Reframing the numbers

Guys,

I think I've come up with a new running-mileage formula, this one created around the rule of three.

My goal will be to run three days, then take a day off. I'm starting out this week with a 5-2-5 concept, that is, run 5 miles the first day, a 2 mile easy jog the second and another 5 miles the third day. I'm sure that I will fiddle with this formula as I go along, but this is at least a starting point.

I've been frustrated with the weekly schedule for some time, especially with a schedule that has me working frequent weekends. Take last week, for example. I was hoping to run more than 22 miles, at least two more than I had run the week before.

My early week workouts put me on pace. I had a 7-miler on Tuesday, but that seemed to snuff out all energy for later. I ran 2 miles on Wednesday (I was approaching that as a recovery jog), 2.5 miles on Thursday (ditto). The goal was to run long sometime over the weekend, but I was working and my energy and will drained. I ran nothing on Friday, 3 on Saturday and nothing on Sunday. Weekly total: A disappointing 17.5.

The problem was, I think, that I stacked too much early in the week with that 7 miler.

With my new Three Day Formula, there will be more frequent rests, and hopefully over the long term, more weekly miles.

My goal is to build a consistent base, then start tweaking with longer runs, faster runs, hill runs, etc.