It is often recommended to build up your running to 50 miles a week for various military special ops programs within the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. While those programs involve significant running (and rucking) — and you need to be good at both — 50 miles a week is not a one-size-fits-all recommendation.
Here is a question regarding building up to 50 miles a week and how to sustain or maintain it for more extended training periods:
Stew, once you reach 50 miles a week running, how long do you stay at that level? Should you ever decrease mileage? I am training for Army Ranger School and the Army Special Forces, with the intention of completing my preparation within the next 12-18 months. Thanks, Jason
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For decades, the advice before spec ops selections has been to build up to 50 miles a week. I remember hearing that one in the 1980s, but I never reached 50 miles a week before SEAL training. I hovered around 40 miles and focused on my pace for 4-mile timed runs, as you don’t want to fail those weekly events.
It’s better to build your cardio so that running a 7-minute mile pace for 4–6 miles feels sustainable, rather than just chasing high weekly mileage. If you can do that on 35–40 miles a week instead of 50+, that’s perfectly fine.
My advice is to cycle through the year as if you were playing a sport. You have a preseason when you build up logically for 40-50 miles a week. You maintain it during the season, focusing on faster paces in timed running events. Then you have a postseason when you de-load your miles by 50%-75% but replace any cardio time with a lifting cycle and nonimpact cardio. Your joints will thank you.
Not All Athletes Are Suited for This Amount of Running
If you are receiving advice from a long-distance running coach, that is great for form and technique, but you must understand the type of person that coach sees. Usually, they are leaner, lighter and can run longer distances, compared to a power athlete who is bigger, stronger and thinks anything beyond 100 meters is too long. The progression should be gentler, and the volume of running per week should be mixed with more nonimpact cardio than just running. It may take a lot longer for the bigger or more powerful athlete to build up to a spec ops level of running volume, so be patient with your running.
On the other hand, when I have endurance athletes training for a special ops selection that involves running, rucking and/or swimming with fins, I recommend the opposite. Many of these athletes were running 80 miles or more per week while competing in their sport. I typically reduce their mileage to 20 miles per week or less and have them bulk up, get stronger and become more durable for the challenges that any tactical athlete will face.
To specifically answer your question, we build up progressively at 10%-15% per week and will maintain that zone (35-50 miles per week) for 6-8 weeks, then start the same regression as we prepare for the next lift cycle. We will start lifting heavy again once our runs are down to below a total of 25 miles per week.
Check out more articles in the Military.com Fitness Section on running and rucking progressions, fitness testing, endurance and tactical fitness periodization cycles that will help you understand the importance of getting “good at everything” for the tactical professions.
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