RunningAHEAD - Topic: Long Run Pace

ud32

posted: 8/7/2008 at 9:47 PM

Any rules of thumb for how to figure out what pace to do my weekly long run at ? Never sure if I am going to slow or to fast ?

mgerwn

Hold the Mayo

posted: 8/7/2008 at 10:34 PM

A few questions for you which will help you get a better final answer. How are you running now (i.e. what pace, how far, etc) and how long have you been running? What's your goal for running? Any races yet, and are you planning to race in the future? If so, what is your goal race, and when is it? Or are you running more to get in shape / lose weight / improve cardio & aerobic fitness, etc?

"You're Not Winning"

Connecticut Runners' Forum on RunningAhead

Nobby415

posted: 8/7/2008 at 10:41 PM
modified: 8/7/2008 at 10:41 PM

When you finish your "long run", you should have a feeling that, if you had to, you could have run a little faster and a little further. If you feel absolutely stuffed at the end of your "long run", chances are that you've run too fast or too far at the present fitness level. Any schedule or program that would give you explicit numbers is nothing but a lot of "eye-wash".

Figbash

posted: 8/8/2008 at 12:29 PM
modified: 8/8/2008 at 12:30 PM

A good rule of thumb is to run your long runs at 1 1/2-2 minutes per mile slower than your 10K pace. The idea is to stress time on your feet, not speed. There is an excellent article by Greg McMillan entitled The Marathon Long Run that goes into great detail about different types of long runs and about nutrition for long runs. His running calculator is also an excellent source of information. Tom

jsobo119

posted: 8/8/2008 at 1:56 PM

Quote from Figbash on 8/8/2008 at 12:29 PM:

A good rule of thumb is to run your long runs at 1 1/2-2 minutes per mile slower than your 10K pace.

That got me thinking 37:00 10k = 5:57 per Mile with McMillan suggestig a long run pace of 7:08 to 8:08 or 1:00 ish-2:00 ish slower 50:00 10k = 8:02 per Mile with McMillan suggestig a long run pace of 9:28 to 10:28 or 1:30-2:00 slower 1:10:00 10k=11:14 per Mile.... 13:03 to 14:03 or 1:45 ish to 2:45 ish slower if you look at it... it is rough 20% (actually 16.7)... more to your 10k time... BUT interstingly it is 30 seconds to 1:30 slower than marathon pace... no matter what speed you run... 37:00 37:00 10k = 5:57 per Mile... projected 2:53:38 (6:38) with long run at 7:08 to 8:08 50:00 10k = 8:02 per Mile... projected 3:54:39 (8:58) with long run at 9:28 to 10:28 1:10:00 10k =11:14 per Mile.... projected 5:28:30(12:33) with long run at 13:03 to 14:03 hmm...

Phidippides

posted: 8/8/2008 at 2:09 PM

Quote from Nobby415 on 8/7/2008 at 10:41 PM:

When you finish your "long run", you should have a feeling that, if you had to, you could have run a little faster and a little further. If you feel absolutely stuffed at the end of your "long run", chances are that you've run too fast or too far at the present fitness level.

I have never heard it put this way before, but this seems like really good advice..... Big grin

Champions are made when no one is watching

spaniel

Feeling the growl again

posted: 8/8/2008 at 2:15 PM

Depends heavily on your goals and the purpose of the long run. When my marathon pace was 5:3x-5:4x, I would do several types of long runs: -"time on feet" - 20-23 miles @ 6:35-7:00, evenly paced - typically earlier in the cycle when the 16+ mile runs were newer, or later in the cycle on weeks between harder long runs -"fast finish" - 16-23 miles, first 10-15 miles 6:35-6:45 then crank it out to near MP (5:30-5:50) to finish up - often sub-5:30 or 5:20 last mile - "long run intervals" - Say 2 mile warmup, then intervals 5 mile - 4 miles - 3 miles - 2 miles - 1 mile long w/ .5 mile recover jog, 5:25-5:35 pace during interval with total length 20-22 miles - "race simulation" - 2-4 mile warmup then 12-15 miles near MP for total 16-18 miles Usually I'll alternate "time on feet" with "fast finish" most of the time. The other two are more of special workout sessions that I may do once each before a marathon. The other type I didn't detail is just a harder long run when I'm in good shape, 18-20 miles 6:00-6:20 pace. That pace is kind of in no man's land so I tend to think I get as much or more out of the fast finish type and usually default to that.

"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

MrFinn

Prince of Fatness

posted: 8/8/2008 at 8:42 PM
modified: 8/8/2008 at 8:43 PM

Quote from Figbash on 8/8/2008 at 12:29 PM:

A good rule of thumb is to run your long runs at 1 1/2-2 minutes per mile slower than your 10K pace.

For me that would be about 8:25 - 8:55 per mile. That's too fast for my liking. My LR pace generally is around 9 - 9:30.

Quote from Nobby415 on 8/7/2008 at 10:41 PM:

When you finish your "long run", you should have a feeling that, if you had to, you could have run a little faster and a little further. If you feel absolutely stuffed at the end of your "long run", chances are that you've run too fast or too far at the present fitness level.

It's all personal preference, but this really works for me. Some weekends I'm worn out and it's just all about getting the miles in. Other times I'm feeling refreshed so I run a little faster. One of my favorites is the fast finish long run. For the last 20 or so minutes I pick the pace up. Nothing major, just enough to know that I am working harder. Do this every now and then and it gives you confidence that you can pick it up at the end of races. Anyway I do it I always finish up feeling the way Nobby describes.

Not at it at all.

ud32

posted: 8/9/2008 at 10:34 AM

Great advice - thanks for the feedback. I have run off and on for the past 20 years. More recently I was training for a HM started in Nov. 2007, got hurt in March - started back in April, got hurt in June. My last sizx weeks of running have been all easy ace with weekly totals slowly building from 5 to now 14/week. The program has me getting to 23 a week before HM in late September. I did a 5K and a 10K in the spring in 22:34 and 50:18. I like to concept described in the post about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes slower than 10K pace - that gives me something to try.

Figbash

posted: 8/9/2008 at 12:03 PM

Quote from MrFinn on 8/8/2008 at 8:42 PM:

For me that would be about 8:25 - 8:55 per mile. That's too fast for my liking. My LR pace generally is around 9 - 9:30.

Based on your 10K and 1/2 marathon time, McMillan would recommend a long run pace of 8:30-9:30. I prefer to run mine a bit on the faster ens of the range because I tend to get lazy at slower paces and screw up my form. I like the McMillan calculator because it is remarkably accurate in race predictions and flexible enough in training pace recommendations to accommodate most anyone's preferences. For instance: Based on your last 1/2 marathon time of 1:39:51, McMillan predicted a 44:52 10K, your last 10K was 45:20. Great job BTW! Tom

mounteverest

posted: 8/10/2008 at 2:32 AM

From the charts of the guru's and articles, a long run should be slower than 10K pace and a HR of 60 to 75 percent which makes it a very good aerobic run without a chance of lactate buildup. If you wanted to finish fast, then it can train you to do a negative split and be mentally tough. I ran my 1/2 this year with a negative split and my last 3k was the fastest but I got the idea from Khannouchi other than McMillian.

Long Run Pace (Read 1049 times)