He ran eight times in the Olympic Trials and won four world masters championships. 20 min could be the difference between getting injured or stay healthy. However, you do have that hard day before the long run day. If we are running two 20-mile runs, we should run the first one five weeks before the marathon and then step back the next week and run the last three weeks before. On the following long run, extend this to 55 minutes. You might do an easy one, the next day a steady one, the day after your long run, and then an easy day after that. Hi Janet, we would love to help you keep going for that goal, and you are doing very well along your journey so far from what I have seen of you. Thats a great question Scott and Ill answer the first part first. 2015;37:72-83. doi:10.1519/SSC.0000000000000125, Shepley B, MacDougall JD, Cipriano N, Sutton JR, Tarnopolsky MA, Coates G. Physiological effects of tapering in highly trained athletes. I will warn you that if you dont execute the long run correctly, you screw up the program, so listen up. Would you recommend capping the long runs at 20 miles to keep my runs under 3 hours? You want to stay limber, but you shouldn't do hard training or difficult hills and stairs. You do not need to run your long runs at marathon pace to be able to do so on race day. So if you run too long on Sunday it can set back your entire next week of training. When you balance out the gains you can get from finishing a long run fast and upbeat with the negatives from an extended long run, you can see why a shorter, faster long run is the better training option for almost all marathoners aiming to finish over 3:30. At the time I wrote the article, there wasnt much scientific research on the subject though in the real world, athletes were benefiting from the concept. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This will simulate the fatigue youll experience at the end of the race, but reduce your risk of injury and excess fatigue. How many 20 mile long runs should you do in marathon training? Everybody that runs a marathon train over numerous weeks to get to run a marathon. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. To the second part of your question how to schedule these long runs around your other training. Fat is much less efficient as an energy source than carbohydrates; your energy and performance lag when you run low on glycogen. If youre sent into hypoglycemia by the thought of having no carbohydrates on a long run then by all means, ingest them. Ingesting carbohydrates (either through a sports drink or energy gels) before and during the run, maintains your blood glucose level. When your glycogen (carbohydrate) stores become depleted, your body starts to burn fat instead. Comfortably fast. Show Notes: 0:50 - "Is 16 miles long enough as the longest run before a marathon?" 12 weeks to marathon: Start to regularly run 2 hours and over, giving some thought to pace/effort and training zones. Wake up like its race day. I tend to do that myself as I find that running a very long run, each week leaves me fatigued. Would 20 minutes of running that could potentially injury you be worth the extra confidence boost? Plus, you can always skip over questions you already know the answer to. Scott asks, Should you do a long run once a week, or should you do one, once every two weeks? When planning what you eat before a 20-mile run, include plenty of carbohydrates in the days leading up to the 20-mile run. They want to make marathon training more accessible for people with busy lifestyles and simultaneously limit the injuries that often accompany overtraining. During a race, having this extra power can allow you to run faster with less effort or give you the strength to make that final push toward the finish line. Running Articles and Videos, Find Your Running Training Plan If you are running your first half marathon with a time goal, you will probably want to run 13-14 miles before your race to get your body more comfortable with the distance. You must balance risk vs. reward. Use mycalculatorand stay in the long run training pace range. This post was written about marathons, rather than ultras, and we are still researching the injury risks of ultras, so keep checking for updates. Why Is My Longest Marathon Training Run Only 20 Miles? If we can do the 20-mile run in under 3 hours, it is less severe than if we are a runner, which will take 4 to 5 hours to complete. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. If you want to get a pre-race, deep tissue massage to loosen up your muscles, do it at least a week before your marathon. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. For some experienced runners, completing 3-5 20+ mile long runs in marathon training is the best preparation. When I say steady or easy or even slowly, I mean a conversational pace. My Videos Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. This steady and long run combination is best done with an easy run the day before, and after it. Image what a 3 hour run can do. The results have been consistent and positive. Yes, long runs are important. Start practicing some methods to deal with pre-race anxiety. You just have to retrain it to access these energy stores and not depend on external sources. speaker: pst. For every distance between 800 meters and the marathon, these scientifically-based training plans include your McMillan Calculator training paces integrated, coachs notes, and access to our prehab routines. Athletes will likely take extra time off to recover from this run only to repeat the cycle the following weekend. In order to run a Sub 9 hour Comrades your marathon time should be around the 3:30 mark. Its likely that youll have sports drinks every two miles. Steady States, medium long runs, thresholds, tempos, strength workouts, etc. After that