I recently celebrated the fact that I’ve run 1000 miles so far in 2009. I reached this milestone in large part while training for various races. Tempo runs, intervals, long runs etc… and often, I just ran – laced up and hit the road – logging a lot of what I recently recognized as junk miles.
Junk Mile – [juhngk mahyl] - noun – a run at an easy pace inserted into a program in order to reach a weekly or monthly mileage total rather than for any specific benefit.
More loosely defined, junk miles are miles that are logged without a specific purpose. Many trainers and training programs disparage these miles and there are some really good training programs out there that prepare athletes to run marathons while running as little as 3 days a week – speed work out, pace and longer run for example. By all accounts, these training plans help runners stay injury free and there are many testimonials of PR marathons using these methods. Clearly these athletes benefit from eliminating the junk miles from their training diets.
When I trained for my marathon in May, I used Hal Higdon’s novice plan. I ran about 4 times a week, cheated by cross training on rest days and went from an average of 19 miles a week to about 40 miles during my peak training. Arguably, some of these miles could’ve been considered junk. It was my first full marathon, so I have nothing to compare it with, but I ran a pretty good race that could’ve been better with a little planning (food, hotel etc) but the training was without fault – I was prepared. Marathon: Race Report.
The reality for me is that I am a recreational runner who participates in races. I often run for the enjoyment of it – logging a bunch of junk. I like junk miles – lacing up, running with no purpose other than stress relief, relaxation and the achievement of miles logged. I guess I am a junky.
today’s run was more tempo than junk 
When I finally decide to run another full marathon, I will research some of these other plans and alternatives. In the meantime, I will indulge in my junk miles. Not all plans considered these miles to be totally worthless. In fact, the guru behind the training plans that I use, Hal Higdon, believes that that these miles may have an overlooked value: Junk Miles, by Hal Higdon
Good research, lady! I think if your body can withstand the extra “junk” miles and it makes you feel good to get out there and do them, then do it. I’ve found my body to be injury prone, so too many (like more than 2) consecutive days of running and my body starts to fall apart. It’s a struggle though, I definitely tossed in some junk into my peak weeks to reach some “magical” mileage number, more for that mental boost than anything. It’s all trial and error for the individual.
yeah… everything is different when you are training for a marathon – I will definitely check out alternative plans if/when I train for another one. I had a lot of injuries during that time.