What is More Important: Running Frequency or Overall Mileage?

I’m stubborn—there’s really no other way to put it. Once I get an idea in my head, I believe it until I prove myself wrong. Even when someone with more experience tells me otherwise, I still need to see it and feel it for myself before I’ll change my mind.

One topic I’ve resisted for years is running frequency.

I train with serious marathoners who run 5-6 days a week. That never seemed necessary—or desirable—to me. I liked my 4X/week schedule. It left me feeling rested and gave me time for strength work, cross-training, and other hobbies. I even convinced myself that all the mileage I needed—even for ultras—could be done in just four runs a week.

I’d argue this with friends on our runs. We all read the same training books, listened to the same podcasts.. I read both Both Pete Pfitzinger & Scott Douglas, Advanced Marathoning, and Matt Fitzgerald, 80/20 Running. I knew that both books recommend training 5–7 days a week for marathon runners. They emphasized that the body responds best when mileage is distributed consistently across multiple days. It was logical and I understood but I still didn’t relent. Eventually, I got tired of trying to get every run to be 10+ miles and I started incorporating the 5^th day, while training for my first 50K.

What I failed to recognize in my own training is that I was starting to get into higher milage events and with that, my training needed to adjust. I work with athletes that run all distances and for shorter distances, I truly believe that 4 days a week is sufficient. For my runners I coached that had big mileage goals I increased their frequency, because that’s what was needed to get them to the finish line healthy and successfully. Yet I was stubbornly set in keeping my running days low and I paid for it.

Trying to squeeze 50+ miles into just four days was way more taxing than spreading the mileage across 5 runs. The research backs this up: shorter, more frequent runs are less stressful on the body and lead to better adaptation over time. I finally relented.

Here is what I experienced when I started running 5 times a week to get those higher mileage weeks: Less aches and pains, less resistance to doing the run itself, more efficient workouts, and more enjoyment. The frequent runs became habitual, they didn’t feel like they were interfering with my life. I would run 6-8 miles on my weekday runs and then I had my long-run on Saturday with my friends. I still had 2 days off from running, one solely dedicated to rest and another day to do a harder strength session or take an additional rest day.

What surprised me most was how manageable it felt. Running became part of my routine, my body didn’t feel as beat up. On days I ran, I had more energy to do other activities. My recovery improved, and overall, I just felt better.

I still go back to my 4 day a week program in the off-season, but that’s fitting when all you are doing is 30-35 miles a week. Regardless of the research, programming should always make sense to you and your body. I don’t know if I will ever agree with running 7 days a week, but for now, I will humbly admit that running 5-6X/ week is not only the correct programming but actually very efficient and effective training. At the end, programming will always be dependent on many variables: personal goals, current fitness, lifestyle, availability, race type and distance. That is why individual programming is so critical. Training should be manageable and appropriate for the end goal. While overall milage is key to success, how you get those miles is equally important.