last long run, cut your mileage down to about 80 percent of what you were doing for that week. If your definition of a long run is a run longer than your usual running distance, or longer than the other runs you complete during the week - which is what my definition is - then my answer is yes, you should complete one every week. Plus, the plans are delivered on a runner-friendly training log platform. When is your favorite time of day to run? That's quite a significant chunk of time . What I love is its flexibility to adapt your choice to your mood; you can listen to something lighthearted to keep your spirits up if youre having a rough run, or you can multi-task, and learn something new in nutrition training, or psychology. On the next one, increase the duration by 15 to 30 minutes until 3-4 weeks before the marathon, you are running for two and a half to three and a half hours. J Appl Physiol. As noted above there are situations where you will absolutely need to practice being on your feet for longer than three hours. Coach Hayley reveals in todays daily podcast! Many runners will soon begin training for summer and fall marathons, so let's look at the advantages, drawbacks, and considerations of the 20 mile long run. Most runners training for the marathon are averaging anywhere from 9 minutes to 12 minutes per mile on their long runs (3:45 to 5-hour finishing time). Why cant I do all my long runs at marathon pace (MP)? You need to condition your muscles to keep clicking for whatever length of time you will be on your feet during the marathon itself. Ive built a good base over the last 18 months and recent race times prior to marathon training were 1:31 for HM and 19:39 for a 5K. Best Selling Book 10-minute cool down. We want to deny the body carbohydrates in these runs so that the muscles will become better at sparing the carbohydrate stores, more efficient at burning fat and used to running with lowered blood glucose levels. 3:09 for 22 miles. The second type of long run is completely different than the long, steady run. For the less experienced runners, a long run will likely be all easy paced, with the main aim of progressing the distance. My last 18 miler took about 3:18, and this included a couple of walk breaks. Is this true? Risk vs reward. Murach, KA & Bagley, JR. Less Is More: The Physiological Basis for Tapering in Endurance, Strength, and Power Athletes. I also recommend carrying an energy gel with you just in case you run into trouble (like taking a wrong turn, having to run longer than expected and getting a little woozy). Good luck! It is said that we dont receive any benefit once we run past 3 hours and are only reducing our glycogen levels after that. In Daniels Running Formula, he gives training plans for various race lengths. But I fear for runners who shortcut the training process, then try to navigate those closing miles unprepared. "In most cases, there is no benefit to running more than 20. I know a lot of more experienced marathonists who do this, and it allows them to recover in-between the long, long runs, but they still get in a long run every week. Leaving it to the last minute is likely to create unnecessary stress. Coach Hayley here with you today and welcome to Runners Connect Run to the Top Extra Kick podcast. Im training for Chicago. 16 weeks to Marathon: A great goal is to get in a consistent weekly long run of 1.75-2 hours at a relaxed and conversational effort. The most common questions that we hear when athletes start a marathon training cycle: How many 20 mile runs will I do before the race?, I need to run at least X amount of 20 milers., I need to run at least 22 miles or else how will I finish 26.2?.. You can submit your question by joining the discussions onHal Higdons Virtual Training Bulletin Boards. If you sweat when running, we need to replace all this sweat lost when running. I originally posted this article in 2005. For example, youd have one week where youd progress to a new long run distance, followed by a week in which you return to a long run distance that youre comfortable with, and have done before. Research suggests that tapering can boost race performance by around three percent, although some runners improved as much as six percent. If youre planning your marathon training, I recommend incorporating these two long runs into your program. doi:10.1249/01.MSS.0000074448.73931.11. Sleep habits and strategies of ultramarathon runners. As I said in the article, its not for everyone but if you have reached a plateau in your marathon performance, long runs without carbohydrates may be the answer for you. As a general rule of thumb, running at least one 20-mile run before a marathon is recommended. Compare All Plans, Login Training Plan/Run Team We usually to cap the long run around 3 hours with some exceptions around 3.5 hours max. Tapering has also been shown to repair some of the damage done by regular training. Tuesday: 15-to 20-minute warm up followed by 8 x 1 minute at half marathon pace with 90 second slow jog recovery. So I think a couple of 24-mile runs would still have value in testing out the race strategy and give me mental readiness for the actual race. (NOTE: I like the longest long run to be no more than 30-45 minutes longer than you plan to race with a maximum duration of four hours. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0194705. