10 Tips For Nailing Your Longer Run

The long run is one of the most important training sessions in your week. There are a few simple things that you can do to make sure you get the most out of it.

All runs are important, but depending on what your goals are, the longer run might be your most important run of the week. We’re not going to nail them all the time, but if we can consistently get most of them right en route to your race, then you’re setting yourself up for success. Here are my top 10 tips for nailing your longer run:

Mentally prepare - It’s not ‘just another run’

If you haven’t prepared well for your long runs, then you can get caught off guard. You know how the saying goes: “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail”. Try to get good rest leading into these so that you start feeling nice and strong - this gives you the best chance of having a beneficial long run. When you start fresh, it makes these longer runs a lot more enjoyable too.

RELATED: How Much Should You Run? When Is It Too Much?

Fuel properly

In my experience as a coach, a lot of runners under-fuel on these runs, leaving them depleted and fatigued towards the latter third of the session. Eat carbs the night before and on the morning of your longer run. Aim to eat 1.5 – 2.5 hours before your longer run, even if that means you have to wake up a bit earlier. Doing this gives your body a sufficient amount of time to digest the food. During the run, ingest around 50-80g of carbs per hour. It’s always good to try and get this in as a ratio of one-third solids, one-third liquids, and one-third gels. Whatever works for you on these longer runs, stick with that going forward, and don’t change anything on race day.

Pace the run correctly, especially at the start

You don’t want to go off too fast and struggle from halfway onwards. That’s not fun, nor is it a productive way to train. It’s always a good idea to follow some sort of structure in the long run. I always try something like:

• Warm-up

• 5 x 10-minute progression efforts

• Cool down.

This is one way to ensure that you’re below your threshold for a long portion of the run and that you can develop that aerobic engine of yours.

RELATED: The 4 Most Important Run Training Sessions In Your Week

Hydrate well throughout

You want to start your long run hydrated. If you’re worried about having to stop for a toilet break, that’s fine. All runners experience this and you’re much better off getting in extra liquid and stopping for a quick toilet stop, than dehydrating. Aim for small and regular sips throughout your runs, even if that means you need to stop quickly at the shops or hide your bottle in a bush and do loops of a park. The key is to stay hydrated and get plenty of electrolytes into your system.

Try not to stop (or pause) during the session

Of course, you’re going to need to have a few stops during these runs to hydrate or go to the toilet, but try not stop or rest too often. If you do this regularly, then your body gets used to it. That means that when it comes to race day, your body will expect it. Because of this, you want to avoid stopping, so practice not stopping as best as possible on these longer runs.

Find a route similar to your race route

If you have a race coming up, look at the course, terrain, and elevation of it and try to replicate something similar on your longer runs. If it’s a hilly course, then prepare for the hills and get that elevation in. Alternatively, if it’s a flatter, faster course, then pick a faster route to get that leg speed up so that you’re reaching goal race pace for some of the session. Just remember that if you are racing a flatter race, it’s still very beneficial to do a hilly longer run every other week or so. As I always say: train on the hills, fly on the flats.

ROUTE PLANNING INSPO: Strava Routes and Heatmap: Find New Places to Go

Plan your route

Sometimes, I find that if I’m doing a bigger marathon session, where I need to try and hit certain paces, then I’m better off doing loops of a park. It can get boring, but at least it’s closed to traffic and you can focus purely on the session. Alternatively, if pacing isn’t crucial in the longer run, then keep things exciting by exploring new areas or doing new loops. You can plan your runs by using ‘Strava Routes’ which I find to be very helpful.

Run in good kit

During your weekly runs, you want to be comfortable. Pick running kit that makes you feel good and comfortable. Try to practice in your race day kit at least once on a longer run.

If you’re struggling for motivation, get others to join you

People make running easier - it’s as simple as that. Often, you’ll get lost in conversation and the kilometers will fly by. Find a running buddy or a group of runners of similar ability, and aim to do these runs with them, making them more enjoyable and holding each other accountable.

RELATED: How Runners Can Get The Best Out of Strava

Get out early if it’s going to be warm

Check the weather and if you know it’s heating up, then you’re much better off waking up early and getting your run done in the cooler part of the day. It’s not always easy to wake up early, I know, but always worth it - especially on those hotter days.

I hope you’ve found these tips helpful and can incorporate them in your longer runs. Nail them and don’t forget to treat yourself a bit afterwards.

Onwards and upwards,

Coach Nick