What are the benefits of a 30 day run challenge?

Swanie

The challenge forum has a 30 Day Run Challenge happening right now with a few runners still trudging along. Al Truscott and I have had to drop out due to some lingering injuries from IMAZ.  I would like to have the team comment on the benefits of increasing run volume for a 30 day period. Are the risks worth benefits. My injury is clearly an overuse injury likely coupled with some poor mechanics that I will need to work on. These runs due to their volume need to be in the zone 1 range with maybe some zone 2 thrown in for variety, so there isn't any speed work. I am starting the Jan OS and just coming off IMAZ so there wasn't any structured training happening anyways.  Any Thoughts?

Kevin Walter

For me, I find that increased run frequency really helps me beyond what would be predicted by the time and effort. Whether its improved biomechnical efficiency, joint conditioning, or what have you I don't know. I did the 30-days back in Sept as part of a rehab from a gastroc tear and it rejuvenated me. I did mostly 3-mile runs in Zone 1 like you said and at the end of the month recovered all the way back to my pre-injury VDOT after 2-months on the diabled list. I was going to do the 30-runs again, but backed off just a little with my OS in full swing and since I am swimming too. I am still running 5-6 days/week though. Big jump again in my VDOT at a 5K a couple of weeks ago and running much easier in training, including a big breakthrough 10-mile cruise run on Saturday which felt just effortless even though I was running faster than what was my half-marathon race pace from last June (and at a much lower HR than in June.) Frankly, on the calorie burn side for body comp too, the cost of an easy 3-mile run for me in terms of body stress is pretty low, but the calories add up over time and it has allowed me to shed weight like never before.

So:

1) Frequency=Better biomechanics and generally easier runs (the more frequently I run, the easier I feel when I am running).
2) Burn calories=lose weight, run easier
3) Opportunity to reinforce quicker cadence on runs. Have been working to raise my cadence to 90+ on the runs, each of these runs reinforces this "muscle memory."

Rambling answer, may only be applicable to me. Don't know if its approved by the coaches or not.

david ware

I am only in the experimenting stage... I have had a long history of running injuries. I have read some of Jack Daniels and also saw the post by Coach R on increasing frequency to develope the legs (muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc.) I do recall about 2 years ago when I was running more frequently (not every day) I did seem to do better. I have now run 14 days in a row (probably the most that I can ever remember.) The legs are feeling good, no aches, pains, discomfort other than just tired. I am also getting regular treatment with my ART doctor and using the "stick." I am hoping that this will help resolve the problems, especially since I have an early season IM (St. George!) I am mostly doing LRP but also some pickups, short intervals (no more than .5 mile) and ran a 12k race fairly hard last Weekend.

jhbinsc

I think run frequency is a key to improvement at least in my case. That being said, I'm not a fan of 30/30 or 90/90 or whatever challenges as they try to force me to run when fatigued or when I have a developing injury. I always and I mean ALWAYS take a day a week off completely which I feel is necessary for me at age 45. I'm currently aiming for 5 days a week and will increase to 6/wk after January as I adapt more. The frequency is the key more so than the volume IMHO.

Steve West

I used the October 30 day challenge to do 2 things:

• Reinvigorate my mojo following IMLP
• Build solid run endurance for my annual fall marathon

Like Steve suggested most runs were zone 1 or zone 2.  I cycled between shorter easier runs of 4 to 6 miles,  and longer harder runs of 7 to 10 miles. 

When I started I had a tight spot/spasm on my calf that kept threatening to cramp and forced me to take walk breaks and on a few times just plain stop.  About 2 weeks in, the spasm subsided and hasn't been an issue since.

In the middle of the challange I ran my marathon (MDI - a tough hilly course) and awesome race, placing 14/66 AG with a 3:34.  It was only 0:03:10 off my all time PR.  My longest run pre-marathon was 16 miles.  I think that says a lot about frequency building durability.

 

Al Truscott

I don't know how much of my injury recurrence was due to frequency vs. stupidity. I developed a pretty bad PF injury mid-Oct, five + weeks before IM AZ. There was no way I was not going to do the race, so I took a week off, then did as much running as I could leading into the race. My foot kept feeling better day-by-day, and did not really hurt much at all during the race. Then, for 10 days after the IM, I had no pain whatsoever, and started running again. What I probably should have done was just shut down the running for another 6-10 weeks to get full healing.

But I thought, with the improved sensation, why not see what frequency will do as opposed to volume or intensity. My whole 12 year running career (all after age 50) I had run 3-4 days a week, rarely three days in a row, and only sometimes 2 days in a row. I thought this played a part in keeping me injury free. But I read a lot about frequency having value over volume for "senior" runners, and also Daniels' and Lydiard's prescription for just running often. So I thought I'd give it a shot.

Maybe the message in the case of Steve and I is: even though the pain of the IM marathon is gone, there may still lingering repair work which needs to be done. Running every 2nd or 3rd day allows that to continue; running every day doesn't allow enough forward progress on the repairs. Remember, Steve had run the Portland Marathon Oct 9th, and then the IM AZ Nov 20. I had a bad PF injury about Oct 13th, then the IM marathon. We each had a high motivation for success in Tempe, and that over-rode any pain we might have felt. But, in hindsight, we each clearly needed a lot more healing time that we thought we did on, say, Nov 29th.

Luckily, I have no early season goals; and I have Jan and early Feb planned for 3-4 weeks of skiing, as well as another oral surgery about Jan 20th. Also, I am simultaneously concentrating on re-building my swim stroke and strength after my injury last year, and have been swimming 5-6 times a week for that. So it should be pretty easy to just shut down running entirely until President's day at the earliest.

The funny thing is, I always thought I hated running. But now I'm kind of anxious about giving it up for an extended period, even though I didn't run for three months last year, and came back to my previous form and speed within 4 months of training.

Oh, and this will be my first and last "30 runs in 30 days" attempt. Biking daily across the country: no problem. Swimming a mile a day: a lifestyle choice. Running daily: not for me. 

Kevin Walter

@Al. I agree on the timing of this for both of you could be a problem. I will say that both times I did this it was extremely easy for me to complete. No pain or real fatigue. If tired I went shorter or slower. I think it works best if these frequency runs are as low impact as possible. If they are hurting, etc or you have to recover from them then I would think not helpful.