Hi I’m the wife. Yes I’ll take the kids and do all the real work. Please get up early and would especially support you if you did extra long runs on Sat and Sunday. I can handle it all. Maybe you can work part time so you can run 3x a day. Can’t wait to tell all my friends what a warrior you are! Who needs a nice home? I like renting. Keep at it!
First of all, the OP described it very well, no doubt helpful for anyone who wants to do it that way from 40+. But the bottom line is that I agree with the quoted post. I know two families at once where the fathers make their endurance sports the center of not only their lives, but compulsively for their wives and children. Both women openly say how much this pisses them off. During the long preparation phases with the crazy long runs or - even worse - six or more hours of cycling for Ironman training, the fathers are so tired that they always have to sleep afterwards. Helping in the garden or around the house? No, all that has to be adapted to their training. A nice long hike in the mountains with the kids? No, too tired, doesn't fit into the training or jeopardizes the next training session. The whole family has to be there for the competitions, the whole long day or the whole weekend.
My main rebuttal to the flaming of our OP: If he is in his 40s and kids are grown a bit, and he or wife is filthy rich by one means or another, and their marriage has been for years already a routine for all parties...why not? I sure can't pull this off with a 3 Mo Old and a wife and my 2bd apartment...but are we talking about something much different than the YouTube influencer lifestyle here? Or the wife who has a travel habit that husband "puts up with", et. al.?
Sure, I respect the grind. The problem is why not up it to four hours a day? What about six hours? Where does it stop?
The "grind" is great, his focus and dedication are great. We all love that and respect that. Most of us live that life. We are questioning why three hours a day instead of one or two? Other things in life are great besides "meditation" or "walking" or "jogging." Most of us want to have a mix.
I am one of those runners who pretty much has to run every day (I've even been a streak-runner in my life), but I also love other things in life too. If you are running 25-50km a day, you don't have the time or energy for much else. Sorry, that's the truth. But if you are running 10-20km a day, you have HOURS more time to spend on family, wife, sleep, friends, art, music, community, etc.
Look at the title of OP's post: "How to run 120-140m/week as a Masters runner w/wife and children"
You have no desire to run that much. His post was not written for you.
It's a question of benefits analysis viz a viz the huge sacrifices. If you are not going elite then why do it?I can understand 70-80 miles a week,i would probably highly recommend it .But 100+ miles as a masters runner with responsibilities I still don't get it...WHY?
Kinda in awe wrote: Look at the title of OP's post: "How to run 120-140m/week as a Masters runner w/wife and children" You have no desire to run that much. His post was not written for you.
I know it wasn't written for me. We are all just trying to figure out the WHY of the whole project. Just tell us "you love running for running's sake" or "you want a BQ" or you want "to break 2:40" or something. I just never figured out the why. And I read the whole post.
And now that I think about it, I have a second question, would running this much actually make you a better runner? Wouldn't known coaching techniques be better?
I think a better (but less entertaining) thread would have been "How to run every day without impacting your work, family, and parenting responsibilities." I honestly think some dudes need advice on how to be more efficient and strategic with their training. How to train smart (and hard) without it messing up your life... that would be a thread some people could actually use.
This is legit the most based post I've read on here in long time. I'm actually a bit in awe.
To literally everyone but me that has downvoted this vibe, y'all don't get it and that's totally ok. But I would very strongly encourage you to take a breath, clear your mind, and re-read this very thoughtful and detailed post about someone's actual experience.
Keep in mind it's not always about getting faster. So when the first question pops in your mind "WTF purpose would this serve?!" Consider that the answer could be as simple as: It's enjoyable. It's like going for a walk several times a day. It's a form of meditation, a time for reflection, when you can be in silence and appreciate the gifts life has given you.
Beyond that, as Fts said, exceptional self-discipline and a black-belt in time management become a habit. You know how many people with ADD would kill to have that? Having those qualities as a habit is transformational.
I'll admit I was a hater like the rest of you while reading the first paragraph. But by the end I was 100% won over. This dude knows what he's talking about and the Letsrun hive-mind is taking a major L here.
I get that, I'm not even a fast Master's runner any more but I still like to run and train. People could certainly point out the stupidity of me spending my hour a day shuffling around. But it keeps me fit, keeps some weight off, and gets me outside, but man at some point running just becomes some Sisyphean task with no goal and no purpose.
