Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Split Runs in a day

  1. #1
    Member Last Man Home's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Tregarth
    Posts
    51

    Split Runs in a day

    I'm going into a period where free time will be quite tight for a few weeks (no not prison!) and wondered if two short sessions would do in place of a long one?
    As an example, would two 5mile runs some three hours apart be about the same as one 10mile session if run at similar pace?

  2. #2
    Master shaunaneto's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Tayside
    Posts
    4,734
    ....IainR to the forum, calling IainR.....
    pies

  3. #3
    Master MickTor's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    The Nail Side
    Posts
    1,179
    There is a good discussion about this somewhere, unfortunately don't know where but the truth is out there.
    http://www.mikkmurray.co.uk - My art and running blog! Go on.. Take a look!

  4. #4
    Senior Member wolley tha's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    In the land of the East Saxons
    Posts
    101
    Quote Originally Posted by Last Man Home View Post
    would two 5 mile runs some three hours apart be about the same as one 10mile session if run at similar pace?
    It all depends on what pace you run them at, but generally, yes it is definitely worth doing two sessions per day. See, for example, "The art of running faster" by Julian Goater: although the book is mostly aimed at road, track (5000m and 10000m) and cross-country runners, the principles of training apply to any discipline. What you want to avoid, however, is doing both the five-milers at ten-mile pace. Make one hard and one easy, or better still, do the easy run first then you should be able to the second one harder than you would otherwise.

  5. #5
    Moderator noel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Western Peak District
    Posts
    6,244
    A lot of people advocate two sessions a day as much better than one run a day. Of course it will train different things and you'll get good at what you train. Either way, enjoy it!

    My only advice is to mix it up. Some recovery, some very fast.

  6. #6
    Master
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Nottingham
    Posts
    1,030
    Two runs a day is great and potentially better than one 10 mile run at a single pace. As people above have said mix it up a bit but do one at a steady aerobic pace and the other you could do up to about three times a week a hard session. EG session 1 2 x 2 miles hard and mile easy to warm down, session 2 5 mile tempo, session 3 efforts within the run such as hills or 3 mins hard etc etc

  7. #7
    Member Last Man Home's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Tregarth
    Posts
    51
    Thanks everyone, two sessions & mix it up it is then.

    Cheers!

  8. #8
    Master IainR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    NH, USA
    Posts
    6,098
    Quote Originally Posted by Last Man Home View Post
    Thanks everyone, two sessions & mix it up it is then.

    Cheers!
    yeah I do it a lot.. 4 or 5 days a week at the moment..

    At least one run is always easy, 7:20-8:00 pace.. easy relaxed running..

    But 2 6's is much easier on the body than 1 12 miler so it just makes building the miles easier. I also find my track session is improved by an easy morning run session.

  9. #9
    Senior Member LissaJous's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Mid Wales
    Posts
    806
    Yes I do 2 sessions a day a lot, and as Iain says a gentle first run sets you up very well for a later session.

    I also do what I would mean by split sessions, with just an hour or two gap between runs, both decent threshold (tempo) runs and very often round the same circuit. This is a way to train with partial glycogen depletion (etc) but retain better speed/form than one long session. People often talk about getting up and running without breakfast to get a similar effect, which I also do to an extent (I would call it 'starvation training'), but it's hard to run well first thing in the morning, and these tend to be more of an easy warm-up session when I do them.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Sam W's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Nottingham
    Posts
    368
    I often do two runs a day, more through circumstance & convenience but it seems to be paying off as my times have improved significantly.

    For the last 8 months, 3-4 times a week, I run 3 miles at 5k pace with a sack on my back (probably 6:45 but I don't have a watch), then nip on the train for 25 minutes & run at same pace for 1 mile to work in the morning. I then do the reverse in the evening, at a slower pace as I tend to be tired from a day at work.

    Probably against the grain of recommendations but, again, commanded by circumstance.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •