What Are Junk Miles

[Trog]

I have read a couple of posts referring to running ‘junk’ miles recently.

I run 7 days a week, 52 weeks per year although not all at the same intensity. I have yet to be convinced about having a day off – that equals 52 days a year that I could be training. I do nevertheless have ‘easy days’, perhaps that is what some perceive as ‘junk’

I also follow some basic ‘periodisation’ with phases of Build up, Racing and Recovery during the year.

I am currently happy with my philosophy and programme having arrived at it from over 30 years of trial and error (lots). The base line is that It works for me!

I am interested in what others perceive to be Junk miles

[Flopsy]

I could be wrong but I always thought 'junk' miles were just the endless miles that people do without purpose that are of little real training benefit (and may actually lead to injury and fatigue).

So instead of just running for example 10 miles a day at the same pace day after day you would be better swapping some of those miles for speed work, interval training etc. Thus getting rid of 'junk' miles with little training benefit and replacing then worth targetted sessions.

That's what I always thought junk miles were anyway but I could be wrong, I never asked!!!!

(PS, I'm really lazy and so end up doing lots of junk miles when traininig lol!!!)

[Stolly]

Junk miles to me would be running with no enjoyment. I'm just guessing here mind because I don't think I actually do any

[Witton Park]

They are what I have on my Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Club Card - around 70,000 of them - worth 2 or 3 business upgrades on Cathay - but I haven't been out there for 2 years and think they'll lapse before I do :/

[OneHillWonder]

All my miles are junk miles at the moment (at least they are if Flopsy's description is correct and I think that sounds about right).

[Jez Hellewell]

Junk miles for me is what I'll be doing this afternoon. 10k on the treadmill at 3 p.m, just so I can watch the World Cup, guilt free. Yesterday, however, I did 8.2 miles over the moors with nothing but enjoyment on my mind. If you're enjoying running, they ain't junk miles !

[rocksteady]

I could be wrong but I always thought 'junk' miles were just the endless miles that people do without purpose that are of little real training benefit (and may actually lead to injury and fatigue).

So instead of just running for example 10 miles a day at the same pace day after day you would be better swapping some of those miles for speed work, interval training etc. Thus getting rid of 'junk' miles with little training benefit and replacing then worth targetted sessions.

That's what I always thought junk miles were anyway but I could be wrong, I never asked!!!!

(PS, I'm really lazy and so end up doing lots of junk miles when traininig lol!!!)

spot on Flopsy,
i think its more of a problem in road running than in fell,this could be due to mags like runners world giving out training programms with set milages for the week(especially for the London marathon) then it makes peaple concentrate on completing MPW targets and forgetting to put quiality sessions in.

[stevefoster]

Junk miles are far better than junk food.

[Pyrenees Haven]

Junk miles are the miles when there is no specific purpose to them. For Gary a junk mile is a run done with me rather than having a day off and resting, the speed he would be running is the equivalent of a rest day so the miles are junk in that they do not improve upon his training. That is not to say that a junk mile can't be enjoyable!

Having said that a junk mile can be a session done incorrectly...but then that is a whole different issue.

Debbie

www.pyrenees-haven.com

[nikalas]

I forgot which of the legendary coaches said it but.... "the problem with most runners is that their slow runs are too fast and their fast runs too slow".... sums up junk miles really.