The long run. Runner’s love/hate relationship. We love the sense of accomplishment when it’s over, we’ve pushed as far as we can & gone further than last time. But, we dread getting out there to get it done & often we don’t feel ready to set aside the time we need for it. But there are some simple fixes to help make this a permanently love affair again. The session you look forwards to each week. The one that strengthens you as a runner & a person!
1 – Know the importance
If you’re running anything over 10km [up to half’s, marathons & beyond into ultras] the long run is the single most important part of your training. It’s the session you need most & the one that really shouldn’t be missed. But often as runners we don’t know just how vital it is, or why. Just knowing how it builds your distance & endurance ability, can give you the mental stimulation you need to make you keen for the long run. All whilst helping increase that post run sense of achievement!
Read more… “Why You Need The Long Run”
2 – Love the escape of a Long Run
All too often we forget why we fall in love with running & what we enjoy most. The more we get into it the more wrapped up in distance & speed; obsessed with beating our PB. But running is enjoyable because it gives us the time we need to ourselves with no stress or dramas to evaluate everything in our head, clear our problems & escape to a place deep in our subconscious, while our body stays to do all the hard work. Sure we’re present & taking in the scenery, but mentally we are in a completely different space; our thought processes are unrefined & our mind is clear. The long run, if you treat it this way is the training session you will look forwards to most & the feeling of relaxation & mental clarity post-run is overwhelming. I can only describe it as natural therapy with an endorphin high.
Read more.. “Run To Escape, Be Happy & Love Running”
3 – Tune out from the world
In line with running as an escape, music is key to helping us zone out from our everyday distractions on our long runs, providing a welcomed stimulus that can keep us focused on our running. Research also shows that running helps to reduce our perceptions of exertion or pain & in doing so helps us to improve endurance by 10-15%. The more you enjoy the music, the deeper your subconscious will go. But make sure you match your pace to beats per minute. Research shows it influences speed a lot.
Read more.. “Music: Why You Need It For Your Runs”
4 – Learn when to run alone/together
Running alone & in groups both bring advantages, but you should work out what is best for you early on & how to balance. Running long alone can be a great escape & allows you to control your pace, so you don’t empty the tank too soon or go too slow. But, at the same time going with a partner, or in a larger group can bring advantages for your motivation, perseverance & enjoyment. There’s a lot you need to consider but it all comes down to what you will enjoy & benefit from the most on long runs.
Go alone for the mainstay of your longer runs. Get out there, explore & escape with just your music, thoughts, mental clarity & determination. Throw in some grouped runs over distance if you can find someone with the same distance goals & pacing targets to mix things up a little & keep you on track.
Read more.. “Running Partners” & “Running Groups”
5 – Planning your route
The route you choose to take can play a big role in your enjoyment, or lack of, for the long run. This in turn influences how you see your running & your motivation. While loops close to home are good for new runners, those combing back from injury or wanting to try new fueling strategies or running gear in unpredictable weather; safe in the comfort of never being too far from home. Beyond these though, looped routes can become very boring, uninspiring & demotivating. To enjoy your running & get more out of it, run to escape, explore & enjoy it. Don’t be affair to mix it up, often it’s all it takes.
Read more.. “Running In Laps & Loops”
6 – Explore & adventure
Running should be an escape if it will help to do more for you than just get the heart ticking over & release those great feeling endorphins. When you run to explore & adventure, you run for escapism; to clear your mind, body & soul of the stresses of daily life. It makes you a stronger, better, happier & more positive person, not just a better runner. This is easy to fall in love with & become addicted to. The long run accentuates this. The longer we run, the more we are likely to get bored. The routes we choose are an easy way to keep us interested in our long runs, look forward to them each week & escape when we are on them for that feel-good factor. You’ll notice it drastically improves your performance too. Just by giving yourself new surroundings you reduce all the mental doubt arising from feeling every single ache & pain, over thinking your form, pace & breathing over a distance you may already feel unmotivated or anxious to cover. Keeping your mind interested means you stay in that place you escape to, with complete mental clarity. Trust me, you will go further than you would otherwise & you will enjoy it more. Do whatever you need to, to look forwards to your long run each week. Run with a friend, run a nice park or along a canal, meet with friends after. Whatever it takes.
Read more.. “Run To Escape, Be Happy & Love Running”
7 – Fit it into your lifestyle
We often lose motivation for our running when we start skipping the long run. When we don’t make time, we make excuses. To stay on track you should look for ways to fit your runs into your lifestyle. For me this meant taking the opportunity to run to work & to run to social meetings with friends on a weekend; whether to the pub, for coffee or for lunch. Sometimes I’d run with a friend & we’d just run & walk aimlessly until we found somewhere to have a spot of lunch or a few well-earned drinks.
Read more.. “Running: Fit It Into Your Lifestyle”
8 – Celebrate successes & reward yourself
We all know motivation & positivity for your running is key to enjoy it & improving. Recognising all of your successes along the way & celebrating them is a must. Just by identifying how far you’ve come you will naturally be more inspired to keep up the hard work & push yourself harder. Self-rewarding can come in many shapes & sizes, but is found to fundamentally improve motivation. Those regularly self-rewarding themselves for their progress are more motivated, more likely to improve progresses & to love their running. Not to mention makes them a more positive, happier & determined person.
Read more.. “Recognition & Reward”
Happy Running!
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