10 TOP TIPS… TO NAIL THE LONG RUN
Follow the advice below to make sure you maximise your weekly long run and reap the endurance rewards on offer…
01 FIND THE RIGHT RIDES
High-mileage shoes are ideal for long runs, being soft enough to dampen the stress of pavement but still firm enough to provide adequate push-off on landing. They should also be durable and comfortable. More miles means you might want to seek out a slightly wider toe box and a more expansive upper in case of swelling. Cushioning should be good but not so much that the shoe feels heavy and lifeless. Experienced triathletes can seek out a more minimalist shoe due to wellhoned gait mechanics.
02 PROGRESS METHODICALLY
Too much too soon results in injury or, at the very least, deep fatigue that impairs subsequent sessions. So progress methodically. One proven method’s to look back at your longest run of the past six weeks and plot a route that’s about a mile longer or 10 extra minutes. The following week, add a further mile or 10mins. And the same again the week after. On the fourth week, drop your long run to that of week one. This allows recovery and adaptation. The following week, pick up where you left off before the ‘easy’ week and continue with this pattern.
03 BREAK IT DOWN
Runs of over an hour – certainly over two – can mentally resemble ascending Everest. This is where ‘chunking’ comes in. Simply, this is breaking down your run into a series of shorter targets. It’s mentally less tiring than a huge goal that seems unachievable. Music’s a popular way to chunk with more relaxed beats to ease into the run, a pumped-up soundtrack for the middle and a motivational mix for the final miles.
04 PRACTISE your FUELLING
It’s an individual thing but runs over around 50-60mins demand feeding. Research suggests you can absorb and assimilate around 60g glucose (two to three gels) per hour before the transporter SGLT1, which ships glucose from the small intestine to the bloodstream, becomes saturated. Further research by Professor Asker Jeukendrup showed that by adding fructose, you’d tap into the fructose transporter GLUT5 and deliver more energy, up to around 90g per hour. Just remember that some things can affect blood glucose, including nerves, sickness, stress and speed of metabolism, so experiment and see what works for you.
05 STRIDE IT OUT
Integrating strides into your long run not only adds further interest but refines technique, too. These are simply accelerations of around 2030secs where you accelerate and hold around 95% of maximal speed. Four of these during a long run is a good start and you can gradually build up to eight. They’re not numerous or long enough to detract from the fat-burning and cardiobuilding aims of the long run, but are intense enough to remind your neuromuscular system to fire up swiftly ready for next-season’s speedwork.
06 GO OFF-ROAD
Long trail runs are a wise idea for numerous reasons. Running over more erratic terrain activates stabilising and synergetic muscles, not just the main running muscles, because every footfall is different. It means you’re much less likely to suffer from shin splints. You’ll also fire up your stretch reflex. This is the natural elastic propensity of your muscles to accelerate and decelerate at a certain rhythm. The more sensory feedback your body can retrieve – for instance, from running off-road – the better your body is at recognising and controlling this.
07 run before brekkie
Fasted training’s a risky one and only to be used by experienced triathletes. The idea is that by ‘starving’ the body of carbohydrates, it adapts to burning more fat for fuel via increased cell signalling, gene expression and traininginduced increases in oxidative enzyme activity. In turn, you’d spare precious glycogen stores for high-intensity moments of races. There are various ways to train fasted but the easiest is to run before breakfast. Consume a high-carbohydrate, high-protein drink afterwards.
08 MAXIMISE YOUR CYCLE
Oestrogen levels are at their highest during the late follicular phase, between days six and 12 of a woman’s period. According to studies, this is the time where you optimise fat burning as your body burns more fats for fuel. Be wary, though, as there’s evidence of increased injury risk during this phase as the hormone makes ligaments and tendons more lax. So really focus on a good warm-up.
09 WRAP UP SMART
As we move into early autumn, start to think about run tights, especially for early morning runs. Added warmth should reduce the chances of a muscle strain. Up top, long-sleeve run tees or base layers are common when temperatures begin to drop. Synthetic polyester and natural Merino wool both wick well for solid thermoregulation.
10 let the conversation flow
There are pacing models aplenty. One idea is to run at a pace around 25-30% slower than 10km pace, so if your 10km run pace is 7mins per mile, run at 8:20mins per mile. This intensity will feel comfortable enough for you to chat to a training partner, but still swift enough to maintain a normal stride pattern. A more demanding alternative is the ‘progression long run’. Pace as previous before gradually accelerating over the second half of the run. This more accurately mirrors the demands of a race.