I can get to ~100 with 2-3 doubles during the week. There's no way I'm doing 5 runs a day. The time wasted in getting ready and showering makes this not worth it for me. What do you get out of 120 miles a week? Are you significantly faster at this mileage as opposed to 90-100?
Kinda in awe wrote: Look at the title of OP's post: "How to run 120-140m/week as a Masters runner w/wife and children" You have no desire to run that much. His post was not written for you.
I know it wasn't written for me. We are all just trying to figure out the WHY of the whole project. Just tell us "you love running for running's sake" or "you want a BQ" or you want "to break 2:40" or something. I just never figured out the why. And I read the whole post.
And now that I think about it, I have a second question, would running this much actually make you a better runner? Wouldn't known coaching techniques be better?
It is someone with an exercise addiction. Better than a drug or porn addiction, but an addiction nonetheless.
The old motto of everything in moderation is almost universally correct. Other things in this guy’s life are suffering to some extent because of his obsession/addiction.
I was running a regular 40 miles per week with workouts and a longrun before I got injured around christmas. After a few weeks off I noticed stronger morning wood. I'm 34. At 50 and 140 miles a week you will have issues.
I entered my 40s as a distance runner running 60-70 asnd sometimes up to 100 mpw while working construction, and also being a top performer in a completely unrelated sport. I won a few lower level races (i.e. 34/1:18 times), but it was all too much, especially during base-building phase. Summer of year 41 I ran an 800 in a track meet and ran a time few other masters locally were running (2:09). I deftly and smartly made the switch and became a 800/1500 runner, clocking in 30-50 miles/week and freeing up a lot of time and energy. Upshot is I picked up some nice national hardware, ran lifetime PRs 1500 and below, and coached some other runners to national titles. I also find that 800 training is by far the most fun and healthy long-term, in conjunction with other balancing sports, well into my 60s. Gone are the daily doubles and triples and 18-20-mile long runs, but in are variety sessions emphasizing speed and stamina. I am likely one of the most overall fit multi-sporters in the country/world for my age, and almost never sick or injured, and have fantastic health markers.
I entered my 40s as a distance runner running 60-70 asnd sometimes up to 100 mpw while working construction, and also being a top performer in a completely unrelated sport. I won a few lower level races (i.e. 34/1:18 times), but it was all too much, especially during base-building phase. Summer of year 41 I ran an 800 in a track meet and ran a time few other masters locally were running (2:09). I deftly and smartly made the switch and became a 800/1500 runner, clocking in 30-50 miles/week and freeing up a lot of time and energy. Upshot is I picked up some nice national hardware, ran lifetime PRs 1500 and below, and coached some other runners to national titles. I also find that 800 training is by far the most fun and healthy long-term, in conjunction with other balancing sports, well into my 60s. Gone are the daily doubles and triples and 18-20-mile long runs, but in are variety sessions emphasizing speed and stamina. I am likely one of the most overall fit multi-sporters in the country/world for my age, and almost never sick or injured, and have fantastic health markers.
Between the ages of 39-43 I ran 100+ mpw, all in service of a 2:41 marathon, 54:00 10m, 32:30 10k, and 15:30 5k. I did not meet all of the OP requirements, as I had a stressful job, did little to know recovery or strength training modalities, and ate like I pleased. In the 15 years after that, I’ve had a succession of injuries that have limited my training to other things I’ve not yet worn out. Do I regret all that running? Yes. Would doing the other stuff the OP recommends have helped me avoid all the overuse injuries? Possibly. I guess my advice is to make sure the consequences are worth whatever rewards you get from running that much.
I suppose someone with a wife, kids, and a serious job might be able to make this kind of mileage work, but only if getting in the miles is incredibly important. I agree with others who think this is an odd set of priorities for anyone not at the elite level.
I was a moderately high mileage runner (70-80 mpw) for most of my adult life while also excelling in a demanding job. However, I was single for a long time and when I did marry, I didn't have kids and my husband is also an endurance athlete (cyclist) so he understood me. I had no problem balancing marriage, work, and a moderate amount of running, but I can't imagine how this could have worked with kids, or how it could have worked at double the mileage even without kids.
But if the OP's wife and kids are OK with this and his job performance isn't suffering, more power to him.
I have been experimenting with ultra mileage while being 40+ for some time.
I thought that there might be other people out there who want to try, but are a bit afraid to.
