athletes is to make sure they are wearing the right shoes and rotating between two or three pairs throughout the week. This is important in order to balance out the pressure in the feet and joints higher up in the body and run more efficiently for different types of workouts. Brooks has done it again with their newest update—the Ghost 13. I got my pair from Zappos, where I get all of my running gear. As part of the rewards program, I get free expedited shipping, so my shoes came the very next day! Free returns for a year and only the best customer service are also part of the rewards program, so if you are not a part of it already, I highly recommend you sign up!

Just Run

When stepping outside for your run, all you want to have to think about is the run itself. When we wear uncomfortable clothes or shoes, it becomes a distraction and can end up messing up our form and making us more tired and achy the rest of the day. Brooks Ghost 13 is made with light, soft materials that keep your feet feeling fresh even after long runs. As usual I wore these for a short run first to break them in, but it didn’t take long for me to know they are a great pair for any amount of miles. My second run was a 90-minute progression run and I was surprised to see how a shoe weighing around 9 ounces can feel just as light as my 6-ounce pair!

The extended cushioning goes beyond the heel and is made with DNA LOFT technology, which basically covers up to the forefoot with a soft cushion to guarantee a smooth landing. As most of you know I am an intense heel striker, so anything that can lessen the impact during my steps is highly beneficial for me. When shoes are too cushioned they end up feeling less springy and responsive, so as comfortable as they can be, they aren’t the best for faster running. The Ghost 13, on the other hand, is not only cushioned but also has BioMoGo DNA which helps combat that loss of responsiveness with the added cushioning. During my progression run, where I started at around 8:45 minute/mile pace and finished around a 7:10 minute/mile pace, I did not feel the softness of the shoe limit my desired speed.

The Need to Breathe

What I loved the most about the Ghost 13 is the fitted feel of the upper. When a shoe hugs my foot like a sock, I know I can count on it to keep everything in place. This means less rubbing and chafing and better compression. I run in maximum heat here in Miami and the humidity is over 90% every day so I also try to wear shoes that keep my feet as dry as possible. The mesh that wraps the upper of the Ghost 13 does a great job keeping my feet from feeling suffocated like they do in other pairs. They also did not soak up all my sweat, even after 12 miles, which usually makes shoes feel twice as heavy during a long run!

If you are looking for a neutral shoe for those everyday miles, Brooks has your back. They updated the previous Ghost model with the joy of running in mind. When you don’t wear a good shoe, that fatigue and achiness in the feet, and even in the rest of the body, can make your run feel miserable. We shouldn’t have to think about anything else while running besides just running. Brooks wants you to RUN HAPPY, and the Ghost 13 makes that possible.