Being a fat runner.
Published: 14 October 2024.
Doubles, you might be thinking, are limited to elite and serious runners who are logging 100 miles or more per week. Or they’re just a way to build more mileage. Well, sure – but there are good reasons to incorporate them into your training, which is why I like doing them even if I’m running as few as 30 miles per week.
When you fire up the engine twice a day, all sorts of cool, important stuff happens under the hood. One is an increase in mitochondria, which are found in your cells and turn fuel into energy for your hardworking muscles. You also give a second kickstart to your resting metabolic rate. And, seemingly counterintuitively, doubling after a hard interval session can actually speed up your recovery by increasing blood flow and flushing out waste built up during your workout.
Many of my doubles happen out of necessity. When my daughter was small, I’d push her a few miles in a running buggy to the babysitter’s house before work – and then, I’d make the return trip to pick her up at the end of the day. Currently, a double may be just two miles with her after school, as she tries to decide whether she likes running well enough to go out for the school team. Or, while she takes a piano lesson, I’ll jog for 20 minutes rather than sit in my car, doom-scrolling on Instagram.
Runners World, Part of the Hearst UK Wellbeing Network.
If you’re curious about trying doubles, here are a few tips to get you started and what I’ve learned by running twice a day:
→ Start by adding just one or two doubles per week. You can increase the frequency or distance of your runs as you get more used to doing them.
→ To try it out, break up your training run into two. It’s far easier to jog two 4-milers than it is to go out for 8 miles in one go, especially in unsavoury weather conditions.
→ Keep the pace easy and the distance short. Remember, you’re just heading out for a jog.
→ You might feel fatigued when you start – especially if you’re adding morning runs and are not typically a morning runner. It’ll pass.
→ Never split up your long run if you’re following a training plan that includes one. That way, you can be sure that you’re benefitting fully from it.
→ Dirty laundry is going to pile up, so hang up your clothes to air out after your easy double. (TMI: I’ll often wear an outfit again later in the week on another double, when I’m running solo.)
→ Rotate between two or more pairs of running shoes. Particularly on a rainy day, your favourite pair might not have dried out by the time your second run rolls around...
