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In November of 1961, legendary coach Arthur Lydiard told the 1960 800m gold medalist, Peter Snell, to go run a marathon. Before that, Lydiard had Snell incorporating the Waiatarua circuit, a grueling, 22-mile long run up and down the Waitakere Ranges in New Zealand, as part of his 100-mile training week. What was a man who would race for less than 2 minutes doing running for 2 hours? This type of training was completely unheard of for middle-distance runners back in those days.

Only two months after his Lydiard-mandated marathon, Snell ran a world-record mile (3:54). And in the 1964 Olympics, he won gold in the 800 and 1500m events.  The long run has been popular ever since.

What is a long run?

A long run is a sustained effort of running longer than your typical run. A long run is usually 30 percent of your typical weekly mileage and usually longer than an hour.

Well you might be asking yourself – How do I train myself to run longer

You train yourself to run longer but running more frequently and progressively running longer week over week. You need to run a bare minimum of three times per week on nonconsecutive days with one run about 20-30 percent of your total volume per week. That is your long run.

 Now for the science bit- What are the benefits?

1.    Build the number of mitochondria in your cells. 

2.    Increase max VO2 and blood volume. 

3.    Build mental toughness. 

4.    Make your running more efficient. 

5.    Teach your body how to fuel itself. 

6.    Make your muscles, bones, and tendons stronger. 

7.    Increase your body’s ability to use fat as fuel.

8.    Make you faster! 

So How long should I run and how often?

There are limits!! Don’t go on your first long run and get an injury.  It could simply be walking and running for a longer period of time (compared to your pervious sessions).

Are there different types of long run?

Well during my research I discovered that there are different types of long run.

• Easy long run:
• Rollercoaster long run: 
• Fast-finish long run: 
• Fartlek long run: 
• Progression Long Run

How can I make a long run easier?

Tips for Successful Long Runs

1. Slow your pace.

2. Mentally break the run into sections.

3. Entertain yourself.

4. Do just one long run per week.

5. Take a break.

6. Take walk breaks as needed.

7. Focus on fueling!

8. Hydrate!

9. Lube up. 

10. Increase gradually.

11. Take it easy. 

12. Be patient.

My Training.

Well what’s my experience with the long runs.  I don’t about you but in my training if I’m schedule to do a short run it seems to be mentally harder than doing a long run.  Maybe it has something to do with doing the long run at the weekend and my shorter runs are during the week after work.  I think for my long runs it is important to have music which is calmer.  Not the frantic 140 BPM of the other playlist.  This helps me focus on slowing down my pace.  Also, as has been said before plan the long runs and gradually increase the intensity and distance over time.  Plus, it’s a great way of catching up on the that audio book.

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