Runna training plans are built to match your goals, current fitness, and running background. That means your weekly mileage is never based on just one thing — it’s shaped by a combination of your setup, your plan type, and how quickly your training needs to progress.
If your mileage feels too low, too high, or just different from what you expected, this guide will help you understand why and show you which settings to adjust.
What Affects My Mileage?
Your mileage is calculated using several key factors:
Running Ability
Your chosen running ability helps determine the length of your runs and how much training load is appropriate for you.
Higher ability levels generally start with more mileage and longer sessions, because they assume a greater training background and a higher tolerance for load.
Your Current Fitness Inputs
When you build a plan, inputs such as your:
current weekly mileage
longest recent run
current race times
training background
all help Runna understand where to start you.
Your Plan Length
A shorter plan usually needs to progress more quickly to get you race-ready in time.
A longer plan gives more room for a gradual build, which can make weekly mileage increases feel steadier.
Runs Per Week
The number of days you choose to run each week also affects how your total mileage is distributed.
More running days can allow your mileage to be spread more evenly, while fewer days may mean longer individual sessions.
Training Preferences
If your plan supports Training Preferences, these settings can change how much running you do and how intense certain sessions are.
Training Volume affects how much mileage builds
Difficulty affects how demanding your harder sessions are
Deload Weeks
You may notice some weeks where your mileage drops. These are often deload weeks, and they are intentional.
Deload weeks help your body recover, absorb training, and reduce injury risk. They may feel lighter, but they’re a very important part of long-term progress.
Why Does My Mileage Feel Lower Than Expected?
There are a few common reasons for this:
your running ability may be set lower than your current level
your recent weekly mileage or longest-run input may have been conservative
your plan may include a deload week
your Training Volume may be set to Steady or Gradual
your plan may be longer, allowing for slower progression
Why Does My Mileage Feel Higher Than Expected?
This can happen if:
your running ability is set too high
your current fitness inputs overestimate what you’re comfortably doing now
your plan is short, so mileage needs to build faster
your Training Volume is set to Progressive
you’ve selected a higher number of runs per week than you can currently recover from
What Should I Change If My Mileage Feels Too Low?
Check your Running Ability
If your plan feels too light and you have a solid training background, your running ability may be set too low. You can update this in: Plan → Manage Plan → Running Ability
Check your Training Preferences
If your plan supports this feature, increasing your Training Volume can increase mileage progression. You can find this in: Plan → Manage Plan → Training Preferences
Review your plan setup
If your current weekly mileage or longest run was entered conservatively when you built the plan, that can lower your starting point.
Review your plan timeline
A longer plan will often build more gradually. If your race is closer, mileage may naturally progress faster.
What Should I Change If My Mileage Feels Too High?
Lower your Running Ability if needed
If your run distances feel too long or your weeks are harder to recover from, dropping your ability down one level may be the most appropriate adjustment.
Lower your Training Volume
If available on your plan, you can use Steady or Gradual under Training Preferences to reduce how quickly mileage builds.
Reduce your runs per week
If your schedule or recovery is struggling, reducing your weekly run frequency can help make the plan more manageable.
Push your race or plan end date out
If you have the flexibility to extend your plan, this can give Runna more time to build your fitness gradually rather than aggressively
Which Setting Should I Change?
This is the most important part:
Use Running Ability if:
your runs are consistently too long or too short
your overall training load feels mismatched to your running background
you want to change the general scale of your plan
Use Training Preferences if:
you want to fine-tune your mileage progression or session difficulty
you want a more gradual or more progressive build
you want to change training load without changing your ability level
Use Current Race Times if:
your pace targets feel too hard or too easy
⚠️ Current Race Times affect your pace targets, not your overall mileage.
Use Runs Per Week if:
your schedule can’t support your current frequency
you want your mileage spread across more or fewer days
Use End Date / Race Date if:
your plan is progressing too quickly because the timeline is short
you want more time to build gradually
FAQs
Why is my long run shorter than I expected?
Long run length is influenced by your running ability, current fitness, plan length, and training preferences. It may also be shorter during deload or taper weeks.
Why did my mileage drop this week?
This is often because of a deload week, taper week, B-race adjustment, or another plan adaptation.
Will changing my Running Ability affect all of my workouts?
Yes. Running Ability affects the length and load of your runs more broadly, so changing it may alter your weekly mileage and session distances.
Will changing Current Race Times affect mileage?
No — Current Race Times change your pace targets, not your weekly mileage.
What if I don’t have Training Preferences on my plan?
Some plans don’t currently support Training Preferences. In that case, the best levers are usually:
Running Ability
Runs per week
Race/end date
switching to effort-based training if pace is the issue
Need more help?
If you’re unsure which setting to change, get in touch with our support team via the in-app support tab and we’ll be happy to help.