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Also unlike the long, slow run, you want to eat carbs before and during this run. So how long should your longest long run be before a marathon? We have examined how many 20 miles a runner should run before the marathon. A 20-mile run is severe on our bodies; the severity depends on our pace. And, you only need 2-4 of these long runs before the marathon. Chances are you already know that when preparing for a half marathon or marathon, long runs are essential. This technique is also used for marathoners, even more experienced ones who are doing very long, long runs of 20 miles or more. This is especially important if youre progressing to new distances. How Long Should I Rest After Running 20 Miles? The last 4 miles were hard ( as is well documented) but having never run that distance before i experienced pain in my abductors which I have never had before in half marathons or in the training when I ran 22 miles. I am not really a fun of running to music. As for your long runs, it is going to depend on how you feel, but I would just have your planned long run as between those miles, if you feel okay, running 9 minutes over will not do you any harm, but if you feel tired/have had a tough week/it is especially hot, cap it at the 20-21 mile mark. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Therefore, the longer you run, the longer it will take to recover. These energy stores can take close to 72 hours to replenish. A deep tissue massage can have the effect of a hard workout on your muscles, so you don't want to do it too close to the race. Ill now go through each type of long run in detail so you know exactly how to run each. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Would I add them to the midweek medium long runs of 10-12 miles, to an existing recovery run, or somewhere else? Do not have a specific percentage Nathan, just found that 40-50% of your total mileage is too much. I tuck a Clif Shot into my pocket on my shorts and hit the trails. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Eat a diet rich in complex carbohydrates (whole-grain bread, pasta, and cereals), and drink plenty of fluids. When the carbohydrate stores (muscle glycogen) are lowered, fat burning really goes up since there is little carbohydrate available. Matt Fitzgerald, I got my first Boston Qualifier today with a 21 personal record!, Meet Coach Greg Long repetitive bouts of exercise cause micro tears in the muscles the longer you run the more muscular damage you will have. Monday: Off. Because running and training for an endurance event such as a marathon can be complicated and intense. Equally important, you need to figure out what fuel works best for you, not merely before the marathon, but during: to and through 20 miles. When running (and racing) for this long, the blood glucose level also lowers. Download our FREE calculator and well do the math for you. How long should your longest long run be when training for a marathon? ), In the fast finish long run, start by running just the last three to five miles fast and on each successive fast finish long run, increase the distance of the fast part so that 3-4 weeks before your marathon, you run a 20-22 miler with the last 9-12 miles at a faster and faster pace. Verywell Fit's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Running long is a huge stress on your body. Running for this long also helps us accomplish two of the other goals for this type of long run. Before beginning marathon training, athletes should spend three to six months running 15 to 25 miles per week, with long runs of 6 to 8 miles, Hamilton explains. Our general rule when I coached the Discovery USA program was that if you could finish a 14- to 22-mile fast finish long run with the last 8-12 miles at a fast pace and the last 2-3 miles very fast, then you would have no problem accomplishing your goal in the marathon. Hope this helps, if I have not answered your question, let me know, and I will try and give you more specific information. We have coached athletes to 3:30 marathons who peaked at 38 miles per week and athlete who peaked at 65 miles per week. The pace isnt fast and time on your feet is the most important goal, not speed. . As a result, youre often left with many questions: How far should I run? Im curious what % of total weekly miles your long run should be. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 2023 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved. If you were to run every long run at marathon pace you are simply delaying your recovery and pushing back the next day that you can get a quality workout in. You are stressing the same system to get the same physiological response. If you have a 16 mile run that is a real struggle it doesnt make sense to run 18 miles just to check it off. You would think that is a simple answerbut it's not! Increasing mileage is all about stress management. Build your weekly mileage over time, running three-to-five times per week. Thats why I decided to give Audible a try, and I am so glad that I did. It does not store any personal data. And, unlike in the long, slow run, do this run (or at minimum the fast part) on the asphalt just like the race. Just alternate a weekly 2-3 hour long, steady run with a fast finish long run during the 8-10 weeks before your marathon and you will be amazed at how your body adapts. I enjoy listening to a good podcast like this one; however, I have recently discovered that I love listening to a good book. They claim that three-hour long runs are enough. Believe me, this is a tough run so you will need to get mentally and physically prepared. It takes time to get adjusted to it if you have always been carbing up before and during your long runs, but with time and practice you can do it. They claim that you can split long runs, doing 12 miles in the morning, 8 miles in the afternoon, even split long runs for two days under the theory that total mileage is what counts. That is another way to push past that line into overtraining zone. When you first start running, its hard. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Athlete A-25 miles per week 12:00 pace w/ 8 mile long run (5 hours per week), Athlete B- 30 miles per week at 10:00 pace w/ 10 mile long run (5 hours per week ), Athlete C-45 miles per week at 8:00 pace w/ 13 mile long run (6 hours per week), Athlete D-80 miles per week at 7:00 pace w/ 18 mile long run (9 hours per week). Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Christine Many Luff is a personal trainer, fitness nutrition specialist, and Road Runners Club of America Certified Coach. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. When preparing for a 20-mile run, we need to build up our mileage slowly over the weeks leading up to the 20-mile run. When I first discuss this concept with many veteran marathon runners, or new runners who are getting advice from their marathon-seasoned friends, they always counter with what do the elite marathoners do for their long runs (males running under 2:18 and females under 2:30). Med Sci Sports Exerc. By subscribing, you get to learn every day while you run or while at the gym. There are many reasons why runners should run 20 miles before the marathon, including the following: Now that we have decided to run 20 miles before the marathon, when should we run these 20 miles? April 5, 2023 If you are training for a marathon (26.2 miles! topic: walking with god through giving. There are many quality workouts outside of 20+ mile runs that make for a successful marathon. Required fields are marked *. Marathon pace is aerobic. Run slowly and the muscles rely more on fat and less on carbohydrate. However, as you see below, we may also want to challenge the body to run with a lowered blood glucose level and to adapt to be better at handling a lowered blood glucose level. If every weekend you run 3+ hours and take a week to recover, you are never going to be ready for quality workout during the week. We did say most runners Peter This is for runners who are in the early stages of marathon training, and we said if you are, it is better for you to focus on other areas not just the long run, we talked about this in this post also https://runnersconnect.net/coach-corner/are-you-putting-too-much-emphasis-on-the-long-run-as-part-of-your-marathon-training/ However, if you found that running longer works for you, and you can recover reasonably fast, then keep doing what works for you! You never want to start a program that jumps your mileage drastically. Every world is useful. You're not going to make any fitness improvements with two weeks to go before the marathon. It is a great idea to be progressive or to mix in some quicker miles or to finish strong. Or even go so far as capping them at 18 miles to stay closer to the 2:30 mark? Give your muscles a chance to rest and skip your strength-training routine in the final week before your marathon. Some of them have been widely criticized in forums. Let me make myself perfectly clear: Yes, the 20-miler is an absolute necessity if you want success as a marathoner. Stay relaxed and confident, and know that pre-race nerves are normal. Sports. Your number does sound about right though, will check on the research for you! "A 20-mile run is more mental than physical," he says. We may not get the desired benefits if we run it too early. Many runners have a fixation with the idea that they have to be able to run at least 20 miles before they run a marathon. Your 21km time needs to be 1:40, your 10km just under 45 minutes and a 5km at 21:30. "How long should my long runs be before a marathon?" As we gear up for our free marathon presentation soon, I want to help you plan your best marathon season ever. Therefore, the long, steady runs must last at least two hours and the longer the better and you may want to try to slowly reduce your carbohydrate ingestion before and during this type of long run. Comment below lots of people might think morning runners are highly motivated but in my case, I prefer morning workouts because I am still have asleep the first few miles and by the time its over, I am fully awake There is less time to talk yourself out of a run if you do it soon after waking up! It would be more detrimental that beneficial. With two weeks to go until race day, cut mileage to about 50 to 75 percentof what you've been doing. When you are only doing one 20-mile run before the marathon, we probably should run it about three weeks before. However, for those who are already . How should you schedule your long runs around your other training runs? Some have the longest run, as low as 16 miles, while some will be 20 and some will be 22. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Try to do at least one marathon pace run (6-7 miles) during this week to make sure your goal pace feels comfortable. However, what most marathoners dont realize that they dont need to run for longer than 20 miles in their marathon training. It would be best to cap your long runs at 3:00 for the time being, and then possibly go back to them towards the end of the segment, or in a future segment. Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. It is grueling but very race-specific training. For example, if you take an energy gel every 45 minutes, begin to take them every 50 minutes. Furthermore, your body doesnt see a significant increase in training benefits after running for 3-hours. As weve discussed, its the 3-hour barrier that produces the significant increases in fatigue. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. While I recommend a two-hour long, steady run virtually year round for most runners, you should not start the fast finish long runs until 8-10 weeks before the marathon. Each athlete will have a very different marathon training plan. For example, if running in the morning, get up a couple of hours before running and eat a light breakfast, such as oats, a banana, toast, or a smoothie, to allow time to digest. 