Double Days - Long Mornings?

So, I don't think it really makes much of a difference, but I'm curious as to whether there's any argument for doing the longer of the two runs on a double day in the afternoon. Personally, I much prefer doing the hour or whatever in the morning with 30-40 in the afternoon... Any reason I should switch it around?

I can't imagine why it would matter - I'm exactly the opposite with long/short workouts (multi-sport stuff), but it has more to do with family/job/time logistics than anything else. Curious to see what the two-a-day runners have to say though...

Mike MacLellan wrote:So, I don't think it really makes much of a difference, but I'm curious as to whether there's any argument for doing the longer of the two runs on a double day in the afternoon. Personally, I much prefer doing the hour or whatever in the morning with 30-40 in the afternoon... Any reason I should switch it around?

I am not sure if the switch would make much of a difference from a training perspective, but I think that it would be cooler in the mornings and would make your longer run more enjoyable.

I've recently started doubles a few days each week. It's always my easy day...I usually go 4'ish in the morning, 7-8 in the evening. Or sometimes the other way around. I really don't like running in the morning so my am runs are usually the shortest.

I think most of the high mileage people here who do doubles do more mileage later in the day because of simple logistics with jobs and family stuff. I know Dave and Chris both do it that way, partly due to work, but also partly because they hate getting up early to run (1st run is usually at lunch). I'm kind of the same way when I do the occasional double. The morning is a bitch and I usually don't get in more than 4, maybe 5 if I'm stretching it. I don't think it really matters as long as you're consistent one way or the other.

Alrighty, thanks all. Since I'm definitely a morning runner and once classes start, I won't be going to school until 2 every day, I'll do my short ones after class at night, my long ones in the morning.

Mike MacLellan wrote:Alrighty, thanks all. Since I'm definitely a morning runner and once classes start, I won't be going to school until 2 every day, I'll do my short ones after class at night, my long ones in the morning.

I do doubles 6 in am 4 or 5 pm. Especially in summer. I am much fresher in the am.

FWIW, I believe most elites log their "primary" run in the morning - which means the workout, long run, or longer of two easy runs. Then they log a few easy miles in the evening.

They don't have to scurry to a real job though, so time is unlimited. I despise morning running, simply because to have a good run I need time to wake up, eat, have coffee, etc. I can't roll out of bed and just run. (OT: Matt W, great facebook post the other day on that topic...). So I do my secondary runs either in the morning or at lunch, and my primary run after work. I'm also used to that structure though as our practice in college was at 4:00. So I've just stuck with that routine.

Overall I don't think it matters. Do whatever works best with your structure. I will say though try to get a routine; its tough to run long on one evening then turn around and do another primary run the following morning. The easy, secondary runs should split up the longer runs.

For me, I'm pretty much always doing my two runs within 3-5 hours of each other. It's hard to recover in that short of a time frame, which is why I always do the easy/shorter run as my second run. I would be giving a half-hearted effort if I flipped it.

I flip things around based on the effort of what I did before and how much time I want for recovery. I seldom run in the morning, though. It's usually lunchtime/evening... except on weekends when I will get out earlier.

No rule for me... could go hard/easy or easy/hard or easy/easy. Just depends.

When I do doubles (and it is rare these days), I always run the longer miles in the morning because they are usually the most important to me and the ones I would most likely blow off in the afternoon.

Like everyone else has said I don't think it really matters which way you do it as far as the training benefit. I always do my shorter run in the morning just because it is easier logistically for me. I would have to get up really early to eat and get in any kind of decent mileage in the morning. It is much easier to roll out of bed and run for 30 or 40 minutes and then get in the bulk of my mileage in the afternoon after work.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:When I do doubles (and it is rare these days), I always run the longer miles in the morning because they are usually the most important to me and the ones I would most likely blow off in the afternoon.

Human psychology is funny. I'm the opposite. If I do my main run in the morning, I'm much more likely to blow off the easy run under the thought process, "What's 5 more easy miles anyway?"

Dave-O wrote:

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:When I do doubles (and it is rare these days), I always run the longer miles in the morning because they are usually the most important to me and the ones I would most likely blow off in the afternoon.

Human psychology is funny. I'm the opposite. If I do my main run in the morning, I'm much more likely to blow off the easy run under the thought process, "What's 5 more easy miles anyway?"

I'm a mix. I always want to blow off my second run, regardless of what I do in the morning.

GregC wrote:

Dave-O wrote:

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:When I do doubles (and it is rare these days), I always run the longer miles in the morning because they are usually the most important to me and the ones I would most likely blow off in the afternoon.

Human psychology is funny. I'm the opposite. If I do my main run in the morning, I'm much more likely to blow off the easy run under the thought process, "What's 5 more easy miles anyway?"

I'm a mix. I always want to blow off my second run, regardless of what I do in the morning.

I'm with Greg and Michele. Mileage doesn't matter, it's just usually that 3pm doldrum that gets me.

Because of family and job, when I have done doubles I do the long run in the AM and the secondary run at lunch. Both runs are moderate intensity(e.g. 12 with last 5 10-20seconds faster than MP, and 5 at lunch at GA effort(the sun and heat made all those runs moderate effort)).

It made a world of difference. I hope someday I can get back to that.

I don't do double easy runs. I'd rather just run for the same amount of time in the AM no matter how slow I run.


For those who really want to improve rather than stay about the same, the running literature is beginning to favor the moderate to high intensity run followed by an easy to moderate pace run philosophy. The big key is taking in both carbs and protein after the first run to allow some glycogen and protein recovery for the runs later in the week.

I wonder if college runners get in the habit of doing their quality run in the PM after class, then study and party all night and only roll out of bed in the am to do their shorter shake out run?

I on the other hand have to do all of my runs in the AM. Like Michelle, I am more likely to blow off an afternoon run after a hard days work.

Personally I do my short runs in the PM. However, I've seen some athletes do their longer/harder runs in the PM, just so they don't start fresh and have to push through it.