And by 'easy long runs' I mean long runs (no matter how long) done at an easy effort; long slow distance, or LSD is how some people term it.
But first, a caveat: long slow runs still have their place in the running world, but can we please stop doing only long slow runs? LSD runs are great in two situations: 1) when you are building your mileage early on in base training, and 2) as a low-key aerobic maintenance session during your peak competition season -- your focus should be on race-specific workouts, so long runs shouldn't be enough to tire you out.
At any other point in the heart of your training? Change it up.
Why? Because always and only doing long easy runs is the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. Listen, I know consistency is important to train well, but so is variation. If you want to improve, you have to mix things up bit, you have to challenge yourself and push the limits of your comfort zone. You wouldn't do the same 5-mile tempo run or the same 10x400 interval workout at the same pace every week, so why are you doing the same long run every week?
The more you do that long slow distance, the more your body adapts to that run; the more your body adapts to one specific workout, the fewer overall gains in fitness you'll make from that workout. You're just spending a lot of time on your feet, beating yourself up, and for what? The more you do it, the more it becomes a high-risk, low-reward effort.
So what should you do instead? You should definitely still be doing a regular long run, but switch it up a bit. Mix some faster in to your long run. Have fun with it. You'll spend just as much time working out (maybe less time if you're running faster) and get much more bang for you buck.
Here is a brief and nowhere near extensive list of things to try. Get creative out there.
But first, a caveat: long slow runs still have their place in the running world, but can we please stop doing only long slow runs? LSD runs are great in two situations: 1) when you are building your mileage early on in base training, and 2) as a low-key aerobic maintenance session during your peak competition season -- your focus should be on race-specific workouts, so long runs shouldn't be enough to tire you out.
At any other point in the heart of your training? Change it up.
Why? Because always and only doing long easy runs is the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. Listen, I know consistency is important to train well, but so is variation. If you want to improve, you have to mix things up bit, you have to challenge yourself and push the limits of your comfort zone. You wouldn't do the same 5-mile tempo run or the same 10x400 interval workout at the same pace every week, so why are you doing the same long run every week?
The more you do that long slow distance, the more your body adapts to that run; the more your body adapts to one specific workout, the fewer overall gains in fitness you'll make from that workout. You're just spending a lot of time on your feet, beating yourself up, and for what? The more you do it, the more it becomes a high-risk, low-reward effort.
So what should you do instead? You should definitely still be doing a regular long run, but switch it up a bit. Mix some faster in to your long run. Have fun with it. You'll spend just as much time working out (maybe less time if you're running faster) and get much more bang for you buck.
Here is a brief and nowhere near extensive list of things to try. Get creative out there.
- Progression long runs: start easy, then gradually get faster over the course of the run, approaching marathon pace the last mile or so.
- Fast-finish long runs: run almost all of your long run comfortably, then go straight into the last 3-5 miles at goal marathon pace.
- 50/50 long runs: run the first half easy, and then the second half at or near goal marathon pace. (This makes for a great specific marathon workout).
- Steady-state long run: a classic Canova workout, after a brief warmup period run most of the rest at 90% of your goal marathon pace.
- Corollary: insert a 5-12 mile (or 30-70 minute) segment at steady-state effort in the middle of your long run.
- Fartlek long run: run short-ish segments at a faster-than-normal effort, punctuated by "rest" intervals at a steady-state effort (which isn't really rest at all). Be creative with the times for your fartleks on this one. With this one alone you could change it up every week and never do the same thing twice.
- Long run strides: after you're nice and loose, insert a stride (a 15-20 second relaxed-fast surge) every 5 minutes or so.
Anyway, these are just some suggestions to switch things up a bit. Doing the same thing over and over again gets boring and stale, you should want to keep your training fresh. What other long run ideas do you have or have you done?
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