Running mileage standards - what about slower runners? (Page 2)

Oh, I agree that mixing it up helps me get out there but I can do that just as easily with miles.  I regularly start runs at 15 or more different places and many of those have multiple different routes to go from there.   Mentally I just need to know I can do X distance and don't get worked up over whether I can do it in Y or Z time.  But, I also don't tend to compare say 8 miles on steep singletrack trail to 8 miles of crushed gravel/groomed trail to 8 miles of road.  Really, it's just semantics, everyone has to find what works for them to be successful in running. 

I would pick one or the other. I'm personally a distance guy for many of the reasons that others have posted. Time works great for a lot of people as well. I think in your case though you have to be careful not to cross back and forth between the two. If your distance volume is relatively small because you are a 'slower' runner and train on time, then (as an example) head to the track and do a speed workout based on distance (say, repeat 800's), you are doing more speed work than your faster counterparts as a percentage of you total volume. That is a textbook example on how to get injured.

Ultimately, if you are trying to figure out the long run or the hard run, you need to look at your goal and back up from there. If you are shooting for a half mary, then you need to stair step yourself up to that distance over time. That might mean a 55 minute long run now (or a 5 mile run if you go by distance) and a 2 hr long run in 3 months (or 11 miles if you go by distance). The beautiful thing about distance is that the time spent training will shrink as you get better.