Three Running Rules I Break Regularly
This summer marks the beginning of my 53rd year as a runner. I have been running 2000 miles or more per year for the past eight years. All this running has allowed me to ignore and even break many of the running rules new runners are told to follow. Here are a few of those rules and how I break them.
The 10% Rule
New runners are cautioned that when they start running, they need to slowly add to their volume. The rule most often cited is you should not add more than 10% of the previous week’s volume to the upcoming week. For example, if you ran 15 miles this week, you should only run 16.5 miles the next week.
This rule is indeed an excellent one for new runners because if you start adding too much volume too soon, you are likely to get injured or be so sore you have to take several days off before resuming training.
However, after you’ve been running for a while and have built up your weekly volume, you do not have to slavishly follow this rule.
When I come back from a running break, I typically spend a few weeks just running without following a specific running plan. I usually start out running at least 30 miles the first week back and then increase my weekly mileage to at least 35 miles the next week, or more if I have the time.
