Unlocking Your Running Potential: The Importance of Building Volume Wisely

We are at that time of year when a lot of you have just finished your fall marathons. You’ve crushed your goals—maybe you went from a 5-hour marathon down to a 3:45—and now you’re asking the big question: "What do I do next?" Logically, most runners think, "If I ran this fast on 50 miles a week, imagine how fast I’ll be on 60 or 70!" It’s natural to think that more miles equals better results. Now, if you know me, you know I love high mileage. I personally run 65–70 miles a week just because I enjoy it. But as a coach, I want to push back a little on the idea that you always need to increase your volume to get better. Here is why we need to be careful with volume, and how to build it the right way. Don’t Rush the Process If you are still seeing big improvements at your current mileage, why change it? Sometimes we rush to get to the "next level" so fast that we leave a lot of potential on the table. Ask yourself this: If you want to add 20 minutes of running to your day, is that time actually best spent running? Or would you become a faster, more resilient runner by spending those 20 minutes doing core work, mobility, or strength training? If you skip those foundational things just to add miles, you might get away with it for a little while. But eventually, you’ll hit a point where your body breaks down. I’ve seen athletes spend a year or more in a cycle of injury because they tried to force volume their bodies weren't structurally ready for. Baseline vs. Peak Volume When we talk about mileage, we need to look at two different numbers: 1. Baseline Volume: This is the mileage you can run week in and week out without getting injured and without special planning. 2. Peak Volume: This is that really high number you hit for just a few weeks during the hardest part of marathon training. Your goal right now—especially in the "off-season" or between races—should be raising your baseline. If you can get to a point where running 35 or 40 miles a week feels totally normal and easy, you are in a great spot. From there, you are only about 6 to 8 weeks away from being ready to race any distance. Are You Actually "Handling" the Volume? I hear runners say, "I handled the volume fine," but then they had a bad race. My take is: if you raced poorly, you probably didn't handle the volume. Surviving the training isn't the same as absorbing it. Here are a few signs you might be overdoing it: • Aerobic Decoupling: This is a fancy term for your heart rate drifting up. Go for a long, easy run on a flat route. If your heart rate is significantly higher in the second half of the run than the first half (while keeping the same pace), your body is struggling to handle the load. • Workouts Getting Harder: If you do a workout in Week 8 that feels great, but a similar workout in Week 13 feels impossible, that’s a red flag. You aren't adapting; you're just getting tired. Play the Long Game Running is a long-term project. It took me over 10 years to go from high school mileage to being an Olympic Trials qualifier. I spent my college years getting injured because I tried to jump to 80+ miles a week before I was ready. Don't look at your progress in weeks or months—look at it in years. If you are new to a high-volume plan (like the Hanson’s Method), consider just repeating the same cycle. You will likely see massive improvements the second time around just because your body has finally adapted to that workload. The Takeaway I want you to run more miles, but only when your body is ready. If you rush it, you might spend the next year fighting injuries. But if you take the time to build your strength and slowly raise your baseline, you’ll stay healthy and keep setting PRs for years to come. Train smart, and I’ll talk to you later! We'd love to work with you: Private Training Community: Plans: Coaching:

You can listen to Unlocking Your Running Potential: The Importance of Building Volume Wisely online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Unlocking Your Running Potential: The Importance of Building Volume Wisely is an episode from Luke Humphrey Running by Luke Humphrey Running.

This episode is 29:11 long.

This episode was published on Nov 24, 2025.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Luke Humphrey Running when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.