Long Runs Build Base

As an endurance athlete the long run is the backbone of your training program. Run once or twice per week (usually just once), it’s length varies depending on your fitness levels, your target race, injury history, training years, time of year and more. Real-life coaching confirms that this type of training works-it’s that simple!

Studies demonstrate that so called ‘Interval training’ or ‘race-specific work’ produces better results when preceded by a period of aerobic training. Or in simpler terms, having a base of general aerobic work enhances the benefits of interval training. Laying proper aerobic foundations is essential if you wish to be a successful endurance runner. Think of the aerobic running as deposits made into the bank account and every time you do an anaerobic work intense workouts or races you make a withdrawal from this account, which must than be topped up again with aerobic training.

As an athlete make sure this bank account is full and that you are not making too many withdrawals too often. You want to leave this big withdrawal for your goal race! Training is about balance and applying the right type and amount to the individual.

The Science

When you run more than 90  minutes, three important elements of exercise physiology are improved: glycogen storing, fat burning and shock absorption. This doesn’t even include the mental elements: relaxation while tired, concentration and tenacity. By running long, you provide the necessary stress to ensure maximum adaptation of your slow twitch muscle fibres. You’re building stronger slow-twitch fibres, so you’ll have to use less of their maximum capacity at a given speed. That saves on both fuel and oxygen costs. In more scientific terms, long runs teach your body to utilize fats better as fuel source.; they increase mitochondria, aerobic enzymes, capillary density and myoglobin, all of which have a positive impact on your running. They also serve to increase aerobic capacity, strengthen your musculoskeletal system and increase glycogen storage.

How should you work it?

A big issue is understanding how fast you should be running for optimal benefit. If you run too slow, you won’t stimulate enough adaptation. Adaptation is a simple process that involves applying a stimulus or stressor to the body. Run too fast and you run the risk of not being recovered for your next key workout. By doing a long run the day after a workout you go into it in a pre-fatigued state. Now you are forced to go deeper into your glycogen stores, access different muscles fibres and start felling more fatigued earlier in the run. Event specific demands and goal races should shape your long-run. Marathoners will want to increase both the length and intensity of their long runs as race day approaches, as these are critical to that race distance-whereas middle distance athletes may gradually scale back their long run as they get closer to their key races. It’s simply about applying the right type of long run to the individual according to the race distance and the stage of the season you are at. Think also about what comes the day before and the day or two after the long run. Is it a key workout in itself? (i.e. training for a marathon) or is just part of a microcycle in training for 1500m-10,000m racing?

Track-Specific Split Long Run

Who? 800m-1500m athletes of a certain physiological profile (more fast-twitch fibre-type athletes)

What? 30-45 mins in the morning and the same in the evening. After the morning run add drills and 80m strides and for the evening run add in 30-45 secs steady pick up every 5 mins and follow it with 4-6 x 10 secs max effort sprints on a STEEP Hill with 3 mins walk recovery between each.

When? Early to mid-season and also added occasionally for an aerobic ‘refresh’ during the track season

Why? Split long runs help middle distance runners build aerobic conditioning- especially in the winter months. Long slow miles are not ideal for this type of athlete, as they recruit the wrong muscles fibres. If an FT type runner runs for too long or runs these too fast it can have a negative impact. If this happens FT fibres will start to get recruited after a prolonged period of time, thus training them more aerobically, which could be counter productive for FT runner. Also because of their inefficient fuel system (they burn more glycogen at all paces), glycogen depletion will occur sooner, so if a run is too long long or too fast this depletion can be significant and impact training the following few days and especially their specific work.

Long Run With Fast Finish

Who? Experience athlete, those training for races from 5,000m-marathon and those with an endurance profile( The more slow-twitch fibre types)

What? 60-120 mins with the last 1-6 miles roughly at marathon pace progressing the last mile towards half-marathon pace followed by drills and 4x 80m fast strides

When? Done year round with a different focus depending on your race plans. Taken out on key race weeks and/or shortened.

Why? We want to progress your long run from just easy running and time on your feet, so by adding a fast finish we create an added stimulus that challenges the body to become more specific to racing. It forces muscle fibre recruitment when fatigued and causes a greater degree of glycogen depletion, thus forcing the body to respond.

The Empty Tank Long Run

Who? Marathon runners and those looking for a different training stimulus to increase adapation

What? A long run of 90mins-2.5 hours, having eaten no breakfast and only drinking water to prevent dehydration.

When? During marathon-specific phase of training (final 8-12 weeks) after building up time on your feet first, with normal easy long runs and some race-specific long runs (long runs with marathon pace efforts included)

Why ? We want to run with depleted glycogen stores. Any carbohydrates ingested will be used by the body for fuel, and we don’t want this. We want to deny the body carbohydrates in these runs so that the muscles will become better at sparing carbohydrates stores more efficient at burning fat and used to running with lower blood glucose levels. It takes time to get adjusted to it if you have always been used to eating before and during your long runs, but with time and practise you can do it. Just start by practising on some shorter easier runs and then progress to the long run. The science tells us that training in a depleted state can lead to increased adaptation. By training with low glycogen stores, it places an added stress on the body and then the body is forced to adapt to this. Recovery following this type of run is very important with a few easy days and good nutrition and sleep needed.

By Steven Macklin; The Athletics Ireland National Junior Endurance Coach and the Education Lead For Endurance.