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Apr 11, 2008 7:33 AM by
Jay Silvio
37 posts since
Mar 4, 2008
Mar 24, 2008 7:22 PM
What do you consider a long run?
This one is a hard one, because of course depending on who you are the answer will differ. So tell me runners out there what is it you all consider a long run?
774 posts since
Jan 19, 2008
Re: What do you consider a long run?
Hi SusanaIsa! For me, right now, I'd say anything over 10 miles qualifies as a long run.
2,110 posts since
Aug 21, 2007
2.
Mar 24, 2008 7:33 PM
in response to: MCM Ron
Re: What do you consider a long run?
Definitely anything over half-marathon length is a LONG run. As far as REALLY LONG runs, like gearing up for a marathon, I kind of think of 15 miles and up.
37 posts since
Mar 4, 2008
3.
Mar 24, 2008 7:46 PM
in response to: MCM Ron
Re: What do you consider a long run?
Good one. I don't know how anyone can run longer than 10 miles. That has got to take a lot of time, unless it is obviously during a weekend. Either way, I can't see myself doing over 10 miles at this point and that's considered a good stretch. I average about 3 to 4 miles a day and of course I don't do more because I don't have time, otherwise I would probably be stretching it. Where in the world do guys have time to run more than 10 miles? That alone has to take more than 2 1/2 hours.
Susana
2,067 posts since
Dec 15, 2007
Re: What do you consider a long run?
Long runs for me are 18 or further. Now I will tell you my phylosphy on long runs. It is simply your longest run of the week(long day excluded) doubled. That is to say if you do a 5 miler midweek then the long run for that fitness level should be somewhere around 10 miles. I group weeks into 4 week segments with one being a total rocovery week. In the middle of that segment I run 11 miles mid week, well not that weekend but maybe the next I do a 20-22 miler. the last week of those 4 I run a 12 miler as my long run before picking back up the following week. I hope this makes sense. It confuse me unless I look at it on a calendar I plan out on.
Jimmy
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37 posts since
Mar 4, 2008
Re: What do you consider a long run?
How long is you 12 miles rn taking you? I feel that I just don't have the time to run longer even if I could.
2,067 posts since
Dec 15, 2007
Re: What do you consider a long run?
How long is you 12 miles rn taking you? I feel that I just don't have the time to run longer even if I could.
an hour and a half to two hours! I am an active duty Marine so sneaking off at lunch for a run is doable and also encouraged. I get my long runs in on Sunday mornings before most people are up and about. I start anywhere from 4 am to 6 am depending on ho far and what else I have to do that day. It is also easy for me because I have very supportive wife and kids. Also one of my running routes is a mile long track around my neighborhood.
If you are doing 3-4 miles at the most right now I would not start anything more then a 8-10 miler long run and build that up through time. You can increase your long run without increasing your week day miles. Simply add 10-15% every week and take the fourth week back down before coming back with a 10-15% increase the following week. If you want PM me and I will explain more in depth or wait til Len gets back on. He can usually explain things better then I do!
* Long Run Schedule *
Week 1 - 8 miles
Week 2 - 9 miles
Week 3 - 10 miles
Week 4 - 8 miles
Week 5 - 12 miles
Week 6 - 13 miles
Week 7 - 15 miles
Week 8 - 10-12 miles
Jimmy
37 posts since
Mar 4, 2008
Re: What do you consider a long run?
an hour and a half to two hours! I am an active duty Marine so sneaking off at lunch for a run is doable and also encouraged. I get my long runs in on Sunday mornings before most people are up and about. I start anywhere from 4 am to 6 am depending on ho far and what else I have to do that day. It is also easy for me because I have very supportive wife and kids. Also one of my running routes is a mile long track around my neighborhood.
If you are doing 3-4 miles at the most right now I would not start anything more then a 8-10 miler long run and build that up through time. You can increase your long run without increasing your week day miles. Simply add 10-15% every week and take the fourth week back down before coming back with a 10-15% increase the following week. If you want PM me and I will explain more in depth or wait til Len gets back on. He can usually explain things better then I do!
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That makes sense that they would encourage people to stay fit. I think I will increase my average run probably by 1 mile though, and make my longer runs by two or three. Still its hard to fit all these miles into a schedule. A supportive wife and kids is always great to have, because if there's too much chaos around it warns on you just from the daily confusion. I wish you the best and thanks for the advise.
2,067 posts since
Dec 15, 2007
Re: What do you consider a long run?
Susan make sure that you are careful about increasing the weekly total by more then 15% as this can lead to over use injuries. Best of luck to you and if you are like me it is easier when the run is a part of the scheduled day. I always start the day off with a schedule of when I will be doing everything that day. I put my run on the schedule or it will not get done.
Jimmy
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1,020 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
Re: What do you consider a long run?
