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Bodyweight In the interest of long-term health, how much running is too much?

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Harry Westgate

Harry Westgate

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Hello all,

I figured that given that this is a running thread, it probably fits best into the bodyweight section; apologies though if it should have gone somewhere else.

I'll keep this as brief as I can.

For the last two months or so, I have been running home from work 4-5 days per week. The distance is just over 5 miles and it takes me just shy of an hour. I run breathing only through my nose for 90+% of the time, so as to maintain a nice gentle pace and so that I don't burn myself out. In case it's of interest to anyone also, I currently wear a pair of Vibram FiveFingers, which I feel encourages gentle landings on the middle/ball of the foot, thus minimising the overall impact of each stride.

This "easy endurance" running schedule leaves me with plenty in the tank, and does not leave me sore or fatigued the next day. Perhaps most importantly, I love it.

In addition to the above running, most mornings I perform ~100 kettlebell swings as in S&S, and practice bent presses (about a dozen per side). However, I have also been "playing" with hand balancing (handstands, frog stands), and have rekindled my love of pistol squats. Sometimes this bodyweight "play" (easy practice, far from failure or fatigue) means that I do fewer bent presses.

My question - is running as frequently and as far as I am right now likely to be too much in the long run (pun intended), when combined with all the other training? I'm wondering about things like heart health, cartilage in my knees, or anything else that runners might have trouble with.

I must emphasise, that I feel great now. I only wonder if such a running volume (despite being very low intensity/"easy endurance"-style) may catch up with me later on?

Any guidance on whether I should cut back or keep doing what I'm doing would be massively appreciated. I see quite a bit on the Forum about the benefits of running, though I don't think I've seen much about running frequency.

Thanks very much in advance,

Harry
 
Yeah... That wasn't as brief as I'd hoped it would be after all! Apologies for the long post!
 
hey if you enjoy it do it up. you could program it or you could just enjoy your run home and take your time when you want and push it when you want! I would focus personally on what brings personal happiness

also power to you, I hate running. not blessed with chicken legs, which aint great for distance. plus I running leads to burning calories and I love calories and want to save them. (y)ROFL
 
There's others who are smarter than me but I think it varies with the individual. It sounds like the running is low effort for you and leaves you feeling fresh. That's a lot different from someone else who might be running the same amount but being beat up by it and feeling worn out.
 
@Harry Westgate ...
I have been an endurance 'guy' for over 4 decades. Lots and lots of running over that time period. Marathons, Adventure Trail Running, 10k's you name it. Also during the same time period... serious rock climbing, mountaineering, bike racing, martial arts, and strength training.
If you pay attention to your body, and your recovery; if you feel your running supports your overall goals, and most importantly you are having fun; then go for it.

5 miles a day at an 'easy' pace (z1, or MAF) is really not that much work at all, especially since you are young. Your comment about it catching up with you... it hasn't caught up with me just yet, and I'm 61.

With Intelligent training (barring any genetic factors), you should be just fine. In fact through my endurance lenses, you will be better off for running...

I totally agree with what @Maine-ah KB and @the hansenator said as well.
 
Harry Westgate said:
This "easy endurance" running schedule leaves me with plenty in the tank, and does not leave me sore or fatigued the next day. Perhaps most importantly, I love it.
Click to expand...
keep doing what you are doing

Harry Westgate said:
I currently wear a pair of Vibram FiveFingers, which I feel encourages gentle landings on the middle/ball of the foot, thus minimising the overall impact of each stride.
Click to expand...
I used them too in the past, but switched to my old school Sambas. I got used to mid-forefoot striking years ago and I think when one is adapted to it feels great to do, kind of springy.
 
Harry Westgate said:
I'm wondering about things like heart health, cartilage in my knees, or anything else that runners might have trouble with.
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You were born to run.
Cartilage damage, shin splints etc. are results of bad form over time. If your form is good that shouldn't be an issue.
One thing you might have to look at is switching to shoes with some padding. Barefoot running is good and all and again you were born to run like that, but you are designed to run barefoot on soft forrest ground, sand, dirt etc. and not super hard concrete.
That doesn't mean that it has to result in issues, but it can, so keep that in mind. And when I talk about some padding I really only mean some and not those super padded modern running shoes that basically force you to heel strike :)
 
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I have no experience with lots of running but I think it all depends on what your body can recover from. I follow a guy on social media who routinely runs a marathon a day as well as lifting and other activity. He runs ultra marathons on a regular basis and says running a marathon a day isn't a big deal.
 
