Learn How To Reap The Benefits Of Singles
- By Duncan Larkin
- Published Jul. 17, 2011
They paid off for 2:08 Japanese marathoner Yuki Kawauchi.
As marathon runners struggle to fit in as many miles as possible into their routine, cramming doubles and perhaps triples into their week, when does it make sense for them to revert back to long singles? And does it make sense for busy runners with day jobs to to run more singles than doubles?
These important questions were raised in a recent article by Duncan Larkin that appeared on Running Times‘ Web site.
Japanese runner Yuki Kawauchi clocked a 2:08 marathon at this year’s Tokyo Marathon off of single-session training. An amateur amongst professionals, Kawauichi held down a nine-hour-a-day job as an office worker and was “only” able to manage about 373 miles a month–all in singles.
Kawauchi’s approach was surprisingly simple: He logged one long run a week (22-28 miles), conducted one speed workout, and took to the trails in the mountains once every seven days; the rest of his weekly sessions were 70 to 100 minutes long.
That’s it.
For More: Running Times
FILED UNDER: News TAGS: amateur runners / day job / Duncan Larkin / Japanese Runners / office worker / Running Times / single runs / singles / Trail Running / Yuki Kawauchi
Duncan Larkin
Duncan Larkin is the news editor at Competitor.com and a freelance journalist who’s been covering the sport of running for over five years. He’s run 2:32 in the marathon and won the Himalayan 100-Mile Stage Race in 2007. His first running book, RUN SIMPLE, was released last July.