More or less all training plans from 5k to the marathon are build around the long run. In this episode of the happy runner I talk about why the long run is so important, how long should the long run be and how fast the long run should be run. But there’s more to it. I also cover some workouts that you can do on your long runs that help you get even stronger and the last 3 long runs before a peek race.

Standing on a starting line of a running race you have to believe in yourself that you can do what’s ahead of you. Self belif is as important as the training you have done over the past few months. Train yourself to achieve a high self belief. In this episode I don’t just talk about the importance but also what works best for me.

All tunners need some kind of mental support. We find the most support from our friends and family. But it the end it’s up to us. We need to take care of our own mental support. In this episode of the Happy Runner podcast I talk about what I learned works for me and what kind of support we can seek from others.

Should you bring your running shoes on your summer vacation or even plan a running vacation? Well, it’s nor an easy answer. There are some pros and cons for both options. I ran the last few years a marathon end of october, so end of July was always somehow a time when I should be running, but never did. Find out how I tweaked my training plan so the two weeks of my summer vacation was always a rest period.

What is better? Running by heart rate, pace or power? I personally think that the best way is the combination of different metrics. In this episode I go through the 3 metrics and you will find out what metrics’s I use during my training. I know, what works for me, may not work for you. In the end it comes down to the effort at witch we are running.

This episode is not about race tactics for your 5k or 10k race. It’s about how to prepare for your race on race day. In this episode I talk about race gear, nutrition, hydration, your warm up and a few more things you need to take care about before you start running on a 5k or 10k race. Just follow what I talk about and you will have a stress free and strong race.

Running in the summer heat doesn’t need to be difficult for you. There are a few tips that I share in this episode you should follow to make running in the summer heat more pleasant. Since there are also a few races in the summer you will also find a tip on how to pace your races during the summer heat.

As the title suggests Filip and I discuss the impact of age on running. We go through the facts that impact how fast we can run and how that develops through the years with recreational runners. More than about the theory we talk about our personal experiences. Filip as a young runner and myself as a older runner.

As the title of this episode suggests I looked back on the first year of the podcast. The Happy runner podcast reached runners from 97 different countries. So in the next year I will do what I did the last year: stay consistent and try to publish a new episode each week.

It’s the second time I talk with running coach Harry. This time about the benefits of slow running. But we cover much more then that in this episode. First we talk how a training plan should be structured, what types of runs do we know and with an example we go through the paces for easy and recovery runs. In the end we also mention strides and the importance of them. If tou have more questions for Harry, you can reach out to him on his webpage https://www.harrylancaster.co.uk/