The Less is More approach - does it work? (Read 2185 times)

No I have not - I'm actually quite the opposite In February I was sidelined due to a knee instability issue... I started back slowly in March with no issues. In May I became a streaker. I have now run 44 days in a row, one of those days included a half marathon. I have had no knee issues... I don't know what your issues are with your knee, but if I had listened to my doctors I would not be running every day. Or even back to back days. I think you need to do try what works for you based on your aspirations.

+1 on an absence of knee pain as my running got more frequent. I also learned how easy my 'easy' days are supposed to be, which probably helped.

Second that!!! And the true meaning of a recovery run!

In May I became a streaker.

This post is useless without pictures.

Well, I guess it depends. I was training five days a week when I came down with knee pain and was diagnosed with tendinitis. I was given the same advice: cut back on training and train smarter. Go back to four days a week--maybe permanently, definitely short-term. I followed the advice--really, my knees hurt so badly I couldn't help but follow it. I cut back on speed work and hill training, too, per my ortho's advice. Knee pain showed up like clockwork at mile 8 of every long run, too. After about a month, the knees got better. I have recently gone back to training five days a week some weeks, with no recurrence of the knee pain. I've added speedwork again, and gone back to hill training--well, bridge training, in Florida. For me, cutting back did help. No more knee pain at mile eight, either. I gotta go back to doing my quad-strengthening stuff, though. I think doing that helped too. Just wanted you to hear from someone for whom cutting back--for a while--helped. MTA: Yes, learning what an "easy" run is supposed to be definitely helps. I think that's what cutting out speedwork and hill training did for me; just allowed every run for a while to be easy. My knees probably needed that, and as a rookie runner, I was trying to go out there and get a "great run" in every time. Duh! Surest way to an injury. I guess I found that out! K

I have found that for me, more is more. I have less aches, pains, and soreness when I am more consistent with my running. I am very good at running truly easy on easy days, so that helps.

A high frequency of running can keep your joints and tissues used to the pounding of running. Running 6/7 days a week but not increasing total weekly mileage or intensity can help. But be careful about increasing volume and intensity. Let's think logically here: more running equals more pounding on your knees, which will aggravate any existing knee injuries.

Jim2 may have hit on something: for those who've been running for a long time and have no injuries or issues, it may be great to run every day. For those who are dealing with niggly issues/injuries, it may be necessary to cut back for a while.

Good point. You gotta listen to your body. And while I said more is more for me, there is such a thing as too much of good thing. Everyone's a little different. Looking back at the article cited in the original post, the FIRST training programs do involve some pretty high intensity training, so the fewer days of running, interspersed w/ cross-training, makes sense. Here's a link to the FIRST training program website. http://www.furman.edu/first/fmtp.htm Their programs aren't for me because I pretty much hate cross training and only like running.