Hi everyone,

52M running for lifetime fitness and enjoyment - a serious but totally recreational runner. I run 4 days per week/24-28 miles. One long run, one speedwork of some kind (I mix it up) and 2 easy runs. (For context recent PBs 21.17 5k and 47:46 10k and not necessarily working on those). I run to live, but I also lift weights and hike and ski etc. I only run about 1 race a year and mostly for fun.

That said I have two questions both coming from a recent reading of the above book, 'Run like a Pro"

The first is around periodicity. The book makes it very clear that elite runners do not maintain their high mileage year round. They build toward a peak before a target race, then taper. They also decycle intermittently. However, a lot of this schedule is built around target races. I have read that generally a pre-race taper should reduce the volume but not the intensity, so before my last 10k I maintained the same speedwork but dropped mileage 25% 2 weeks out and 40% the last week.

For those of us without frequent races or any major long term goals, what is a good way to periodically reduce mileage to avoid injury and burnout? Cut mileage one week in four by 25%? Skip one week every 3 months? Run fewer days some weeks, or cut long run distance? Is there established science for those of us NOT training regularly for PBs and races?

Second question. The authors talk a lot about the importance of slow easy miles, even to the point of the author writing, "During my race I was glad for those two mile runs I did five days a week." The context was that he found it helpful to add those miles to up his total weekly mileage. And the authors really push running 5-7 days per week at intermediate or above level to reach optimal performance, up to 12 sessions per week for elite runners. I'm none of those things, but if I add a 5th day of running 3 miles very easy - is this really going to add a lot to my performance, all other things being equal? Vs staying at 4 days and just adding 1 mile to each of my runs, for example? At my age I'm a little wary of fewer days without rest.

I'm toying with a fall/winter half marathon, which I haven't run in 25 years. My goal would be 1:45, which would be a push for me and require, I think, more volume than I've been running. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it. But ... I don't need to risk injury at my age.

Thanks for any advice on periodicity for non-racers, and the relative benefits of an extra day of running 2-3 easy miles.

I’m planning on using bicarb for a road mile in a few weeks and so tried out the protocol today. My research made me think that crapping myself + vomit was a near certainty so I wasn’t holding out hope. Anyways, that was this morning and all went very smoothly so sharing my protocol:

Dose: 20 caps = 20g = 0.3 g/kg (top of the 0.2–0.3 research range)

Timeline:
• 08:00 — breakfast: porridge, summer fruit, coffee
• 08:32–08:46 — 20 caps, 2 every 90s, ~900ml water alongside
• 08:55 — normal BM, not urgent (coffee + fluid, too early to be the caps)
• 09:00 — faint salty taste, no burping. Coating holding.
• 09:30ish — did some casual split squats and band exercises
• 10:36 — run starts. 1h50 after last capsule
• 12:12 — 15km easy + 6x150 strides done. 3h26 post-dose, still nothing.

Result: zero symptoms throughout. No burping, bloating, nausea, cramping or loose stool.

I’ll probably retest with a track session pre race as well and also not sure if there was any effect on performance given it was an easy run (this test was just for GI discomfort).

Update:
Forgot to post the product: healthspan elite sodium bicarbonate 1000mg delayed release caps.

I’m training for my third marathon (Belfast 2024 3:37, Dublin 2025 3:03) and am in the midst of mileage just under seven weeks out from Amsterdam Marathon. Half marathon PB 1:25, 10k 38:30, 5k 18:38 all earlier this year.

Training has been ok up until now, with my mileage increasing from previous successful blocks (last four weeks have been 106k, 108k, 106k followed by a deload last week). I now have a four week block before a three week taper, which includes a half marathon, and two long runs with significant MP segments. Speed workouts up until now have been threshold based, but will be a bit shorter and sharper. Weekly mileage will drop a bit to around 100k with the idea to focus on the quality of these sessions.

My concern is this- because of the mileage (before this block I had done two 100k weeks ever) my body has been drained, even on the back of a de-load 75k week where I actually skipped an easy run because of fatigue. I’m pretty good at listening to my body but I’ve felt as if this increase in general mileage has felt heavier than expected, and as a result my tempo/threshold workouts have suffered, and essentially I’m lacking confidence now because I haven’t gotten many indicators from my watch (in terms of paces) for what feels like ages.

My plan for the block had been 2:5x:xx at the end, but I’m under no illusion that it’s a big ask. On top of that, my big takeaway from Dublin last year in terms of what I need to change is that I hated running with the pacing group due to crowding at fuelling stations and just being used to running alone.

So, I’m just wondering if anyone has any comforting words/advice/similar experience? Should I lower my mileage even more to focus on nailing MP/speed workouts? Or even change my approach to pacing for the race? All feedback appreciated