@Harry Westgate, IMHO, you sound like you're doing great. My only advice is to be alert for signs of fatigue, and err on the side of caution. It's always best to feel like you could have done more than to ignore the early signs of overtraining and continue to the point where you have no choice but to stop. And don't stop your strength training - I'm sure it's a big part of why you can run comfortably for so long without problems.

I would very much encourage you to Google, "how much running is too much" and so some reading - there's been quite a bit written and studied on this topic. Of course, as with all this sort of science, we have to take it with a grain of salt. I suspect that one of the biggest variables, and something that isn't controlled for at all in any study, is how hard people push themselves when running. I don't imagine that truly easy running is going to be bad for you in quantity, but pushing even a little too hard could be damaging to your health.

JMO, YMMV.

-S-
 
TravisS said:
I follow a guy on social media who routinely runs a marathon a day as well as lifting and other activity. He runs ultra marathons on a regular basis and says running a marathon a day isn't a big deal.
Click to expand...

Cameron Hanes?

I think David Goggins did this too at one time - even though he (unknowingly at the time) had a hole in his heart!
 
Have you read @mprevost running guide? you might find it interesting. He shared it a while back in another thread, I´ll look it up if you want it.

I dont have any comment in addition to what was said by others above, but I was wondering if you have considered walking instead of running once or twice a week. I used to walk to the office and it was great, I live too far now. It will be a different stimulus, but just as good IMO. Even better for some purposes. Also, if you are not used to running in minimal shoes, it will give your feet and calves a break. You are not running that fast now, so it might take only 20-30 minutes more than now.
 
I've done tonnes of walking in my life and walking was actually my main form of exercise for a few decades, and it has done me very well. I don't like running outside - too many cars and people, and I just like running around in my basement better practicing footwork for judo and such. When I do that, and at times I did it about every day for between 30 minutes and sometimes ridiculously for well over an hour, I don't think it did me any harm. However, it was like I was "too" alert, and probably I had a lot of little irritations though my body from doing it too much. Nowadays, I do the running stuff less frequently and for less time, with me quitting when I feel like it, even as soon as 20 minutes. Mind you, I've got 4 nights of judo and 2-3 sessions of S&S in a week also, besides GTG bodyweight training.

My advice just from my own experiences with my own body is to keep running as long as you are feeling alright with it and you aren't feeling "weird" because of it. I don't really think an hour a day of running is anything we weren't made for as a species. As a teenager living out in the woods in the summertimes I ran everywhere all the time, because it was faster to get around that way.
 
What do people think about body weight and long term easy running? Would anyone suggest an upper limit for weight, beyond which easy running for say 20-25 miles a week is not sustainable? Or is it not really a factor?
 
@Augustus F-N ...
I'm sure it's a factor. There are so many other variables however, that it may be hard to put a discrete value to it. Things such as... age, biomechanics, running form (gait, striking style), running surface, shoes, genetics, injury history, probably a lot more I overlooked etc.
I know some guys in the 230-250 range that do that distance and more. (Training for triathlon as well...)
20 miles a week is pretty low mileage for some.
 
Massive apologies for the delayed reply everyone. Thank you all for your contributions to this thread; my mind has certainly been put at ease regarding the potential long term damage of running.

As it happens, next weekend I am taking part in a half marathon trail run, having been gradually building up my running distances/durations. I figured it would be a bit of fun, as well as a good test of my current ability, as it has been a few years since I have run that far...

Anyhow, I will hopefully keep you all posted on how it goes! :)
 
In the larger picture that is not a lot of running volume. At low intensity, it's pretty low risk.

To answer the original question, too much is what injures you. Unfortunately, that's highly individual. Lots of good advice here, I'd add to take an easy deload week periodically for recovery as a preventative.

Good luck in the half.
 
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