Running too long/much?

Question

Will running 3 seasons intensely with only 1 week off in between and running pre season xc over the summer (less intense) for 4years (all of high school) have a bad effect on my legs eventually? We usally get 1 day off every 2-4 weeks, depending on how far we are into the season too. I just finished my freshman year and at the end of track i felt like i was going to die. What about if i want to run in collage? Will my legs ever stop being as fast as they are and cut out on me?

Answer 1

it might be a bit much

Answer 2

Well, how long your legs will last running really depends on how you do it.  Run on the softest, most stable surfaces possible, and do it with the proper shoes.  They should fit properly and support your foot in a way that matches your degree of pronation.

Also, do NOT run on injuries.  It's better to take some time off of your training season than to run on injuries.  They WILL get worse, they WILL end up affecting your running, and they may become serious.  One of the best ways to extend the longevity of your legs running-wise is to never run on injuries.

And as far as resting goes, your body will tell you what you need to do.  Resting at least one day per week is generally recommended.  If you start overtraining (getting steadily worse as you train, rather than better,) you should stop.  You're tearing your body down faster than it can rebuild.  That means that you won't improve at all, and it greatly increases your chances of injury.

But that said, you should be able to run a long time.  There's a guy here in town that start running competitively in college.  He's well into his sixties, still competing, and I believe that he holds the world record for the mile in his age group.  He also knows a great deal about sports medicine and takes care of himself.  So run safely, and you should be able to run for a long time.