What is the 6/7 to 6/7 100 Days Challenge?
We've started 100 runs in 100 day challenge, commonly known as 100/100. The thing has evolved somewhat over the past few years, due to and contrary to popular demand. The basic unit that counts as a run is 20 minutes.
The goal of this entire challenge is to lay down a solid run base by doing volume through frequency. The goal of the challenge actually is not to randomly be doing a bunch of short runs, although some in the past may have chosen to. The goal really is to increase your overall mileagewhich will hopefully result in better performances next year as long as you don't go overboard and injury yourself. Frequency is the carrot to get you overall mileage, but don't end up using it to get injured!
The runs can be outdoors or on a treadmill, but it must be running (no water running, no elliptical trainer...). Walking does not count...there must be two feet off the ground at some point in every stride (the difference between race walking and running) and there must be forward motion so 30 minutes of jumping jacks will not count either :-) :-) :-).
DO'S AND DON'TS
You can take days off
You can do days with more than one run (doubles)
You can and likely should take rest days
You get no credit for going longer than 30 minute wrt number of runs, however it will help your distance totals. Over time, many of your runs will be in excess of 20 minutes.
If you go fast, it will show up in your total distance over the challenge in less time and the speedsters get to beat the crap out of each other.
You can go as slow as you want provided both feet leave the ground on every stride
Listen to your body if you need to take a day off.
Don't sprint out of the gate in the first 3 weeks....easiest way to get injured...start slow....perhaps take your aggregate mileage over the last 3 years and divide that total by 156 to get a gauge for what your average weeks for the first 4-6 weeks should look like before you ramp up
If you make it through 10 weeks (70 days), pour it on in the final month when your body and mind can take it.
WHAT COUNTS AS A DOUBLE RUN?
For a run to count as a double, it must be separated by at least 1 hour.
WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS LEVELS
While some might go for 100 runs, the reality is that unless you are already running 4-6 hours per week, this is not a realistic goal. If you did over 2500K of running last year, you're probably good to go to attack the full 100 (assuming you have no injuries)
For most a realistic goal is to start at Bronze club pace (or less) and then see how things go.
Platinum Club = 100 runs in 100 days (March 24th)
Gold Club = 90 runs in 100 runs in days
Silver Club = 80 runs in 100 runs in days
Bronze = 70 runs in 100 runs in days
It is great training for anyone doing a spring marathon or an early season triathlon, and you'll be shocked by how quickly you accumulate mileage, all without getting injured...because the focus is keeping them short and aerobic. By all means feel free to run longer than 30 minutes, but the main goal here is to get you out the door, 5-7 times per week.
QUESTION ABOUT RUNS SHORTER THAN 20 MINUTES
The goal is to encourage people to run as much as possible. Sometimes, life gets in the way. We have lives outside sport.Something is better than nothing. So if you do 2 runs shorter than 20 minutes in one day (ex 15+10), you can count the total as 1 run, but beyond that, you can't keep adding up incremental amounts to count for additional runs. For example, a 30 minute run and 10 minute run in one day won't count as 2 runs and nor will 10+10+20. They will both count as one 40 minute run (you can add your short run amount to your large run amount to get full mileage credit).
The goal of this entire challenge is to lay down a solid run base by doing volume through frequency. The goal of the challenge actually is not to randomly be doing a bunch of short runs, although some in the past may have chosen to. The goal really is to increase your overall mileagewhich will hopefully result in better performances next year as long as you don't go overboard and injury yourself. Frequency is the carrot to get you overall mileage, but don't end up using it to get injured!
The runs can be outdoors or on a treadmill, but it must be running (no water running, no elliptical trainer...). Walking does not count...there must be two feet off the ground at some point in every stride (the difference between race walking and running) and there must be forward motion so 30 minutes of jumping jacks will not count either :-) :-) :-).
DO'S AND DON'TS
You can take days off
You can do days with more than one run (doubles)
You can and likely should take rest days
You get no credit for going longer than 30 minute wrt number of runs, however it will help your distance totals. Over time, many of your runs will be in excess of 20 minutes.
If you go fast, it will show up in your total distance over the challenge in less time and the speedsters get to beat the crap out of each other.
You can go as slow as you want provided both feet leave the ground on every stride
Listen to your body if you need to take a day off.
Don't sprint out of the gate in the first 3 weeks....easiest way to get injured...start slow....perhaps take your aggregate mileage over the last 3 years and divide that total by 156 to get a gauge for what your average weeks for the first 4-6 weeks should look like before you ramp up
If you make it through 10 weeks (70 days), pour it on in the final month when your body and mind can take it.
WHAT COUNTS AS A DOUBLE RUN?
For a run to count as a double, it must be separated by at least 1 hour.
WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS LEVELS
While some might go for 100 runs, the reality is that unless you are already running 4-6 hours per week, this is not a realistic goal. If you did over 2500K of running last year, you're probably good to go to attack the full 100 (assuming you have no injuries)
For most a realistic goal is to start at Bronze club pace (or less) and then see how things go.
Platinum Club = 100 runs in 100 days (March 24th)
Gold Club = 90 runs in 100 runs in days
Silver Club = 80 runs in 100 runs in days
Bronze = 70 runs in 100 runs in days
It is great training for anyone doing a spring marathon or an early season triathlon, and you'll be shocked by how quickly you accumulate mileage, all without getting injured...because the focus is keeping them short and aerobic. By all means feel free to run longer than 30 minutes, but the main goal here is to get you out the door, 5-7 times per week.
QUESTION ABOUT RUNS SHORTER THAN 20 MINUTES
The goal is to encourage people to run as much as possible. Sometimes, life gets in the way. We have lives outside sport.Something is better than nothing. So if you do 2 runs shorter than 20 minutes in one day (ex 15+10), you can count the total as 1 run, but beyond that, you can't keep adding up incremental amounts to count for additional runs. For example, a 30 minute run and 10 minute run in one day won't count as 2 runs and nor will 10+10+20. They will both count as one 40 minute run (you can add your short run amount to your large run amount to get full mileage credit).
