This morning I braved post-hurricane Matthew debris and wind
gusts of up to 20 mph in order to run a 15-mile training run on my favorite
paved trail in preparation for my first full marathon in Disney World (January
8, 2017)! If you’re training
for a marathon (or half marathon, 10-miler, 10k or almost any race distance really),
then you know what the term “long run” means:
Long Run (noun): the term for a long period of time during
which a person whose sanity may be in question runs or run/walks non-stop for a
LONG time, usually in preparation for a long distance race.
Synonyms: torture device, boredom inducer, excuse to EAT ALL
THE THINGS!!
Ok that may not be the technical term, but it pretty well
defines some long runs for me. And I put
“long run” in quotation marks because what I’ve learned along the way is that
one person’s long run can be a completely different distance from another’s. Depending on your fitness level, experience, upcoming
race distance, and/or motivation, your 2-miler may be the equivalent of my
20-miler. So what follows is a list of proven
tips and tricks that I’ve compiled based on my experience for any “long run” distance.
-Set up a good
playlist and change it often. I love
using Spotify for my playlists. For
about a $10 per month subscription, I can create as many playlists as I want
and download them so I don’t have to use cellular data to play them from my
phone. I have a playlist on Spotify that
I call “marathon training”. It currently
holds 6 and a half hours of music and when started from a different song and played
on shuffle, I get a new playlist every time I run. I am constantly adding and removing songs as
well to keep things fresh.
-Visualize the race
you’re training for. I know it
sounds corny, but it really works for me!
When you’re struggling through the final miles of a long run, try
imagining what that part of your race will be like and how exciting it will be
to cross the finish line at the end. For
example, the last two miles of my training run today got a bit difficult so I
imagined what it will be like to run the end of the Disney World
Marathon in January, especially running those last couple of miles through
Hollywood Studios and Epcot and high-fiving Mickey as I cross the finish
line! That little bit of imagination can
easily put some extra pep in your step.
-Break your run into
smaller pieces. Another mind trick
that really works is to break your run into smaller, more manageable pieces. For example, when I’m running a half marathon
distance (13.1 miles), I only think about finishing the first 3 miles when I
start (5K). Then I aim for miles 4-6
(10K), then 6-8, 8-10, and finally, 10-13 (final 5K). You could also divide a
distance up based on loops or landmarks. This strategy helps me from becoming
overwhelmed by the total distance ahead of me.
-Take it easy! It’s incredibly easy to hit the beginning of
your long run hard and fast when you’re feeling refreshed and prepped to
go. But trust me, you’ll regret it later
in your run if you take off to quickly in the beginning. Unless you’re doing a Tempo run, make a point
of consciously taking it slow and easy.
Your lungs, legs, and the rest of you will thank you for it later. If you’ve got one, wear your GPS watch or GPS
fitness tracker or use an app on your phone so you can track your pace and make
sure you are keeping a relatively slow and steady pace.
-Fuel up and hydrate
before, during, and after your run. Effective fueling and hydration actually starts
in the day or two leading up to your long run!
Make sure you’re drinking lots of water and watching what you eat in the
days before your run and your body will thank you later. I usually get up about an hour before I plan
to start my long run to use the bathroom, eat a small breakfast (more about
that in another post), and drink some water.
Then I sip water and nuun Active (I SWEAR by this stuff!!) every few
miles of my run. Side note: I also drink nuun Everyday for my vitamins every morning. I also eat 2-3 ShotBlox
about once every hour. After my run I drink
more nuun Active and water and eat a banana and/or drink some chocolate almond
milk. Later in the morning after I’ve stretched,
cooled down and showered, I eat a meal with plenty of protein and continue
drinking water.
Well, I hope you have found some of these tips helpful for
your long runs. Be smart, stay safe and
happy running!!
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