It is so easy to get caught in a rut with your weekend long run.
Same route, same pace, same effort and same time taken to run (give or take 60 seconds) each week.
But is this really the most effective way to train?
When we look at the goal of our long runs, it is usually to become either fitter (to run further), faster (to hit a time for a specific distance) or both.
Running the same each and every weekend will lead to improvements over time yes, however their is much more effective and pleasurable ways to build your long run so it doesn’t just feel like a hard slog every Sunday.
- If you are a new runner, or just returning to the sport after some time out, here are five ways you can progress your long run over time.
- An experienced runner? No problem’s, use the ideas below to mix things up!
And always remember to get in contact if you want some help or coaching for your own specific situation!
Progression 1: Walk/Runs
How it’s done:
Exactly as stated, a walk/run is when you mix up walking and easy running for a set period of time. This is all about building the time you are on your feet and gradually building your aerobic endurance capacity by increasing the time you are running each week, rather than the overall length of the session.
For example, for a beginner runner over an eight week period every session might be for 30 minutes and you can progress the time you are running and decrease the time you are walking each week.
- Week 1 &2: 30 minute session as (1 min run/2 min walk). Total running time = 10 minutes
- Week 3 &4: 30 minute session (1 minute run/1 min walk). Total running time = 15 minutes
- Week 5&6: 30 minute session (2 min run/1 min walk). Total running running time = 20 minutes
- Week 7&8: 30 minute session (2.5min run/30 sec walk). Total running time = 25 minutes
For an experienced runner, possibly someone returning after a small break, a walk/run progression could look like this over four weeks:
- Week 1: 40 minute session as (3 minutes run/2 minutes walk). Total running time = 24 minutes
- Week 2: 40 minute session as (4 minutes run/1 minute walk). Total running time = 32 minutes
- Week 3: 40 minute run as (8 minutes run/2 minute walk). Total running time = 32 minutes
- Week 4: 40 minute run as (9 minute run/1 minute walk) Total running time = 36 minutes
Why Walk/Runs are beneficial:
The reason why it is so easy to hurt yourself by going ‘too far too soon’ is it is relatively easy to build cardiovascular/aerobic fitness, especially if you have been fit in the past. Experienced runners who might have had a few months off can go from 20-30-40-60 minute runs fitness wise in a number of weeks.
While it is great news that our heart and longs adapt so quickly, this is not so great news for our legs and all our connective tissue, joints and ligaments which take much longer to adjust to a new running routine. Building the running too quickly generally leads to overuse and soft tissue injuries.
As such the benefits of mixing up some walking and running for both new and experienced runners include:
- Runners are able to hold technique better for shorter periods of time
- Both easy running and walking are aerobic (use oxygen) activities so you are still getting the same training effect with a walk/run as a continuous easy run
- Can build up overall distances covered with less impact on the joints
Progression 2: Super Easy Running
How easy running is done:
It sounds strange to say this, but most runners I have dealt with really struggle with the idea of ‘easy’ running (as in 3-4/10 effort…….super, super easy!). They do all of their runs at the same moderately fast pace. Where if we can learn to really ‘back off’ and go super easy for our longer runs, it is the icing on the cake to our speed work through the week.
To run easy it’s simple, set a stopwatch function on your watch and use time as a guide only (example, run easy for 30 minutes). Don’t worry about pace, distance or average speed. Go with a friend and enjoy a chat!
Why easy running is beneficial:
The best way for your body to build endurance and cardiovascular fitness is to be in your aerobic zone, which is approximately a 3-4/10 effort (if 10/10 was your maximum effort). So the easy you go the greater you will be building your endurance!
Easy running is where we get the best release of aerobic enzymes in the body and fitness adaptations at the mitochondria (cell) level. If you are going faster than this, your body is not in it’s aerobic zone and gets confused as the what system you are training!
If you are doing your speed work sessions correctly throughout the week, them easy aerobic runs on the weekend are a great combination to really get the most improvement with your running.
Progression 3: Build Runs
How are build runs done:
Build runs are where you build the pace/speed of your running over the duration of a long run and they are a great way to progress your fitness after you have mastered the easy long run.
Build runs can be a really simple format such as running in one direction for 10 minutes super easy and then turning around to your start point faster than you ran out. Or for more advanced runners, sometimes they are more specific such as a 12km run as (4km easy at 3/10 effort, 4km moderate at 5/10 effort and 4km push at 7/10 effort).
Why build runs are beneficial:
Build runs are a great way to teach pacing (important if you are training for an actual running event) and to teach your legs to maintain speed and technique as they start to get tired at the end of a run. By starting easy, your body has tapped into it’s aerobic zone (as mentioned in easy run section) so by adding a build component you are adding endurance at pace.
Progression 4: Race Pace Intervals
How race pace intervals are completed:
A common mistake people make is never training at the pace they want to run at during a race. For example, they might want to run a 25 minute 5km event (5min km’s), but spend their time doing speed training (sub 4min kms) and easy slow running (plus 7min kms). So when it comes time to run at 5min kms for their race, their body is very inefficient at that speed. So the more you can practice at race pace, the better!
You can incorporate race pace intervals into the later stages of your long run when your legs are tired to get best results.
Example for a beginner runner aiming for a 25minute 5km run:
- 30 minute run as 10 minutes super easy, followed by 4 times (3 minutes at 5minute km’s/2 min easy)
Example for an experienced runner aiming for a 45 minute 10km event:
- 60 minute run as 30 minutes super easy, then 5 times (4 minutes at 4.30min kms/1 min easy), 5 min easy cool down
Why race pace runs are beneficial:
Race pace intervals in the later stages of your long run as you get closer to an event teach your body efficiency at that speed. The more efficient you are at that pace the less energy you use = you can maintain that speed for your goal time.
Progression 5: Double Run Days
Double run days are for the really experienced runners to get in longer distances required for their long runs, without the body break down that occurs when run continuously. Double run days are a great way to build towards your really long runs (such as when you are training for a marathon).
Spacing your run out over two runs in a single day also allows you learn how to maintain technique and speed in the later stages of a long running event and most double runs consist of an easy run in the morning and a run with a few short ‘pick ups’ in the afternoon to teach the legs to keep ticking over quickly as they fatigue
An example for an experienced half marathon runner might be as follows:
- AM Run: 60 minutes super easy
- PM run: 45 minutes as 10 minutes easy, 30 minutes as (30 seconds fast/90 seconds easy), 5 minutes easy cool down
So as you can see, long weekend runs can be far from boring!!
Mix it up to keep things interesting and to keep improving 🙂