3 Weeks Before Your Marathon. While these sessions are tough for the elite runner, they typically recover fast (it helps that they devote their lives to running and have ample time to sleep, eat right, and get massages). You need to condition your muscles to keep clicking for whatever length of time you will be on your feet during the marathon itself. Is the 20-mile long run necessaryparticularly if you are a back-of-the-pack runner not likely to finish faster than 5 or 6 hours? So next time your mailman asks you why you are not running five 20 mile runs at MP so that you can practice it. It just doesnt suit me and I quickly get sick of the same playlist. Drinking 4-6 oz (118ml to 177ml) every 20 mins is recommended. Practice using mantras that may help you on the day of the marathon. Do I run for time or distance? In this long run, you start at your normal run pace but you try to average your goal marathon pace for the last 30 to 60 minutes of the run. Running advice on all things relating to running including general information, running injuries, running apparel. Now, I can use my long runs to get through it; it definitely makes the time go quicker. At the time, it was heresy to not consume carbohydrates during training (though if you talk to the great runners of the 1970s and 1980s, they more often than not had no carbohydrates during long runs.) Very good reasons which make a lot of sense. Two words of wisdom here. This is great info and has me rethinking some of my long runs. Some runners will never get as far as running 20 miles, but others will run lots of 20 miles over their running lives. 'Any more than that and you risk not recovering in time,' says Craggs. The longer we run over 3 hours, the greater the likelihood of picking up an injury. During training, you should be replacing your running shoes every 300 to 400 miles. Sub-threshold. If there is too little recovery in between long runs the workouts will suffer. In this long run, you start at your normal run pace but you try to average your goal marathon pace for the last 30 to 60 minutes of the run. We advocate for the long run to be determined by where the individual is in their training. You also want to give the mind a taste of the focus and determination that will be required in the latter stages of the marathon itself. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. The second type of long run, however, is new to many runners. As long as you are making sure you are running easy for your longer runs, you should be okay. Finally, (and this is optional) a great way to ensure that you will deplete your carbohydrate stores on these long, steady runs is to not eat any carbohydrates immediately before or during the run. Tapering before an event may make you less likely to come down with an illness before your race. It's never too early to start packing for your marathon. So, Ive found it convenient to simply alternate a long, steady run with a fast finish long run during marathon training. These are running experience, injury record, and pace. If your goal pace is 8:00 then your tempo goal pace is 8:15 to 8:20. This helps avoid injuries, challenges the accessory muscles and is usually a more enjoyable way to run easily. I also recommend this practice for the half marathon distance. Can Your Long Run Be Over 3 Hours? How Much Water Do I Need For A 20-Mile Run? Ahh, the marathon long run. This is an unfortunate commonly relayed message that isn't backed in studies. Another aspect of the long, slow run is duration. 2:52 for 20 miles This training technique is best used by runners who are confident of running the distance in the long run, and have some experience with long runs. So, a generic long run for someone whos goal marathon pace is 7:00 per mile might be that the first 12 miles of a long run will be at 7:30 to 8:00 per mile, then the pace over the last 6 miles will average 7:00 per mile with the last couple of miles at 6:15 to 6:30 pace and the last 400 meters very fast. https://runnersconnect.net/coach-corner/are-you-putting-too-much-emphasis-on-the-long-run-as-part-of-your-marathon-training/, Your email address will not be published. I live in South Florida so Im trying to go about 10-15% slower to account for the summer heat and humidity. And, I would also recommend that you experiment in your training to determine what works for you. By Christine Luff, ACE-CPT 2003;35(7):11821187. Related Content: Don't cluster those runsspace them out every other week, tacking. If youre a little more experienced and its unavoidable for example you can only fit a workout and a long run in on consecutive days in your week then if the long run is so easy pace, Id say, thats okay for more experienced runners. It would be impossible for you to prepare without running extremely long runs, so you are doing all you can. runner continuously picking up injury after injury, running 20 miles, pace when doing a long run without running, Heavy Legs When Running Causes and Prevention Tips, Running 60 Miles A Week All You Need To Know, How Does Yoga Enhance Lung Capacity for Runners, Using Yoga to Build Core Strength for Better Running, Understanding the Benefits of Yoga for Marathon Runners, The Amazing Benefits of Pigeon Pose for Runners, Unleash the Power of Downward Dog for Runners, Triangle Pose Trikonasana for Runners A Must-Try Yoga Stretch, Discover the Magic of Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana), Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana) for Runners: Benefits and How-to-do- it. Work on your mental preparation by reviewing the course map and visualizing yourself during the race. But while you will run in new shoes during training, you shouldn't wear new shoes on race day. Basically, what you want to be doing, the day before the race is running anywhere from 10-20 minutes, so nothing very far, 20 minutes being the most, all completely easy.
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