Increase Your Mileage Safely With This New Formula
Running more miles this week than last week could put you at risk of injury, but how much too much? The standard answer, ten percent , has its drawbacks: it can cause beginners to gain momentum too slowly , overwhelming higher-level athletes.
The new formula, developed by Competitor’s Jason Fitzgerald, is based on your “base” mileage: the number of miles per week you have been comfortable with over the past six months. (If you’re a real beginner, you don’t have a baseline and this formula is less useful.)
You will be below your baseline whenever you return from a hiatus, or if your mileage fluctuates and you have a low week right now. In such cases, you can zoom in with fairly large jumps, up to 20%. But when you exceed your baseline – opening up new territory in terms of mileage – it is safest to use lower increases, “adaptation weeks” (no increase), and “recovery weeks” (when you temporarily subtract mileage). For more information on how to make a plan, see the link below.
Smarter Way to Increase Mileage | Competitor
Photo by rafa_luque .
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