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The long run

Running / Popular

Build endurance with a weekly long run.

What coaches agree on

  • Run your long run at an easy, conversational effort, clearly slower than race pace, since that's where most of the aerobic and fat-burning adaptations actually happen.
  • Size your long run off your weekly mileage rather than as a stand-alone number: a good rule of thumb is 20 to 30 percent of what you run in a week.
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  • Make the long run a consistent weekly habit, growing the distance gradually, about 10 percent at a time, with an easier week every few weeks to let your body absorb the work.
  • Once a long run pushes past about an hour, fuel it with easy-to-digest carbohydrate at a steady rate, roughly 50 to 75 grams an hour, and use these runs to practice the nutrition you'll rely on for race day.

Common mistakes

  • Setting off at full long-run pace instead of easing in burns through your energy too early, leaving you fading or grinding through the final miles instead of finishing strong.
How To Fuel For A Long Run
Intermediate

How To Fuel For A Long Run

Coach's take: The most detailed, credible fueling breakdown of the bunch, backed by an actual expert.

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