• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Run The Long Road Coaching

personalized coaching for distance runners

  • Philosophy
  • Services
    • Policies
  • Shop
  • Success Stories
  • FAQs
  • Meet Kristy
  • Contact
  • FaceBook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Two-A-Days

July 19, 2011 by Kristy 6 Comments

Let’s talk two-a-days, doing doubles, or whatever you wanna call them!

I was supposed to run with a running group last night but the person I was going to meet couldn’t make it.  I know from last week’s run that they only do about 4 miles and it’s at a slower pace.  I was prepared this week to add an additional AM run to get more miles in.  Both of these runs being easy, of course.  I ended up doing 4 miles at night on my own (it was ungodly hot), bringing yesterday’s total to 11.  I’m not a fan of two-a-days – I don’t think they are necessary.

Here’s what Advanced Marathoning has to say about two-a-days:

  • As you increase your mileage in preparation for a marathon, you should resist the urge to switch from single to double runs. 
  • Marathon training focuses on endurance-based adaptions such as depleting your glycogen reserves to provide a stimulus for your body to store more glycogen and training your muscles to ulitize more fat at a given speed.  You’ll provide a greater stimulus for these adaptions through a single 12-mile run, rather than a 7-miler and a 5-miler done at the same pace. 

I wasn’t even going to paraphrase because it was so well said!  I 100% agree with Pete Pfitzinger.  Imagine splitting your 20-mile long run into 10 and 10?!  Bottom line:  It’s not the same and you will not reap the same benefits!

Another reason to forego two-a-days?  Double the number of showers and gross, sweaty laundry!

While I would have preferred to run 11 miles (at once) yesterday morning, I made the best of the situation.  This running group isn’t permanent and, as long as the two-a-day is 2 easy runs, I’m OK with it for the short term.

Have you ever done two-a-days when training for a race?  Like ’em or hate ’em? 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Leigh Valley Marathon, marathon, two-a-days

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Claire says

    July 20, 2011 at 6:47 am

    I’ve only done double runs when I’ve really had to – like when I knew I couldn’t fit in the following day’s run. I completely echo your thoughts – if I were an elite athlete, it would be a different story perhaps, but unfortunately I am not! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Kara says

    July 20, 2011 at 6:58 am

    I do them because it’s unavoidable with a baby involved. I may not get the same benefits, but it’s better than just not getting in the miles. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Jen says

    July 20, 2011 at 9:43 am

    i like two-a-days when it’s something like a run and a yoga class but i do not like doing two runs in one day. i always find that the second just isn’t as good as the first…that might be a mental hurdle though! 😉 i think it’s okay when necessary but not something to make a habit of.

    Reply
    • Kristy says

      July 20, 2011 at 9:48 am

      Agreed! Running and yoga/strength training are fine in the same day.

      I don’t think the second run is a mental thing. I think it’s your body’s way of telling you to back off!!

      Reply
  4. RAS says

    July 21, 2011 at 11:22 pm

    The heat is crazy! I am amazed that you are getting your runs in, and double runs at that.

    Last fall I would do two-a-days. One in the morning and one during my lunch break. Only for one reason, though. There’s a long street by my job that is hilly and 2-miles one way. So I would cover a good hill workout during lunch. Unfortunately, this was last summer and it was HOT… Oh, and I sweat pretty badly — w/ no shower at work. LOL How offensive. But… I can’t bring myself to run at night. I have no energy. I’m just a morning person.

    Reply
    • Kristy says

      July 22, 2011 at 10:20 am

      Running at night is the worst! I’m a total early bird too!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

© 2023 · Developed by JX2 Development.