While not necessarily specific in mileage (especially given my status on the DL) right now, the mindset I have is that a long run is "anything I have to pack for."
What I mean is if the run involves more planning than "stretch, lace up, walk out door" or "park car, lace up, stretch", it's a long run.
If while I'm running I'm carrying fluid and snacks, it's a long run.
If I plan most of my day around it, it's a long run.
This time last year, the numbers attached to those runs were all under five. Since then, my perspective has changed.
Your mileage may vary.
On the other hand, anything that involved more than 50 yards without pain would be considered a long run right now. I miss running.
Seriously? I never saw that coming. Y'all do know I once flunked phys ed in high school, right?
591 posts since
Jan 21, 2008
Re: What do you consider a long run?
The "Long Run" is all relative to your training. I would consider the long run as the longest run of the week in your training plan. If someone runs, lets say, 3-6 miles per day on your running days during the week and then does an 8-10 miler the end of the that week then the 8-10 miler is your long run. On the other hand if you do 6-10 miles per day on your running days during the week and then you do 16-20 miles then that is your long run.
1,327 posts since
Aug 15, 2007
Re: What do you consider a long run?
I think everyone is right, but Sara said something that resonates with me. For long runs I find myself eating well the night before, coming in early if I go out with friends, making sure my camelback is filled and ready to go, etc. Other runs, I just up and go when I have enough time to put on my shoes and get out the door. As she also said, funny how that changes with training and perspective. Sara and I did our first 10 milers on the same day and it was SUCH a big deal! Planning and prepping and encouraging each other. By the end of my MCM training I ran my 10 miler on the way to meet with my boss (her office was my end point and then I bussed home). 10 miles became a midweek kinda long run and one I could wing and function after.
2,171 posts since
Jan 19, 2008
Re: What do you consider a long run?
Everyone makes good points but I think Charlie said it best. . . it's relative to your training/goals.
For me, a long run is anything more than 15-16 miles. Although mid-week runs are long if they're more than about 8 due to the time constraints. I run about 9 minute/mile in training, sometimes slower on really long run days (like 17 miles or more.) But I'm a marathoner so long runs for me are that area where the "wall" can be an issue.
3,098 posts since
Jan 18, 2008
Re: What do you consider a long run?
SusanaIsa wrote:
Good one. I don't know how anyone can run longer than 10 miles. That has got to take a lot of time, unless it is obviously during a weekend. Either way, I can't see myself doing over 10 miles at this point and that's considered a good stretch. I average about 3 to 4 miles a day and of course I don't do more because I don't have time, otherwise I would probably be stretching it. Where in the world do guys have time to run more than 10 miles? That alone has to take more than 2 1/2 hours.
A "long run" for me is over 12 miles. I consider 8 to 12 "mid-distance" runs. They're not everyday runs but they're not quite long. You're right, most of us do long runs on the weekend, or whatever day you have off and can arrange for the family to be taken care of. I did 18 miles Sunday and it took about 3.5 hours, including 2 stops at my car to refill my water bottle.
Work up to longer runs gradually. Your total weekly mileage should increase by no more than 10 or 15%. Take one run (probably weekend) and start adding 1 mile per week to it, until you get to the maximum distance you want to run. You don't have to do that maximum every week either. After working up to 10, you might run 10 one week, 7 the next, then 9, then 11. If you want to make your weekday runs longer, add to them the same way, keeping in mind the overall increase for the week. 5 miles is sort of typical for an average weekday run but you may also want to do one slightly longer run during the week of 7 or 8 miles. So if you do 4 weekday runs you might do 5, 4, 7, 4, to get 20 miles total, or you might do four 5-milers. In other words, there's a lot of flexibility in how you do this. Figure out your goals for increased mileage - how much you want to do total each week and the length of the long run you want to reach. Then take out a calendar and plot how you can get to those goals with conservative increases in mileage of about 2 miles toal increase each week.
AND ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS
1,235 posts since
Nov 1, 2007
Re: What do you consider a long run?
As you can see SusanaIsa, there's plenty of good advise around here, just ask away. Like it's already been said, I guess it depends on your goald and training plan as far as what a long run is. Most of us rely on scheduling our lives around our running in order to have time. I am a former Marine so I find it a bit easier to get up around 4am to get my runs in before work. I do my long runs (anything above 13 for me), on Saturday mornings and I usually try to be out the door by 6-7 at the latest so I can be done early and have the rest of the day to spend with my wife. My long runs take me anywhere from 2 to 3+ hrs, my midweek middle distance runs take me about 1-1:15 hrs, the rest are regular 4-5 miles. I follow a schedule similar to what Jimmy posted, it increases about 1-2 miles(weekly total) for a couple of weeks and then drops down one week and the next week it starts increasing again.
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