Running a 100 miles in one week (training)

Hopefully Michael (Experior) will chime in, as he tried something like this last year, I think. From a consistent and gradual mileage build, though.

I agree that the medium-long runs should become a staple of this kind of high mileage. I haven't got beyond 70 mpw in my current marathon training, but I've got a lot from the medium-long runs. One of the biggest benefits is that the weekend long runs wreck me much less than they did when I was relying too much on the single long run. I find that I recover more quickly. 

Here's a way that you could total 100 miles in a week. It gets there via 20 miles (4x5) of easy second runs on double days, 50 miles in long and medium-long runs, and 30 miles of other steady runs of 7-8 miles. I have not tried this myself, and would recommend much caution in building to this kind of level. Doing the easy runs easy and getting ample rest would be essential.

Sun: 22
Mon: 8
Tues: 5 + 7
Weds: 13 + 5
Thurs: 5 + 7
Fri: 15
Sat: 5 + 8

The highest mileage that I have run in a week is 87 miles.  I have considered going for 100 miles just to see what it would be like.  I think that the following week would be doable. 

S - 18

M - 5, 5 

T - 8, 7

W - 8, 7

TH - 10, 5

F - 8, 7

S - 12

S - Sleep in as long as I can.

I've done this during a Pfitzinger type marathon buildup as a pure runner years ago, just for kicks, and partly as a final push as part of a "mileage" online casual team competition.

I actually don't think it's physically that hard. You just have to run most of it slow, and you're good, as long as you've got a reasonable run base, which sounds like you definitely have. 

The logistics of cramming in 100miles in a single week were more challenging than the actual physical act itself. I still did all my Pfitz speedwork that week, but used most of my spare moments to log the extra miles. I didn't feel any more fatigued or beaten down from that 100mile week than from a typical Pfitz 18/70 week with speedwork. 

I do recall doing some funny things to get the mileage total, one of which was running up and down a 200m driveway up in the remote hills of Norcal at my girlfriend's cottage since I had no car and it was too dark to run solo on secluded trails. I ran nearly 10 miles on that driveway! (Confirmed by both GPS and time.)

The one bummer part - aside from a small online "huzzah!" you'll get on BT or whatever forums you frequent, that's about it for the 100 mile week. No recorded race result, no big improvement bump, no other props. It's a one trick pony compared to doing a consistent 55-70 miles per week on a balanced plan for 18 weeks to hit an "A" race. 

Also, to put it in perspective, check out how far the guys/gals of Sri Chinmoy run. These stalwart nonspeedy but durable runners with no crazy running background, will go out on a closed 1 mile-ish course in a small park in Queens NY and put up literally 300+ miles in a single week on that course, some of them with very limited training beforehand.