What's it like running 100+ miles per week?

Not Running 100MPW wrote:

I have heard a lot about how strenuous extreme mileage is, and I'm curious about the extent to which the claims I've heard about it are true. Do you really feel chronically exhausted and lose your libido?

Only beta bros run 100 mpw. So I would imagine it would feel real beta. Be a chad like sham 69 and lift your way to fast distance times.

Real answer: it depends. It varies from person to person. But if you’ve spent some time gradually and sensibly building up to this kind of mileage, you shouldn’t experience any out of the ordinary fatigue or any other issues.

I regularly hit 90-95 mpw when I ran distance in my younger days, and it didn’t really feel much different than 70 mpw.

If you ran 100 mpw at 7:30 pace it would be 100 min a day of running

I think it's easier to look at MPW relative to how much time on your feet and then figure out general mileage if I make sense.

But what I mean is 100 mpw for a guy running 6:30 and 7:30 pace is more time and one could say the 6:30 guy might be fresher from less time running, but I'd say the 7:30 guy if it's more comfortable is probably recovering better.

I used to do that much when I was around 2:30 marathon, 1:10 half marathon shape. I also dealt with insomnia, lost libido, and some depression that was really just masked with the endorphins from all the running. I was able to get in shape each season but the rest of my wellbeing seemed to suffer. The lack of sleep even made me hypertensive at one point. I really cut back the mileage, payed better attention to getting enough calories, nutrution, and sleep improved. Just to say if you're going to run that much you have to emphasize recovery so you don't waste away.

Not Running 100MPW wrote:

I have heard a lot about how strenuous extreme mileage is, and I'm curious about the extent to which the claims I've heard about it are true. Do you really feel chronically exhausted and lose your libido?

I ran upwards of 120-140mi a week in my prime, averaging very close to 100mi a week for the entire year on numerous occasions.

No libido issues. No unusual fatigue, but I napped on the weekend usually after my long run.

Hell I fall asleep watching TV now in my 40s much more than in my 20s! No libido issues today either.

Alan

I was at 100 for a while.

Half the time I seth'd it, I'd just run 4-5 miles in the morning, then around 10 in the afternoon, 8 on Saturday, and 15 on Sunday. Never 'speed,' or I couldn't run mileage. It was always weird that my big day, Sunday, was not more miles than any weekday, really, but I guess that was my fault.

Nothing much to it. I didn't eat more, sleep more, not do my girlfriend less, nothing. It was just that I was running all the time, it felt like. (School, then work was much of the days, you see.)

I was also at 100+ doing workouts some time after college. That took even more time, as I was at the track a lot, and it felt like a ton of junk mileage since I'd do intervals, then have to put in an hour after, just to get enough miles in. My tempo run were only 4-5 miles, so again more miles at other times to reach my target - it just felt like I was running to run.

In retrospect, I should have stuck with 70-80, which is where I seemed to be in college when things were going well. It just seemed like I should be at 100, though, so I was.

I have heard a lot about how strenuous a full time job is, and I'm curious about the extent to which the claims I've heard about it are true. Do you really feel chronically exhausted and lose your libido?

When I did marathon training, at one point was at 105 mpw, mostly at 6 minute pace, but found I was tired all of the time. Adjusted down to 90 mpw with more hills and felt better.

I felt more tired running 70 mpw than I do running 100. That may also be due to the fact I've run up to 150 before, but 100 (even relatively fast for me, like 6:45 avg w/ workouts) is pretty tame.

I was a miler in school that peaked at 75 MPW and stretched all the way up to ‘thoning and right around 100 post college. It was a shock. Part of it was following the Daniel’s elite plan. The long runs are really long broken tempos and it left me just floored so that the rest of the week was trying to get back to human state. Work was zombie nation, not much energy for relationships etc. It was too much - ran some fast times, but it was not worth it. So I left it after a year of training like that. No hit to sex drive in those days (late 20’s). I have noticed that now any mileage over 70 with workouts (I’m early 40’s) really suppresses ‘urges’. I’m ok with that for a few weeks I suppose. Everything else is fine, this might just be getting old(er).

wouldnt know about that

life is so hard wrote:

I have heard a lot about how strenuous a full time job is, and I'm curious about the extent to which the claims I've heard about it are true. Do you really feel chronically exhausted and lose your libido?

I guess it depends on your job. During my best years I worked 40 hours a week but I got to sit down a lot.

Any sort of chronic exhaustion or loss of libido would also be diet based as those are signs of low testosterone and diet can greatly affect that.

I would typically build up my mileage until I hit a peak of 120-140 and try to keep that for about 4 weeks then start tapering it down for 3-4 weeks until marathon day.

So assuming a 6mo build-up, thats 4 weeks easy running at the beginning of a cycle coming off a big marathon, maybe an hour or less of running building to over an hour. Maybe I get back to 100 more quickly, just depends. Another 8 weeks quickly getting over 100 on doubles. Easy runs, some hard progression runs but nothing too structured. Then 8 weeks increasing mileage to hit a peak of 120-140 for 4 weeks. Marathon pace runs, harder "tempo runs" usually over hills and either a 5k race or mile repeats and a 20-26mi long run with a fast finish.

You find time for what you want to find time for.

Alan

I have typically averaged 120/week during marathon training. I'd feel periods of general fatigue, and I definitely need more sleep (8.5-9 hours), but the hardest part was just the amount of time it takes. You have to double pretty much every day, which really limits socialization and other activities. You're always doing laundry and always eating.

100/week, on the other hand, has always felt pretty comfortable. You don't have to double every day, with means you can go out a few nights a week without any problem. I could get by on 7 hours of sleep/night, and I never felt fatigued during the day. But I guess everyone's limit is different.

I did this once when I in college over the summer for 4 weeks. Didn't know what I was doing so I was doing them at a pace that probably was too fast. Very tired. Ran twice a day for like 4 to 5 days with no days off. But it did seem like it paid off. Set my best track times when I returned to school.

The hardest thing for me when running higher mileage has been eating enough. How do you do it?

Not Running 100MPW wrote:

I have heard a lot about how strenuous extreme mileage is, and I'm curious about the extent to which the claims I've heard about it are true. Do you really feel chronically exhausted and lose your libido?

Good question. I've never done 100 mpw, so I don't know.

I'm currently doing 80 mpw and I don't have any of that, probably because the buildup was gradual and I keep the high intensity mileage below 20% of my total mileage (approx. 10-18%). I think if you do it very gradually it's probably fine. Also, if you constantly hammer brutal workouts (>20% of total mileage) while doing 100+ mpw, you're probably going to get that way. At least for a while, until your body adapts.

Keep the buildup very gradual, consistent and intensity in check.

Maybe irrelevant

Currently at 80ish mpw. Never ever made it to 100mpw. Too hard with family crap. Maintenance mileage is around 50mpw.

I typically pop a Viagra after my long run. It's just not gonna happen without it.

I have all my hair, whew!

I think it depends on if you are doing it running 2-a-days or singles. When I did it, I ran 2-a-days 6 days, and one single (20) in the middle of the week. The single felt like I was getting a "break" that day only running once, even though it was 20mi. ;-)

But generally, it dominated my week. Always felt like I was recovering from a run or resting to do the next one. I would eat a lot after the morning run and then have something light to not eat too much for the later run. Then eat a big dinner. Very picky about eating only foods that made me feel good when running, no partying, and slept a LOT.