The Concept Of Your ‘Long Run’
If you manage your long runs correctly there’s no reason why your long runs can’t help you run better in runs from 10k’s to marathons, essential if you’re racing is Olympic distance or above.
Compared with other training sessions, the long run is pretty straight forward; you put one foot in front of the other and keep going between 65-75% MHR until you’ve covered the appropriate time/distance. Most pro athletes will all say that the single most important workout is the long run.
The concept of the long run really does sound so simple, but why is it that most people don’t do it right?
There are many questions about the long run, such as; why? How long? How fast? How often?
Why do we need a ‘long run’?
Long runs give you endurance, the ability to run further. Yet they can help those who are running 10k’s in Olympic distance events and not just those competing half or full Ironman events.
They strengthen the heart.
They open capillaries, speeding energy to working muscles and flushing away the waste products from tired ones.
They strengthen leg muscles and ligaments.
They help burn fat as fuel.
They help boost confidence, i.e. you know you can cover the distance.
The WILL make you faster!
How long should a ‘long run’ be?
In the running world there are general rules that apply to this that can be easily related to our triathlon training.
Time may be a better gauge than distance – The duration of the long run will vary depending on your age, fitness and the race distance or goal. The run should usually last for at least 45 minutes and can extend up to three hours for those of you preparing for Ironman or those who are real serious athletes.
By all means use your heart rate monitor or GPS watch to monitor you effort and distance, but most top coaches will say that it’s more important about running a length of time than anything else. The goal of a long run is not necessarily to cover a certain distance in a certain time, but to spend quality time on your feet.
Run 1.5 – 2 Hours – That’s the minimum, roughly 10-16 miles, needed to maintain a high endurance level. Increase your long runs by no more than 15 minutes at a time. Build up the length of the run gradually. If your longest run in training at the moment is 30-40 minutes, gradually build up to 1-1.5 hours by adding 5 minutes to your run each week. Doing too much at this stage could increase the risks of injury or illness.
How fast should you run your ‘long run’?
If you want to run the marathon leg of your Ironman in 3:30, which is 8 min per mile pace, you may think that you need to do your long runs at that pace, right?
Not necessarily. Coaches may differ in opinion over this topic but the majority say that it isn’t always logical to run your ‘long run’ at marathon pace and here are a couple of reasons why.
The idea of your ‘long run’ is to condition your body to burn fat, so you’ll be able to run long and fast. If you start running at, or near race pace in training then you’re doing nothing in training your body to burn fat because you’ll be running between 80-90% MHR, which tends to favour the precious muscle glycogen stores (carbohydrates) as the main source of fuel. Once these go then you’ll shortly follow with DNF!
Long training runs again at or near race pace could possibly lead to over-training, illness, or injury. All of which you need to avoid to make your ‘grade A’ race in tip top condition.
Fast long runs miss the point as were trying to build endurance, reducing your resting heart rate and making your heart more efficient.
The ideal pace for your long run’s is at least 1 minute below your race pace (race distance dependant) in order to maintain a relatively low effort of intensity. You should be able to conduct a conversation without discomfort.
There’s no harm walking during your longer runs for a quick break, you heart rate should still be in the favoured fat burning level of intensity and you’ll feel ready to again in no time.
How often should I run a ‘long run’?
Try to avoid running ‘long’ more than once a week. It is, after all, still a hard session. Think about rest or easy days, before or after your long run.
There’s no real reason to say that you must complete a ‘long run’ each week. Take Jeff Galloways (70’s USA 10k Olympian) theory as an alternative to a weekly long run. He recommends a simple formula, roughly one day’s gap per mile of your long run. If you’re running 12-17 miles, you can go two weeks between long runs without loosing endurance, if it’s 18-23 miles, three weeks. This theory only applies if you’re running at least 30 minutes every other day between your ‘long runs’.
There’s no hard and fast as to which day you do your ‘long run’. Most people tend to have more time at the weekends so that’s when they run. Try to find a training partner from your local club who’s about the same ability, that way the isolation will not bore you to death!
For me long runs are all about ‘time on feet’, getting the body used to the regime of one foot in front of the other for a great deal of time. I still record distance and HR figures, but for the longer runs it’s not something I tend to get all excited about.
Happy Training!!
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