Running With Us – In the long run
In the long run…
So January is here and you have got some foundations in place. Perhaps you feel you are on track but are not sure how to continue the fitness gains you have already made. As January moves along the long run becomes more of a focus in our training plans. Here are our top tips for getting the this key element right in your marathon prep;
* Where should I be? – The long run takes an increasing role through January and early February. A great goal for January is to get in a consistent weekly long run of roughly 60 mins at a relaxed and conversational effort by the end of the month.
* How to build? – Even for experienced runners patience is key. Adding 10 minutes each week onto you the volume of long run is a sensible progression. Don’t be surprised if niggles and fatigue sets in in you start jumping up the long run by too much at a time.
* Crazy pace? – During early January aim to keep your long runs at a fully conversational, relaxed pace of 45-60 seconds a mile slower than your planned half marathon pace. This will build your body’s ability to burn stored fats and ensure you are fresh enough to hit your quality sessions mid-week.
* Hit your max – You maximum long run with likely be 3-4 weeks out from race day for most. We’d recommend that you cap this at a maximum of 1:45-2 hours regardless of how many miles that may be. Beyond this it’s a case of diminishing returns and we find runners struggle to recovery in time for the race. Don’t worry if you don’t hit 13 miles in your long runs, remember it’s the collection of all of your training, not just the long run, that will result in your best performance.