Training by Minutes
The Advantages...
The Advantages...
1. Easier to adhere to your training plan
Forty-five minutes is forty-five minutes, no matter how many miles you cover in that block of time. Speeding up or slowing down will not change anything if your goal is merely to run for a set amount of time, although speeding up will make your run feel much harder.
2. Decreased injury risk
When training by miles, you may feel tempted to run faster to increase your overall average pace on any given run. Running by time instead can decrease the risk of injury, since you will not feel as tempted to worry about your pace--about how fast you can run a specified distance. Instead, your only concern is that you are running for the full amount of time.
3. Even pace.
Although training by minutes can help remove your running ego (the one that worries about how fast you are) from the equation, it may actually help you maintain an even pace because you will likely check the time on your stopwatch more often. In addition, training by minutes can help you learn appropriate pacing by helping you learn how long—how many minutes—you can sustain a certain pace by feel.
4. Appropriate effort.
Running by time allows you to run by feeling, without worrying about speed. Instead of concerning yourself with the pace you may or may not be keeping, you can focus on how you feel and better determine whether or not you are expending the appropriate amount of energy and effort.
Forty-five minutes is forty-five minutes, no matter how many miles you cover in that block of time. Speeding up or slowing down will not change anything if your goal is merely to run for a set amount of time, although speeding up will make your run feel much harder.
2. Decreased injury risk
When training by miles, you may feel tempted to run faster to increase your overall average pace on any given run. Running by time instead can decrease the risk of injury, since you will not feel as tempted to worry about your pace--about how fast you can run a specified distance. Instead, your only concern is that you are running for the full amount of time.
3. Even pace.
Although training by minutes can help remove your running ego (the one that worries about how fast you are) from the equation, it may actually help you maintain an even pace because you will likely check the time on your stopwatch more often. In addition, training by minutes can help you learn appropriate pacing by helping you learn how long—how many minutes—you can sustain a certain pace by feel.
4. Appropriate effort.
Running by time allows you to run by feeling, without worrying about speed. Instead of concerning yourself with the pace you may or may not be keeping, you can focus on how you feel and better determine whether or not you are expending the appropriate amount of energy and effort.
Training by Miles
The Advantages...
1. Pick your pace
Interestingly enough, both training by minutes and training by miles can help you learn pacing. Training by distances helps you learn the amount of effort you should expend (or save) to finish a predetermined distance. Because people have an easier time cognitively processing distance than they do time, training by distances allows you to determine how much farther you have to go before you are done, and thus helps you decide how much effort to expend (or not) in order to finish.
2. Reach your goal
Because training by miles naturally encourages us to reach a goal--the 4-mile mark, the 10-mile mark, etc., we are more likely to be motivated to run faster to reach that goal. You may notice, for example, that you naturally speed up when you see the finish line of a race. Because your goal is in sight, you begin to want to reach it fast, faster--as fast as possible. The same principle applies to training. If you know you need to go six miles today, you will likely--perhaps unconsciously--try to reach that six-mile mark as quickly as possible.
3. Track your progress
If you are someone who loves data, training by miles might be the way to go. Because training by miles actually requires a concern with mileage and pace--time--if you record your distances and times, training by miles provides you with more information about your overall fitness level and improvement.
Interestingly enough, both training by minutes and training by miles can help you learn pacing. Training by distances helps you learn the amount of effort you should expend (or save) to finish a predetermined distance. Because people have an easier time cognitively processing distance than they do time, training by distances allows you to determine how much farther you have to go before you are done, and thus helps you decide how much effort to expend (or not) in order to finish.
2. Reach your goal
Because training by miles naturally encourages us to reach a goal--the 4-mile mark, the 10-mile mark, etc., we are more likely to be motivated to run faster to reach that goal. You may notice, for example, that you naturally speed up when you see the finish line of a race. Because your goal is in sight, you begin to want to reach it fast, faster--as fast as possible. The same principle applies to training. If you know you need to go six miles today, you will likely--perhaps unconsciously--try to reach that six-mile mark as quickly as possible.
3. Track your progress
If you are someone who loves data, training by miles might be the way to go. Because training by miles actually requires a concern with mileage and pace--time--if you record your distances and times, training by miles provides you with more information about your overall fitness level and improvement.
The Best Method: Minutes or Miles?
As far as I can tell, there is actually no right or wrong answer to the question, "Which training method is better, miles or minutes?" The better question to ask yourself would be, "Which training method is better for me, miles or minutes?" The answer is up to you, but here are some things to think about.
You might want to train by minutes if...
1. You don't want the pressure of pace; you just want to run for the love of running.
2. You are a beginning runner.
3. You are recovering from an injury.
4. You are not feeling well on any given day.
You might want to train by miles if...
1. You are goal-oriented.
2. You are a competitive runner, or a competitive person.
3. You like to have a quantitative set of data to look at in order to assess the success or effects of your training.
Fast Fitness Tip
It’s okay if you finish your run feeling like you could have gone farther or faster. As Coach Arthur Lydiard advised, “Train, don’t strain.” If you push too hard during your training, you may not be able to give it your all during your event.
Something else to consider, and this is my own sort of personal running motto/mantra, is...
The important thing about running is not how far you go.
The important thing about running is not how fast you go.
The important thing about running is that you go.
Sources
Danica. "minutes not miles." Chicrunner.com. 13 June 2012. 10 March 2014. <http://chicrunner.com/2012/06/minutes-not-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-183439>.
Gaudette, Jeff. "Miles vs. Minutes: Which Is a Better Training Method?" running.competitor.com. 14 February 2014. Competitor Group, Inc. 10 March 2014. <http://running.competitor.com/2014/02/training/miles-vs-minutes_68078/2>.
Hutchinson, Alex. "Minutes vs. Miles: Training by Time or by Distance." active.com. 2013. 10 March 2014. <http://www.active.com/running/articles/minutes-vs-miles-training-by-time-or-by-distance>.
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