283. SHOULD YOU RUN LONG EVERY WEEKEND?

Every weekend runners around the world gear up to run long… But should you be doing a LONG run over 90 min every weekend? When getting RRCA certified 10 years ago, one of the concepts they beat into our head was that we don’t/should not run long every single weekend. The justification was about the glycogen storages needing to be replenished 1x a month there should be a cut back week where we don’t do activity over 90 min to allow for that. This is a good argument… but let’s do a deeper dive

Cut Back Weeks

What is the def of a long run

7 day is just easy mentally for people to create but its truly ot ideal

Training is a high stress load on the body.

Your body needs macro and micro rest

It allows you the chance to recover from the hard training

You don’t actually get faster from the training, you get faster from the recovery periods

Other things to do instead of a long run

Cut back long run

A short workout

A lot of runners (especially those who run high mileage) share their weekly or monthly mileage totals on social media. While it’s great to be proud of your hard work, it can also be challenging when we are exposed to so many other runners and their training that we may end up comparing our own mileage to someone else's. We may also get caught up in the trap of thinking that ‘more’ mileage is always better. More mileage can be better and faster runners usually do run more, but it’s important to look at the variables at play for weekly mileage and come up with a plan to see what weekly mileage YOU should be running. 

Your background?

Other endurance sports?

Are you injury prone? High mileage = high responsibilities

How long have you been running?

How many miles per week do you usually run?

Have you ever increased and gotten hurt?

Current life

Do you get 7-8 hour of sleep per night

What are your goals?

What are you training for in the next few months/years?

When was your last off season?

Your training

How often do you do other activities

Do you have time to commit to more mileage?

Will you have to sacrifice sleep?

How do you feel after a week of increase or decrease

Do you currently run slow enough on easy days?

Can we optimize by adding in quality workouts?

www.run4prs.com

1. Recovery is Key: Easy runs promote active recovery by increasing blood flow to muscles, flushing out waste products, and preparing your body for the next hard effort.

2. Building Aerobic Base: Slow runs develop your aerobic system, which is the foundation for endurance and efficient energy utilization.

3. Preventing Burnout & Overtraining: Consistent hard running can lead to fatigue, burnout, and increased risk of injury. Easy runs provide a crucial balance.

4. Improving Running Economy: Running at easier paces helps you develop a more efficient stride and conserve energy over longer distances.

5. Strengthening Muscles & Tendons: Easy runs gradually strengthen your musculoskeletal system, making you more resilient and less prone to injury.

6. Enhancing Mental Fortitude: Embracing easy runs teaches patience, discipline, and the importance of listening to your body.

www.run4prs.com for a free week of training

1. The Plateau is Normal: Everyone hits a plateau at some point. It's a natural part of the process. Don't get discouraged – it's an opportunity to re-evaluate your training and find new ways to challenge yourself.

2. Life Happens: Work, family, and other commitments can impact your training time and consistency. It's important to be flexible and adapt your training to fit your current lifestyle.

3. The Aging Athlete: Our bodies change as we age. It's important to adjust our expectations and training accordingly. Focus on maintaining fitness, preventing injury, and enjoying the process.

4. Rediscovering Your "Why": Sometimes, a shift in motivation can reignite your passion for running. Explore new goals, try different types of running, or find new ways to connect with the running community.

5. The Power of Consistency: Even if you're not getting faster, consistent running offers numerous physical and mental health benefits. Celebrate those victories!

6. Finding Joy in the Journey: Running is a lifelong journey with ups and downs. Focus on the joy of movement, the camaraderie of the running community, and the personal growth that comes with the challenges.

We’re run coaches who just took on our first HYROX event! In today’s episode, we’re giving you a full recap of our experience—breaking down the highs, the struggles, and what we learned from this epic challenge.

For those of you new to HYROX, here’s a quick refresher. HYROX is the ultimate fitness competition that combines running, functional strength, and endurance. Athletes complete eight one-kilometer runs, each followed by a workout station like sled pushes, rowing, burpee broad jumps, and wall balls. It’s a true test of both cardiovascular endurance and muscular stamina.

