When we first get into the sport of trail running we soon hear crazy stories about runners running massive distances on a regular basis. When I listen to experienced trail runners I often hear the words 10-Mile easy run splashed around as if it is nothing at all. However, the question did arise in my mind when I was starting out as a trail runner whether or not running 10 miles every day was too much. So I set about finding the answer.
Running 10 miles every day will be too much for most runners due to the risk of overuse injuries. However, experienced ultra-distance runners will have built the endurance fitness to cope with repeated 10-mile runs with a lower chance of injury.
Let’s take a closer look at why 10 miles of trail running each and every single day may or may not be too much for you and how you can build up your trail running distance to a level where you can do higher mileages regularly without getting injured.
Is Running 10 Miles Every Day Too Much
Beginner runners are advised to only run 3 times a week for up to 30 minutes per run. Over time, runners build the strength to cope with 10-mile runs. However, running 10 miles every day still increases the risk of an overuse injury.
When we first get into the sport of running we are often told that running every single day is a bad idea as it will set us up for the possibility of getting overuse running injuries especially as our bodies are trying to adapt to this new sport. Therefore, as a new runner, running every single day will not be the best possible idea that we can have.
In addition as new runners, we need to slowly increase our training distance over time so that we do not set ourselves up for any injuries.
Therefore, for the vast majority of runners, I would say that running 10 miles each and every single day would be setting yourself up for a potential overuse injury that could set you back months and months of recovery and rehabilitation.
However, once you build up your running pedigree over a number of years and you have increased the distance that you’re capable of, then running 10 miles on each and every single one of the runs that you head out on is distinctly possible. But, as I said earlier this is something that you need to build yourself up to over an extended period of time.
What Does Running 10 Miles Do To Your Body
Running for 10 miles is a long enough distance to boost both your strength and endurance levels as a runner. The 10-mile distance is also far enough for the body to begin using fat as a fuel source while running.
For the vast majority of us running 10 miles means that we will be running for long enough to burn through our blood and muscle glycogen stores and head into the exciting world of fat burning as a fuel source for our run.
In addition, 10 miles is the type of distance that would lead to muscle adaptation and make you a stronger runner, in that it will improve your strength and endurance levels. That is if you are able to repeat these types of distances fairly regularly.
So running 10 miles will make you a stronger runner and it will improve your endurance. This fitness adaptation will happen as long as you allow sufficient recovery between the one 10-mile run and the next, and that you have a strong handle on your nutrition and hydration. After all, you want to be at your best the next time you step out of the door for your next 10-mile run.
How Long Does It Take To Run 10 Miles
Experienced athletes that compete at a national level are capable of running 10 miles in 45 to 50 minutes. More average runners will need 60 to 90 minutes to complete the same 10 miles. Factors that make a 10-mile run slower are how flat/hilly the route is, how technical the trail is, and heat/cold.
The time that it will take you to run 10 miles will vary depending on what skill/fitness level you have.
Normally an athlete that competes at a national level will be able to complete a 10-mile run in approximately 45 to 50 minutes.
However, more average runners will need between 60 and 90 minutes to be able to complete a 10-mile run.
Another factor that will determine how long it takes you to run 10 miles will be whether or not your route is flat/hilly and how technical the trail surface is underfoot.
For me, based on the types of trails around where I live, a ten-mile run can easily take me 90 minutes. Often my 10-mile training run will take me even longer simply because I’m deliberately running slowly to keep my heart rate down within my aerobic heart rate threshold.
You can read more about how I keep my heart rate down at a lower level during my runs by reading this article that I wrote here on Trail Run Planet.
Do You Need Water On A 10 Mile Run
You will always need water on a 10-mile run. Dehydration slows you down and makes recovery more difficult. If the weather is hot or you are at a higher altitude you will need more water to avoid dehydration while running 10 miles.
Speaking from experience, I can say that I have never been on a 10-mile run where I did not need water along the way. Getting yourself dehydrated on a run is not a good thing to do. Not only will it slow you down but it will also severely impact your ability to be able to recover after you have finished the run.
Before heading out in your 10-mile run make sure that you are well hydrated and take at least one bottle of water with you, even if the weather is really cool.
If the weather is hot you will need more water than that to be able to ensure that you can get through your run safely.
How Many Calories Does A 10 Mile Run Burn
Most runners burn approximately 100 calories during each mile they run. Therefore a 10-mile run will burn 1000 calories. Running uphill burns more calories and running downhill burns fewer calories. Speed makes very little difference to how many calories per mile you burn.
Even though the speed that you run does impact the number of calories that you burn to a smaller extent, on average you burn approximately 100 calories each mile of your run.
This means that a ten-mile run will burn approximately 1000 calories. If you’ll run is predominantly uphill and if you’re running at a higher altitude your calorie burn rate will be slightly higher.
It is true that when we run faster we burn more calories per minute but we also complete a mile in a shorter period of time. Therefore the speed we run has very little impact on how many calories we burn per mile.