Running: 1 x 10km or 2 x 7Km

[Driller]

Quick question: I train in the gym 3xweek and run 10km on a Sunday for cardiovascular fitness.

Would it be just as good/better to do 7km Sunday and again on Wednesday instead? The 10Km once a week is knackering and I'm never going to be a runner.

[ewenm]

Driller said:

Quick question: I train in the gym 3xweek and run 10km on a Sunday for cardiovascular fitness.

Would it be just as good/better to do 7km Sunday and again on Wednesday instead? The 10Km once a week is knackering and I'm never going to be a runner.

Running twice a week is going to be "better" (which I'm defining as "improve your fitness more quickly") than running once a week. Running 10km Sunday and 7km Wednesday would be ideal from what you've described .

When you say the 10k is knackering, what do you mean? Would you struggle to run again before the following weekend? Or are you tired for a day or two then ok by mid-week? If you'd struggle to run again before the next weekend, then it sounds like you're pushing too hard on the Sunday run. It shouldn't take more than a couple of days to recover from a run (below marathon distance).

[Driller]

Knackering for the rest of the day I mean but it's annoying because I've got other stuff I need to do on a Sunday.

Not the answer I was looking for but I quite like your 10 on Sunday 7 on Wednesday idea

[ewenm]

The rule-of-thumb my coaches have used in the past is running twice a week will maintain CV fitness, running 3+ times a week will lead to improvements. Running once a week was not considered enough to maintain running fitness. You might find that adding a mid-week run means you feel better/less knackered after your Sunday run too (after a few weeks of doing both). Obviously individuals will differ and how much other CV you do is relevant too.

[Driller]

That was kind of my logic. Thanks for the advice, I'll give it a go and see what happens

[MYOB]

You could split the two runs into two shorter runs, eg, 6k on both Sunday and Wednesday.

[Driller]

Or 2x7Km like in the title of the thread

[MYOB]

Driller said:

Or 2x7Km like in the title of the thread

Or that