8x 1k run

1 strength station in between

1. Ski erg 1k

2. Sled push 50 meters

3. Sled pull 50 meters

4. Burpree board jump 80 meters

5. Row 1k

6. 200 meter farmer carry

7. 100 meter lunges

8. 100 wall balls

Now, let’s dive into our experience from race day!

Let’s break it down:

• What Went Well: Our running background definitely helped. The one-kilometer segments felt like a chance to reset and control our breathing before diving back into the next challenge.

• Biggest Challenge: The sled push and pull were absolute killers. We knew they’d be tough, but the sheer leg burn was next level. It’s a game-changer, and we now have major respect for those who make it look easy.

• Proud Moments: Crossing that finish line! The last wall ball station was brutal, but the energy in the room and the support from other athletes pushed us through.

Key Takeaways as Run Coaches

1. Running Strategy Matters – A strong run base helps, but knowing how to pace yourself between stations is key. We went out too hot at the start and paid for it later.

2. Strength Work is Non-Negotiable – Runners, take note: leg power, grip strength, and full-body endurance are just as important as speed. We’re definitely going to tweak our training plans.

3. HYROX is for Everyone – One of the coolest parts was seeing people of all fitness levels tackle this challenge. Whether you’re an elite athlete or just looking for a new goal, HYROX is an incredible test of grit and determination.

What’s Next for Us?

Would we do it again? Absolutely! But next time, we’re coming in stronger, more prepared, and ready to take on those sleds with a vengeance. We’ll be incorporating more functional strength training and refining our pacing strategy.

And for anyone thinking about trying HYROX—do it! It’s tough, but the sense of accomplishment is 100% worth it.

 277. How often should you be racing? Do you even need to race?

As we gear up for the spring racing season it might seem like everyone is out there racing. How often should you race? Do you even need to race? There are a lot of questions you might have about racing, but it is not something we talk about frequently enough in the running world. Some athletes appear to race almost every weekend. How is it possible? Before we answer that question it is important to define your goals and then label each race as priority for performance or not. We can’t be in peak shape all year round. Not every race has to be an A race. You don’t always have to run a race to be a ‘real runner’ or prove your fitness. Some people like racing others don’t. Don’t let other people define your goals for you.

What is the purpose of racing?

Test fitness

Fun

Competition

Community/support others

Habit

How do you define your goals as a runner

Performance goals

Community goals

Longevity goals

Does racing help or hurt your long term goals?

A. B. C races

You have to actually train. You can’t always test

What if you don’t like to race

Do you actually not like it or do you just get nervous..? Even if you hit your goal time, do you still not care?

Strava can be a great source of motivation as it gamification of the sport of running, but can there be some downsides to the app? While it can be fun to scroll through and see what friends are doing for runs, does it promote constant comparison? In Jan 2023 I started to feel like people were ‘watching’ my training as I geared up for Boston 3 months postpartum from baby number 3.. Were people actually watching? I don’t know, but the fact that I was feeling ‘pressure’ to ‘perform’ or show up on strava was real. I decided to go ghost on strava for 3 months, and it was an interesting experience. 

Self talk while running

Thinking that people will be analyzing your splits

Wanting the average pace to be XYZ

Coming up with excuses for how the run went and what you would write

Getting back to the basics. 

Running for yourself

Taking out all the chatter

Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation

Why do you run?

Did you enjoy running more when people didn’t see your stats?

How can you find balance with technology and running

Boundaries

Having a reset

Sitting in the discomfort

We talk a lot about marathon training on this podcast, but we should take a step back and chat about how to know if you are READY to train for your first marathon. It’s always about balancing risk vs reward. Training for a marathon is HARD on the body and if you don’t have a strong base going into the training you are increasing your risk of injury or burn out. We developed a prerequisite to marathon training plan a few years ago. This is a program you would do BEFORE starting your marathon training plan to ensure you are in a good place to marathon train.

https://run4prs.co/2019/07/08/training-for-your-first-marathon-part-1/