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How many times a week should you run? How many times a week should a beginner run? How many times a week should an experienced runner or triathlete run? We're here to answer that for you with GTN's three rules for how often you should run. Let's jump right in with a revelation for you.
Runners pretty much never run as far as they can. And they pretty much never run as fast as they can. Maybe for an interval, but not for an entire session. And pretty much no runner, except maybe the most elite of the elite, runs every day. If you're starting out on a running discovery journey, you can throw all of those misconceptions out right now. Today, I'll give you an idea of how often you should aim to run. How far and how fast is a topic for another day, but just know that neither of those should be anywhere near your maximum.
Often when beginners start out, they'll say something like, "I'll just run a short run every day." This is a noble goal and it'll sound great on that social media content you're planning to make of your running journey. It actually sounds great as a New Year's resolution, but it's not realistic. Not because you're not tough enough, not because you're not committed enough. Not even because life will get in the way and make it impossible to stick to that resolution. No. The reason you can't run every single day is because you're not fit enough. Yeah, I said it. And I'm talking to you. You may be fit enough to run 5 minutes every day. You may even be fit enough to run 10 minutes every day. And if you've been running for a while, you may even be able to manage 20 minutes every day for a while. But the reality is, especially if you're just starting out on this running journey, it's going to take you more than 24 hours to recover from a run.
So, rule one, only run again when you've recovered from the last run. If you run every day, you may be mostly recovered, maybe even 95% recovered when you run again. But it's fairly obvious when you say it like that. Getting 95% recovered and then running again, the spiral of fatigue will soon overwhelm your fitness gains. And if you can't recover in 24 hours, you really can't run every day.
I know all of this kind of goes against your peak motivation you currently have, especially with that shiny new pair of carbon super shoes you got yourself for Christmas. But if you want your running journey to last beyond the end of January, say, and for many years to come, you need to play it a bit smarter. For most people, this will mean running every other day, three times a week, probably with maybe once a week doing two days in a row and hitting four runs.
But what if you're a more experienced runner? Well, experienced runners can handle four to six runs per week. But even the most experienced, the most elite of elite runners will usually take at least one day off a week. And when you get that far, you may need to consider carefully the mix of high-intensity endurance and recovery in your program. It's more about that than it is how many times a week you run.
Rule two, be consistent. When beginning runners hear that they should be consistent, they immediately think rule one must be wrong. Doesn't being consistent mean a run every day? But no, consistency means sticking to the program. Don't take big gaps with no running, but also don't suddenly do an extra long run or suddenly run 5 days in a row or jump from a one mile run to a six mile run and then back to a one mile run. Consistently challenge your body just a little bit. Don't overwhelm it. And then let it recover and repeat.
Here's a top tip. If you're struggling with how much running is taken out of you as you start this journey, walk intervals are okay. Keep these walk intervals short, but put in regular breaks if continuous running is a little bit too strenuous. It still counts as a run. If you do some walking during it.
Rule three, listen to your body. Pain is not weakness leaving your body, no matter what the fitness influences tell you. Real pain, injury pain, is a reason to stop, get it diagnosed, and get it treated. Discomfort, however, well, that is part of running. You want to go to that uncomfortable place to trigger your body to get faster, but take your recovery from running seriously to prevent an injury from derailing your progress and your consistency. Sleep more, eat better, and work on flexibility and core strength. All these things will not only speed up your recovery, they'll also make running that much more enjoyable and rewarding.
One final tip, this isn't a rule, more of a hack to help you out. If you look hard enough, or not that hard at all, actually, there is always a good reason not to run. Rain, snow, wet running shoes, watch battery dead, can't find your headphones. I'm sure you guys can come up with your own excuses. So, make sure that you plan ahead and remove all those excuses. Pre-arranged access to a treadmill, for example, or a new rain jacket, a new pair of shoes, all help to get you out the door. Even better, draft in a friend to meet you, because that really helps to remove the excuses.
Remember, the key to getting better at running is consistency. Just get out the door. You won't regret it. Running isn't punishment. It's a lifestyle. Start smart, build gradually, and enjoy the process. There isn't a magic number of runs for everyone to do every week. It depends on your fitness, your experience, and your recovery speed. Running the right number of runs per week for you will make you a fitter, happier, and healthier runner. In fact, it'll make you a happier and healthier person. And contrary to what you might see on social media and by the fitness influencers, doing less is actually better than doing more as long as you do it consistently. Stick to those rules and you'll love running. Happy running everyone.