running 30 miles per week in med school

If you are reset as much as I am by going outside, sunshine on your face, and getting in some miles – I am here to tell you that you do not have to sacrifice this once you start medical school!

Let’s start with some Lily running history.

I ran my first half marathon in 2014. It was a terrible experience. I did not know how to train and lacked an aerobic foundation. My longest run before my race was 8 miles and my goal was to just finish the race. Naturally, I hit a major wall during the race at mile 9 and painfully walked/jogged to the finish line. My finish time was 2:42 and the soreness in my legs was unreal. Two days later, I attended my nursing school pinning ceremony and could barely walk across the stage due to the lingering pain.

I continued running on and off without any goals or training schedule. In late 2017, I got more serious about my fitness, my miles increased, so did my speed. I also hiked a lot more in the coming year which helped build the strength in my legs. In 2018, after several months of high hiking mileage (115 miles of TMB, Grand Canyon, many AZ trails) as well as road running, I ran a 1:58 half marathon during a December race. It was a huge milestone.

In 2019, I was battling anemic fatigue (without initially knowing the cause). As a plant-based runner, I wasn’t aware that I needed more iron and became severely anemic. I spent months not knowing why I was so weak, why I couldn’t keep up with any of my friends on hikes up terrain that previously didn’t exhaust me. After I was put on iron supplementation, my energy levels increased and I completed a double half-marathon over a single weekend.

My training changed in 2020 when I learned about zone 2 training. By running most of my miles slow, with my heart rate in the zone 2 area (where you are breathing comfortably just through your nose while running), I am building a strong aerobic foundation to draw upon for my endurance runs. This allowed me to increase my weekly miles from 20 per week to 30 per week, which is what I have maintained.

During the brutal Tucson summer months, I woke up at 5am to have breakfast and head out on my run by 6am. In winter, I go on my run mid-morning or mid-afternoon. Weeks before a high stakes exam have become my recovery weeks where I run 20-25 miles.

Recently, I listened to Dr. Jim Loehr, a performance psychologist on the Tim Ferris podcast. He spoke about energy management as opposed to time management. We all have the same 24 hours in day, how will you engage your energy throughout those hours to optimize your time?

How do I manage my energy for running 30 miles per week in med school?

1. If When I find myself dozing off while studying (usually happens around 2-3pm), I go for a run! I am unproductive sitting at my desk feeling sleepy anyway, might as well get in some miles.
2. Besides Strava, I am not on social media – the ultimate energy robber. The week before medical school started, I deactivated my Facebook and Instagram. This is not to say that I don’t get social media FOMO. Occasionally, I think about activating it and giving myself 30 minutes per weekend for social media. I have yet to feel inclined enough though.
3. I spend the first hour of my day phoneless. I use this time to read a book. A phone has a way of making us lose track of time. Indulging it first thing in the morning sets the tone for rest of the day. I want to devote the first moments of my day to my wellbeing, not to the demands of others/the world.
4. I double dip running with socializing. Inviting my friends or my partner on a run allows me to catch up with people and get in my miles, win win! Start a running group with your med school friends, have fun and keep each other accountable.
5. Running is important to me and I am intentional with my day so that I am able to do what is important to me. Whether you want to cycle, write, paint, lift, or play music more during whatever busy life you have… you can do it. You may need to wake up earlier, eliminate the unnecessary energy-suckers in your life, or find other creative ways to make it happen. If it’s important to you, you don’t have to give it up!

Sample running week log during Neurology block.