Forums >General Running>The LONG RUN Thread
Runners run
You'll ruin your knees!
Training increases the pace you can run at a given effort level (heart rate) and so also reduces the effort required to run x pace. So you can run faster while still staying in the low aerobic range, or run farther at a certain pace. I don't think training increases the amount of glycogen you can store. I'm no ultra runner but I imagine those nutjobs (said with affection) avoid bonking the same way marathoners do--by managing their pace and fueling on the course.
""...the truth that someday, you will go for your last run. But not today—today you got to run." - Matt Crownover (after Western States)
I use a HRM, if you do, do you run your long run at a different HR then your reqular training run? I understand the purpose of the long run, but I would like to see all my runs at a min. of 1 hour each. Other than conditioning, is there any reason not to do so, or to make it a goal, or is it just a waste of time? It would seem to me that this would, or should be the maintance goal. Say 5 hrs a week, 5 days a week. Whatever the milage. Now then if one was to do this what happens to the long run? I guess what I am getting at is if some one doesn't want to allways train for a Marathon, but for good conditioning, for the fun in running, and to have a good base to do whatever, when ever, what is the maintance schedual?
Jennifer mm#1231
I did Hal's Intermediate 1 Marathon training guide. I followed it to a *T*. Except for long runs. I just can't bring myself to slow down a minute per mile...I tried but mentally, I just couldn't do it. As it was, I finished my first marathon at 3:48:54 , I'm 36. My slowest mile was mile 26 at a 9:12 pace. But I did feel like I hit the wall at about mile 24. I did 2, 20 mile training runs. I can't help but think if I could slow down for my long runs like I'm supposed to, I'd do better? I dunno. I have a hard time slowing myself down. Maybe I should find a running partner? I did a hm in August and beat my previous time by 6minutes so all in all I am getting faster.
E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com -----------------------------
Professional Noob
Roads were made for journeys...
JakeKnight and Scout7, Yes I see where you are comming from. Right now it seems that the long run is hurting me. I've run 6 miles twice now and both times I felt good after the run but a couple of days later I am hurting. I seem to be able to do 4 and 5 miles without problems. My thinking is to be more consistant in distance. Run 5 days a week, run 3 and 4 mile runs and increase 1 mile a week untill each day is 4 miles, then up one day to 5 miles, and increase untill each day is 5 miles. etc. This 30 to 40% rule on the long run seems a bit much to me. The problem may stem from the fact that I've been running on a TM for a year, so aerobicly I can run the distance, but physicaly my body can't take it on the road.( nothing to slow me down, but pain, being that I am not out of breath etc.) It could also be because of my age ( 58) that it takes a longer recovery time. I am trying to come up with a solution that will get me to that 60 mins a day that I want with out killing myself.
Why is it sideways?
Joe - something you might want to consider if you really want to include a long run is taking *2* days off after it instead of the one that you've been doing. Everybody's body is different, and rumor has it that we need longer to recover from stresses like the long run as we get older. Alternately, you might want to make your long run only every other week. I think that got mentioned somewhere in this thread earlier. You're moving off the TM and onto the roads? You may want to mix & match TM and roads for a while - not suddenly running 100% on the roads - in order to give your body a chance to adjust. Even young whippersnappers should do this! Good luck, and happy running!