LONG RUN MASTERCLASS

THE WEEKLY LONG RUN WILL DELIVER A HOST OF PERFORMANCE, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS TO MAKE YOU A FASTER, STRONGER TRIATHLETE. HERE’S THE HOW-TO…

When the race season begins to wind down, ask any experienced triathlete what the cornerstone of their training programme will be and they’ll answer in unison: the long run. It’s a staple for numerous reasons, the most obvious being endurance. But what exactly does building endurance mean in physiological terms?

On a fundamental level, you enjoy numerous cardiovascular adaptations that are beneficial to both triathlon performance and general health. As a snapshot, these include increasing the stroke volume and cardiac output of the heart, improved glucose and fat utilisation, and increased oxygen uptake.

On a deeper level it’s about boosting your mitochondria levels. Mitochondria is a cellular component that’s often referred to as the ‘powerhouse’ of the cells, and one of the major benefits of long runs is developing more and more proficient mitochondria to better fuel your efforts. Throw in an increase in myoglobin, the iron- and oxygen-binding protein in muscle, and you can see why the long run lays the foundations for endurance-sport success.

This being triathlon and the juggling of disciplines, one long run a week’s fine and, although volume is high, intensity isn’t, meaning it slots in nicely on any day (though it makes sense to avoid one day either side of a long bike because they challenge the same energy systems).

As for how long, this is race-distance specific. Olympic-distance athletes might run for eight to 12 miles (around 130-200% of race-run distance), while an iron athlete may even tip over the 26-mile mark. Just remember, whatever your goal distance, build up slowly. Onto arming you with the tips you need to maximise your weekly long run…