my intermittent blog about training and racing

Awesome approach. I think once you are able to keep the aches and pains under control you'll be able to gradually increase your training to compete with those you want to. I like your approach. I've known too many runners than attack training and their seasons and races are short lived. You'll be in good shape in no time.

Welcome to the blog and good luck with your training.I am a fellow THS grad - class of 95. I ran through 11th grade then called it quits...

BTW - got Goucher on the brain for some reason. That would've been inspring. We ran with Adam Stark!

Good to see you on here Nate. We've usually been doing longer runs from Highland on Saturdays, and I am a big proponent of easy runs being EASY paced... so join us sometime when you are feeling ready. I think it will be a pretty regular thing throughout the spring.

Josh E. yes I meant to write Adam Stark, not Goucher. Ha ha. Of course, I did read about Goucher in a High School XC magazine and was inspired by him too.

Jake, thanks for the Long run invite. I would love to make it one of these weeks. What time do you start and how far do you usually go?

I can run 80-90 mile weeks pretty easily. Everytime I creep into 100+ mile territory something bad happens.

Also, you can post your runs in "Badger Miles". Wisconsin athletes just divide their run time by 7 to get the mileage. You might want to divide by 7.5 or 8 as you are not a 13:30 5k runner.

Nate - we usually get started around 8-9am, depending on what people have going on. A lot of times we'll do a loop if some people want to go shorter, and then anyone going longer just adds on. This week is the SLC 10K, but next weekend I'm sure we'll do a longer run.

Welcome Nate. It's good to see you on the blog.

Mileage is tricky and it takes control and discipline to raise it. You're on the right track with your approach.

I was a 40 miles a week guy in 2011 and I've just slowly built up a little at a time. In 2012 I was a 50 miles a week guy and last year I averaged 72. I have had some nagging injuries along the way but nothing serious. Steady and consistent is the key. Just a little at a time and if the body says no more, then back off a bit and level off until the body is ready to increase again.

I'm still waiting for my body to say it's ready for 100 as I've never had 100 in a week. But it's not quite there yet, very close but just not ready.

But as long as you avoid trying to keep up with the Jones's on mileage, the blog is great and you receive amazing support and advice from others. It will help you become the runner you want to be.

Here's the thing little bro (ha, that's funny), mileage is as individual as the individual. One of coach Bowerman's greatest accomplishments in his mind was getting a guy to run a 4 minute mile on just 30 miles a week. He knew this guy was a good runner, he just had to find the right training. Imagine that! Bowerman is known for bringing Lydiard's high mileage schemes to America, yet he knew training must be individualized and not comparative.

Running 100 mpw is like driving 100 mph. You cannot do it safely just anywhere and in any conditions. You need a straight road, good surface, good visibility, vehicle in good condition, and not too many cars around. And you need to have your eyes 100% on the road.

For a runner, this translates into good sleep, good diet, low-stress life, and having a certain level of fitness already that is achieved through gradually increasing the volume. You cannot get sloppy in your recovery in between the runs, or you pay the price! Basic common sense principles that too many runners somehow manage to neglect.

Perhaps because while it takes only roughly twice the amount of actual running time it takes 10 times the level of training discipline to properly handle 100 mpw vs only 60. You cannot go to bed late. You cannot work an extra hour. You cannot eat certain foods and there are some foods that you do have to eat. Some runners cannot go without an afternoon nap. Sometimes you may be as little as one argument away from overtraining - adrenaline rush at the wrong time disrupts the recover and the straw breaks the camel's back. And once you cross that red line, months of training go down the drain.

The key to success in high mileage is to imagine yourself driving at the speed in miles per hour equal to the number of miles per week, the amount of focus and precaution it would take to do it safely, and approach the training with the same attitude.

That's a really good analogy, Sasha. I like it. Very true - common sense.

Although I can't imagine driving 100mph b/c I'm fairly certain my jeep would explode if I tried to push it past 85 :-)

Great 10K run and great account of your race with a shadow!