Are you overemphasizing the long run in marathon training?  Learn why that's a mistake and what to do instead.

Camille Herron is one of the greatest ultra-distance runners in the world.   She's broken multiple world records ranging from 48 hours to 6 days of running in her 40s.

Her secret? She never does a training run longer than 2 hours, which for her is about 16 miles.

So why should the training of a freakishly talented ultra runner matter to an everyday marathoner?  Because you are more like Camille Herron than you think.

The Physiology of the Long Run

The goal of your long run in marathon training is to stimulate physical adaptations that will prepare you for the race.  So it's natural to think that we should train to keep increasing the distance of the long run so that it's closer and closer to 26.2 miles (42km).

After all, that's what we'll do on race day, so that's what we should do in training right?

The only problem with that is, well, that's not the way your physiology works.

Studies have found that bone cells stop positively adapting to the stress of running in as little as 45 minutes. Same with tendons and ligaments.   But if you rest and run again later or the next day, your bones, tendons, and ligments are ready to build again.

Your muscles and lungs are a different story.  They'll keep up for 1.5 to 3 hours before the muscular and cardiovascular benefits start to decline.

After 3 hours, injury risk as well as recovery time just goes up.  You are literally risking your training the further you go in one run.

This is why we don’t want to run the full 26.2 miles or 42 kilometers in training or longer than about 3 hours.  (Unless you can comfortably jog a marathon in less than 3 hours.)

Train With Adaptations In Mind

So if we shouldn't be running all the miles in a single long run, what should we do instead?

We simulate a longer long run with accumulated fatigue by running a shorter steady run the day before.

A steady run is a medium-paced run that is roughly your current marathon pace or a bit slower.  It's faster than a jog, but it's something you would feel pretty comfortable with for 30-90 minutes, depending on your fitness.

Instead of thinking of the steady before the long run as two separate runs, think of them as one run, broken up by a night of rest.

So perhaps your steady run is 6 or 8 miles (10-12km) on a Saturday. It’s not an easy run, other than the warm up and cool down miles, but it’s not a super challenging run either. Then on Sunday, you’ll be effectively beginning your long run at mile 6 or 8 instead of mile zero, since you’re still carrying Saturday’s miles in your legs. If your long run is 18 miles (29km) on Sunday, you are effectively running 22 or 24 miles (39-41km), but with far less risk or recovery time.

And you are getting the benefits of stimulating positive adaptation twice instead of just once.

"But I Can Only Run 16 Miles (25km) In Three Hours!"

That is okay.   It's not about pace.

You can still train well for the marathon with a 16 mile long run.  Remember, with the steady the day before, you are simulating a longer long run without fewer risks to your training.

Not to mention all the other training you are doing the rest of the week.  One 4-5 hour long run isn't going to make you ready for the marathon if you aren't doing consistent runs the rest of the week.

Going back to our ultra running example, we don't run 100 miles (or 48 hours or 6 days) in ultra training either.  We simulate the demands of those races over days, weeks, and months, not in a single day.

"But How Can I Be Prepared Mentally for the Marathon?"

Doing anything that you've never done before takes a leap of faith.  Even if this isn't your first marathon, if you are trying to race faster than you've ever run before, you have to have belief you can do it before you have proof.

It's far easier mentally if you have raced shorter distances before to build your confidence.  It's a lot like how running just one mile seems like a lot when you're getting started, but eventually 10 miles (16k) is your "short" long run.

Work With Your Body and Trust Your Training

Training for and running a marathon can be a daunting and thrilling experience at the same time.

Using smart training, backed by science, you can be sure that you are doing all you can to prepare your best, without overdoing it.