Quote:
Originally Posted by FelixP
The reason I go balls out everyday is so I can get used to doing so at boot camp. My idea was to build distance over time. Today I ran 2.5 miles at a mild pace (didn't time it), and it wasn't worth a shit for cardio; it blasted my calves and shins though, so I guess it was still worthwhile. Another reason for sprinting one mile is that I'm a construction worker, and when I get home I'm often times too tired for a long run.
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Well, that's not a very efficient way of doing it. You're honestly more likely to be doing harm than good here, and you're not increasing your VO2 max if you're not giving your body an opportunity to recover.
Seriously, saying that you ran 2.5 miles at a mild pace and it "wasn't worth a shit for cardio" tells me that you've got your head completely spun around.
IF you want to be a good runner, you need to realize that Long Slow Distance is the base upon which all other accomplishments are built. You're trying to do this with no base. You are going to injure yourself, quite possibly severely, if you keep this up. You can cause stress fractures, all sorts of connective tissue damage (like plantars fascitis, IT band irritation or back spasms) and muscle tears (not pulls - tears), not to mention that by running at 100% threshold every day without real training can do all sorts of cardiovascular damage.
In short, you're approaching this like it's weight lifting. Which it's not. Each run is a part of a larger cycle, which itself is a part of an even larger cycle. What I mean is that things go up and down over time, including times and distances.
Try varying your distances and speeds. What you're attempting is actually based in solid running theory (the African model, of which I'm a huge proponent), but you need to dial it back from 100% to like 80%. You should be able to hold a long conversation easily on slower days and short ones with some effort on faster ones. Trying to run a course as fast as you can is fine once a week, but every day is going to get you hurt.