How to Add a Long Run to Your Running Routine
Welcome back! The final part of our job the running – it is running on a long slow distance. (If you see “LSD” on the other runner’s calendar, then they are not talking about psychedelic drugs. Probably.)
If you are new to running and are in awe of people who can run marathons or even 10-mile runs, know that they have not achieved this by doing long distances every day. Instead, a typical long distance runner’s schedule includes several short runs during the week, followed by one long run on the weekend.
For example, when I was preparing for my first marathon, in the first week of the program, I had to run 3 miles for the week and 5 miles on Saturday. Over time, Saturday’s run got longer and longer until the peak week I ran 5 miles on weekdays and a whopping 20 miles that weekend. (However, there were shorter, longer runs on some weeks to allow for extra recovery: after 15, 12 miles seems like a vacation.)
Some things long distance runners know about long runs:
- They take a lot from you, even if it’s not very hard for them.
- You have to run much slower on them than you would on a race. You need to find a pace so slow that it feels like you can keep going forever.
- You can probably run a lot further than you think.
If you’ve ever only run two or three miles at a time, a five-mile run probably sounds ambitious. Is not; You could probably go and run it today if you wanted to.
Even if you are a seasoned runner and not preparing for a marathon, it can still be beneficial for you to incorporate long runs into your schedule. Your muscles will have more mitochondria and more capillaries that supply blood. You run slowly, but you develop endurance that will help you over shorter distances.
So, go for a long run this weekend. Take the distance that is comfortable for you and go a little further, doubling it. So if you run a lot of three miles, try five. If you run a lot of 5s, go out to 8 or 10. (If you really doubt if you can do this, find a short route that leads back to your house or car. This will allow you to get out on bail earlier if you need to.) Put a good podcast on your old headphones, slow down, and enjoy your run.