SHOULD YOU RUN TWICE A DAY?

Known as running doubles, heading out for a run twice a day is a training tactic among elites, helping them log the big miles and boost their running recovery time. However, that's not to say that everyday runners also can't benefit. So, when should you do it? And how does it work?

How to Run Doubles

Running doubles isn’t as easy as just heading out twice in one day. It's all about promoting recovery, so it’s important to give yourself enough time between runs to recover correctly.

Begin by adding a second run onto a day with a key running session that pushes you, such as intervals or threshold training. Your second run should then be easy and can be any time of the day, before or after your scheduled training session. Don't worry about setting a pace. Stick to an easy, conversational speed for maximum benefit.

Aim for around 6-8 hours between runs or - at a minimum - 5 hours. Leaving a shorter 2-4 hour period between runs isn’t as effective as your body has less time to recover.

When to Run Doubles

When training for a marathon or long-distance running, if you're struggling to fit the weekly mileage in, doubles may be the solution.

However, don't break up your long runs to fit them in. Running doubles is never a substitute for building endurance and muscle strength in the weekly long run.

If your only goal is to increase your weekly mileage, you may find it more beneficial to make up the miles in single runs rather than running twice. For example, if you’re already running five days a week, try to add an extra running day rather than doubling up.

+ The Benefits of Doubles

Body benefits - Doubling up on your runs puts your body in a glycogen-depleted state. As your body adapts, it burns more fat and functions more economically by using your glycogen stores more efficiently, delaying fatigue, and speeding up your recovery so you get fitter faster.
Cumulative mileage - Doubling up your run once a week can give your total mileage a boost and help your body run further, for longer.
Efficient recovery - Mixing your hard training sessions with short, less strenuous runs helps increase blood flow to active muscles, challenging and teaching your body to recover faster. If you can’t bear running again on the same day as intervals or threshold, try a 30-minute cross-training session instead.

- The Negatives of Doubles

Recovery - Doubling up on run days can be tiring, so rest on your down days to prevent overtraining and fatigue.
Aerobic endurance - For beginner or intermediate runners - if you haven’t been running 50+ miles a week consistently for 3-5 years – then most of your running improvement comes from increasing your aerobic endurance by increasing your runs of around 60-90 minutes. Running doubles is often two shorter runs of around 30-45 minutes, which, while beneficial, is less effective for enhancing fitness.
Time-consuming - Doubles require time and dedication. Although it may seem easier to split a run into two, you still need to factor in proper fuelling, post-run recovery, ensuring you get enough sleep, as well as showering and changing time.

Don't Forget:

Running twice a day means you’re burning more calories and stimulating your metabolism more often. Ensure you fuel your runs properly and eat enough to recover to replenish essential nutrients.
If you’re prone to injury, doubles probably aren’t for you. Make sure you get your Gait Analysed to help reduce your risk of injury, whatever your running training distance.
Keep track of your weekly mileage. You should always follow the 10% rule, even when running doubles, only increasing your total weekly mileage by up to 10% each week.

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