A runner goes from 40 km to 44 km in a week. That is a 10% increase. But what if all four extra kilometres were added to one long run?

In Episode 22 of The Rehab Runway, I look at what the research actually says about the 10% rule, including a trial that tested a programme based on the rule and a newer study of more than 5,000 runners that examined spikes in individual run distance.

We then move from percentages to decisions: what has the runner tolerated recently, which training dial are we changing, how novel is the next session, and what did their symptoms and recovery tell us after the last one?

In this episode:

Why 10% is a useful prompt, not a safe/unsafe threshold
How weekly totals can hide a large change in the longest run
What the single-session study found, and what it cannot prove
A calf-injury return-to-running example
Seven questions I use to plan the next exposure

Free Running Load Review for clinicians: https://www.healthhp.com.au/running-load-review

Full show notes and research: https://www.healthhp.com.au/the-rehab-runway/the-10-percent-rule-is-flawed

Want help putting this into practice in your own training? I offer personalised run coaching, with a plan built around your goals, training history and how you respond. Learn more or apply: https://www.healthhp.com.au/run-coaching

The 10% Rule Is Flawed. So how should we progress runners?

The Rehab Runway: From the Treatment Room to the Track

The 10% Rule Is Flawed. So how should we progress runners?