quantity vs. quality

[bdub525]

I have a dillema, do more quality miles over the summer, for example like 6 3-5 days a week at like 6:30 7 flat pace and do some tempos and stuff the other days. or do more quantity like 8-10 for 5 or so days a week at like 8 flat to 830 pace? btw i am running 5k over the fall.

[Matthew Avery]

i'd say quality. you'll need the tempo days for 5k races.

[JerseyDan]

quantity: 4 days at 8-10, 1 tempo, 1 day at 5, 1 day off and you'll see drastic improvement, just train CONSISTANTLY

[>>-XC-Runner->]

quantity-july
quality-august

[theoption]

For the first 6 weeks I am going to do 3 EZ dist days + strides, one LR, a Recovery on Sunday, a Steady State (nothin too big, like 4-6 miles @ 6 mile pace to prep for tempos) and some kind of a fartlek w/full recovery.

Next 6 weeks: switch the steady state with a tempo and throw in hills/some kind of track workout (circuits?) in exchange for the fartleks. Doubles on the quality days (or whenever really) if I feel like it.

Anyone...How does this sound?

[JerseyDan]

For the first 6 weeks I am going to do 3 EZ dist days + strides, one LR, a Recovery on Sunday, a Steady State (nothin too big, like 4-6 miles @ 6 mile pace to prep for tempos) and some kind of a fartlek w/full recovery.

Next 6 weeks: switch the steady state with a tempo and throw in hills/some kind of track workout (circuits?) in exchange for the fartleks. Doubles on the quality days (or whenever really) if I feel like it.

Anyone...How does this sound?

excellent, I like the double days a lot, and the schedule as a whole is very good. The one thing i would suggest for the "track workout" would be mile repeats 4-6x1600 done on or off the track, depening on your preference (i'd say try to do them on the grass).

[Mileman]

my coach gives me a packet to train by that has be starting off easy and ending pretty fast. But he doesn'yt count miles he counts how LONG i run so an average day will be like 45min run with 5 strides or something like that. but i asked him ow many miles he'll have me doing and he said around 35-40 maybe 45 if i feel good, but because it's all based on how Long (timewise) the runs are, it's up to me on how far i want to go. 45min could be 5 miles, or it could be 6 miles at 7:00 pace (not likley for me but you get teh point)

[WOOLYRUNS]

I have no say in this, but remember; DO NOT do too much tempo work. It isn't good at all when done too much.

[adberg]

A think a fair answer to this is to find a medium and have some quality-quantity workouts. I find the easiest way to get better (or stronger) is to just run longer, but don't do it to easy, but not all out.

Got to have:
Long Run (Quantity)
Tempo Run (Quality)
Steady State (Quality and Quantity)
Light Speed (Quality)
3 Easy days (Quantity)

Feel free to run as many days as you like, just make to sure to have a medium between the two.

I voted quality, because in the long run, it's probably more important.

[runningbaboon]

A think a fair answer to this is to find a medium and have some quality-quantity workouts. I find the easiest way to get better (or stronger) is to just run longer, but don't do it to easy, but not all out.

Got to have:
Long Run (Quantity)
Tempo Run (Quality)
Steady State (Quality and Quantity)
Light Speed (Quality)
3 Easy days (Quantity)

Feel free to run as many days as you like, just make to sure to have a medium between the two.

I voted quality, because in the long run, it's probably more important.

How is quality more important in the long run? A huge base created from mileage year after year is hugely important. Quality work isn't going to help in the long run nearly as much.

[Crystazul]

You want quality-quantity miles. In other words, you want the miles, but you want to make sure to run them at a pace beneficial as much as possible to your training. It is kind of like balancing.

[Cardinal&Gold]

We do the following during the off season.
(1) Tempo Run
(1) Long Run
(1) Long Intervals
(4) Easy Milage
If you're not doing long intervals or morning running then focus on quality. If you're getting at least a couple of days of quality, e.g. tempo/long interval then focus the rest of the days on getting 4-8 miles. Really there is no good single answer, getting both quantity and some quality running is essential to any good summer training program.

[JerseyDan]

How is quality more important in the long run? A huge base created from mileage year after year is hugely important. Quality work isn't going to help in the long run nearly as much.

troof +rep

[Timdog]

Over the summer, build up to a little beyond the quantity you'll hold through the season, maybe 10 miles more, and then add in a BIT of quality (a tempo or a hill session, but no crazy intervals 3x a week). Run your easy days by feel, you might feel like hammering one day because you feel great, then go ahead and hammer, but if you feel like crap, go as slow as you need to.

[OtsRman104]

I have a dillema, do more quality miles over the summer, for example like 6 3-5 days a week at like 6:30 7 flat pace and do some tempos and stuff the other days. or do more quantity like 8-10 for 5 or so days a week at like 8 flat to 830 pace? btw i am running 5k over the fall.

Quantity FTW
Save qualitty work for late august/september. If you have a solid distance base you will be able to do better quality work during the season. My summer training last year: 487 miles The majority of training was basically 7-8 minute pace, maybe once a week in august i would drop it down to about 6 minute miles just for change of pace. I should mention that my training was pretty backlogged, i was only at about 175 at the end of July.
This training dropped me from 17:20 to 16:31 in the 5k (XC)

[theoption]

excellent, I like the double days a lot, and the schedule as a whole is very good. The one thing i would suggest for the "track workout" would be mile repeats 4-6x1600 done on or off the track, depening on your preference (i'd say try to do them on the grass).

thanks for the input. and i made a mistake about the steady state...i meant 6min mile places, not 6 mile pace.

I am not exactly sure what I will do for the quality workouts for the second phase yet...two of the weeks might me controlled xc summer races. when I'm doing a "track workout" (might not be on the track), I'll probably follow something like summer of malmo examples...so yea 4-6x1600 or 16-20x200-300/hills.