This guide is meant to help them.
Distances are in km.
1. Prerequisites (parenthesis added for relative importance).
You need to be smart (7/10)
You need good time management (7/10)
You need to have a decent level (7.5/10) else you are going to be too slow to log in the miles
You need to be very healthy, thin and having a reasonable diet. (8/10)
You cannot have a heavy, stressful, time consuming-soul job (8.5/10)
You need to be very good at recovery (9/10)
You need to be somewhat injury immune (9.5/10)
You need to be commited (10/10).
2. General guidelines
You have a wife and kids, so your schedule is not going to be the one you have typically seen online or on this forum. It is going to be very fluid time wise and you should always prioritize your job and family time. You best bet is to aim for around 25 to 35km per day, every day, with low days at 20 and heavy at 45, sometimes 55. You need to be smart on how to squeeze a run at the right time.
a. Clothing
What I do: I have two bags: one for running clothes, one for job clothes (suit). These two bags need to fit in a larger bag. I buy the right suit clothes and then I learned to fold them in a bag and unfold them without a mark. I also carry my shoes, bathing stuff and my laptop in my bag.
Learn to get dressed and undressed very quickly if you need to.
This way, I can run to and from work if I don't work from home.
b. When to run
What I do: I run every morning before my kids are awake and log as many miles as I can during that time while always following a simple rule: always go VERY easy in the morning, so that going outside does not become a chore. I start very slow and finish slow. I keep it an enjoyable ru and finish very fresh and relaxed.
If you work from home, you may be able to log a lot of miles here and there, especially at noon (probably the best time for track or tempos).
In the evenings, when kids are sleeping, if my wife wants some time alone to relax from her day and eat with a friend, etc., I can log a few more miles. Or not.
Week ends: very fluid as it depend on the family schedule, but if you can and want, you can log a Long Run or even a very Long Run by waking up at 4 am or going to sleep later.
You might be able to log a few more if you kids bike, skate, play soccer, ... while you watch over them while running around them.
Overall you should target 3-5 runs/day during the week and 1 or 2 in the week end. For each run, don't target a distance but rather a maximum time allocation.
You need roughly 3h per day and it can be as simple that say 1h10 in the early morning, 45 min at noon and 2x30 min going to and from work. Not many miles each time, but it adds up pretty fast when you multiply by 4 or 5 each day. You WIN when all this becomes a habit for a very important reason: when it is a habit, you do preparatory things automatically, i.e. without thinking, and this way you start gaining a lot of times before and after your runs. You also go out early in the morning because this is what you do.
c. Injury prevention
If you are injury prone, it s going to be way harder, granted, but by multiplying the easy runs, you increase you recovery time and therefore injury prevention.
You should limit your harder efforts to a couple per week and focus on being really easy most of the time.
As you train several times per day, you don't really need a long run, even though doing 30km at once should feel -even at the end- very easy after some time. In a way, 30km stops being a long run in your mind, it is just that this time you had more time and did 30, and with more time you would have done 40 or 50.
Of course, you should progressively up your training (I suppose that you would try doing this kind of mileage only with years of training and running habits, else it is way too soon). When you reach ca. 200km/week, keep it for like 2 weeks and then go down to 120/150 for the next one to ensure that the body digest the added load, then again 2 weeks and 1 week off, and then 3 weeks at 200, etc.
I always keep in mind a very important rule: I should never end a run being weary or feeling fatigued. This way I am always ready for the next one and it does not become a burden but rather a way of life. Injury comes from fatigue, intensity, or both most of the time.
d. Diet
Eat a lot, especially salt (without being crazy of course). Losing salt is a major factor that will make you feel sleepy and fatigued. Above 100miles/week, eating itself can become an issue. Above 200km, it definitely becomes one. If you under-eat, you will feel the fatigue creeping in and you will lose your motivation and running will again will feel impossible. Above 200km, I remarked that I eat virtually all the time and still lose a bit of weight compared to 100m/w. Food becomes a budget.
e. Shoes
Focus on shoes that are hyper comfy and a bit too large. Good, tight and light shoes for races, but for the rest, remain hyper relaxed in your shoes, running should feel like going out for a (generally short) walk to enjoy the view and looking at the world going without worrying about the cardio or pace.
Change socks :-).
f. Sleep
Ideally, learn to do the fast 20-30 min sleep during the day. It helps.