Running 6 miles a day—or running 10k a day—is a unique and ambitious endeavor. It requires a high level of emotional dedication and a hefty time commitment.
It also requires a base fitness level to ensure you’re up for the task.
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6 miles is 9.66 kilometers, so a few hundred meters short of a 10K, but for our purposes, we’ll discuss them interchangeably.
In this guide, we will discuss the benefits of running 6 miles a day, if daily running is ultimately good or bad for you, and how to make the best out of running as your principal form of exercise.
When we talk about running a 10K a day, that does not necessarily mean you have to run 6 miles every day for eternity, such as those who partake in running streaks.
Running streaks can actually cause more harm than good, potentially provoking the risk of injury due to a lack of recovery days.
We always recommend rest and recovery days to make sure your body gets the chance to recuperate and rebuild.
Running 6 miles a day could easily be a 5-day running routine.
How Long Does It Take to Run 6 Miles?
Running speeds vary from person to person. Beginner runners and experienced runners will likely have distinct running speeds.
However, we’ve included some benchmarks for you to use as reference as you set your pace goals.
The Fastest 10K Speed: The current 10K world record belongs to Joshua Cheptegei,110,000 Metres – men – senior – all. (n.d.). Worldathletics.org. Retrieved April 1, 2024, from https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlelong/10000-metres/all/men/senior with a finish time of 26:11 in Valencia, Spain.
Keep in mind this is the fastest 10K speed ever recorded.
Let’s take a look at the average runner’s pace for running just one mile.
Average Mile Speed: Medical News Today offers a chart2Average mile time by age and sex. (2022, May 9). Www.medicalnewstoday.com. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326263#average-mile-time mapping out the average mile times of the top 1% and the top 50% of runners. The top 50% finished between eight and twelve minutes. That makes the average mile speed 10 minutes per mile.
Average 10K Speed: Run Repeat analyzed finishing times3The State of Running 2019. (2019). Athletic Shoe Reviews; RunRepeat.com. https://runrepeat.com/state-of-running of runners around the world in June 2020. The average finishing time for a 10K (males and females included) is one hour.
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If you’re asking, “How long does it take to run a 10k?” and you want to budget your time tailored to your personal running pace, you can calculate the estimated time by punching in your one-mile running speed here.
Related: What’s a Good 10k Time? Average 10k Times
What Are The Benefits Of Running 6 Miles A Day?
There are some envy-worthy benefits of running 6 miles a day.
- Running is excellent aerobic exercise and greatly increases your cardiovascular health.
- Your mental health will skyrocket – you may discover unmatched clarity and happiness levels.
- You’ll grow more cells in your blood vessels,4Publishing, H. H. (2019). Exercise and your arteries. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/exercise-and-your-arteries#:~:text=Exercising%20muscles%20need%20more%20blood keeping your circulation running smoothly.
- You’ll see more of your city than ever before…unless you stick to the same track every time, which I don’t recommend.
- You’ll memorize all your favorite songs and become an extreme podcast consumer – unless you run in silence and listen to nature’s chirping.
Is Running Every Day Good For You?
As you’ve progressed from a beginner runner to an intermediate level, you have heard that running too much can be bad for you. Most training plans will always incorporate rest days rather than requiring you to run seven days a week.
So now that you are considering a 6 miles a day goal, you want to make sure you’re not setting yourself up for injury or burnout.
Stephen Lane, USA Track and Field Level 2 certified running coach and meet director for Adrian Martinez Classic, answers this question.
“In thinking about the benefits of a 10K a day, it is important to think about the goal: why are you doing it?
If I’m training competitive athletes, that’s just not something we would do. The body needs variety, and so does the mind. Physiologically speaking, the same thing over and over again doesn’t promote the types of adaptations a body needs to perform at its best.
We need to train speed, we need to train over-distance, we need to train at race pace. We need easy days and hard days; long days and short days. And mentally, the same thing every day gets stale for most people.
That said, the best type of training is the type you will do. So, I can imagine a person just setting a goal of running a 10K a day for a year as a way to commit to the training – and if it helps that person, great.
Even then, I’d mix it up: hilly courses and flat courses, soft surfaces and hard surfaces. I’d seek out scenic runs. I’d recruit a ton of friends to join me. I’d do some as Fartleks (or speedplay) – run hard for a minute, easy for five.
Or, if you’re into the ‘play’ part, turn into a little kid again: run hard to the next tree, then go easy, or try to race a bus down the street as long as you can.”
Josh Muskin – functional fitness personal trainer and high school/college coach of 10+ years – emphasizes that the benefits of running a 10K a day depend on your pre-existing level of fitness.
“Regarding 10K/day, there are a lot of benefits, especially in marathon training – IF you have the base fitness to run ~42 miles per week.
If you’re not already running 30-35 miles per week, the disclaimer is to slowly work up to that volume.”
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So, while running 6 miles is not inherently bad for you, you need to take into consideration your training goals and your fitness level to decide if it’s the right course for you.
Also note that if you are not committed to fueling your body with a healthy diet and getting plenty of sleep, you will be at a higher risk for a weakened immune system, and could cause lasting health problems.
How to Make the Most of Running a 10K a Day
Once you’ve decided that running 6 miles a day is the right running program for you, you have to optimize your training to make sure you get the most out of it.
Since the body does need variation in order to build strength and endurance, we don’t recommend running the same pace every day.
Here are some tips to break up your 10K runs so they are more beneficial and don’t get monotonous:
- Run at different paces. Include speed work intervals, tempo runs and Fartleks to spice it up.
- Run different terrains, including hill runs, trail runs, road runs, beach runs, and explore new areas!
- Use the 10% rule. This rule states that you should never increase your pace or mileage by more than 10 percent each week. Since your mileage will stay the same, let that rule apply to your pace increase to avoid overtraining.
- Pay attention to your physiological5Thompson, M. A. (2017). Physiological and Biomechanical Mechanisms of Distance Specific Human Running Performance. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 57(2), 293-300. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icx069 running limits: Your performance is directly related to your aerobic capacity (breathing), fuel utilization (healthy diet), and fatigue resistance (carrying on when you’re tired). Focus on maximizing your breathing, eating a healthy diet, and knowing when it’s time to stop and when it’s time to push yourself.
- Focus on your running form and cadence.
The Bottom Line: You Don’t Need To Run 6 Miles Every Single Day
In fact, most runners and coaches would tell you it’s better not to run every day.
Rest days are important to give your body an opportunity to recover and consolidate the gains made over the preceding days.
Remember that our speed, muscles, and endurance all improve when put under stress. If you consistently run the same distance and pace every day, your performance will plateau and you may develop imbalances and weaknesses that can lead to injuries.
That’s why good training plans include cross-training days. You should use strength training and gym work to compensate for some of the imbalances caused by your running and to gain muscle mass and strength.
After all, the goal is to develop a sustainable, long-term running habit.
So perhaps you want to run 6 miles four times per week, add in a couple of rest days and a cross-training day.
Find a schedule that suits your energy levels and other commitments, and stick to it!
Choosing the Best 10K a Day Running Plan for You
The key takeaway here is to consider your goals. If you’re training for a half marathon or are a marathon runner, you’ll get much greater benefits by breaking up your training plan into short runs, long-distance runs, and cross-training days.
If that’s you, download one of our free marathon training plans, where we’ve programmed the best daily schedule for your whole training journey.
If you’re running 6 miles a day as a personal challenge, a quest for weight loss or just to increase physical activity, be sure to work on your base fitness level and gradually work up to your goal mileage.
If you get comfortable with 6 miles a day, why not push things even further and step up to running 10 miles a day?
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