I recently read an article about running for 2 hours and the benefits of doing this and read a few more articles and forums to understand a bit more about it. I was intrigued and decided to run for 90 minutes at the start of the week and ended up doing a fartlek rather than going at a much slower pace throughout because I ended up focusing on wanting to get a 10k in when I think the point is to run slower and not care for distance as the point of it is ‘time on feet’. Not to mention the science around burning fat more effectively (whereas going faster than the slower pace burns more glycogen instead). Now I am not training to be a pro athlete nor do I intend to run a HM or marathon, but I am intrigued if anyone else runs a long run. My weekly ‘long run’ is a 10k just so I feel like I can keep doing it regardless of whether I have a race planned or not. I’m not big on races to be honest, I just run because I enjoy it. During a week I aim for one long run, one easy run, and one speed run.
Does anyone else run long runs for over 90 mins (apparently this is what is deemed a ‘long run’ when you Google online although Joan Benoit Samuelson on the NRC app says this is just the longest run of your week and doesn’t need to be a set thing!)? If so, I’d love to hear your reasons and any tips on how you keep yourself running strong and injury-free. Thank you!
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Run_rabbit_run
Graduate10
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Hi Run-rabbit-run , when time, fitness and weather permit I'll happily do 90+ minute runs, simply because I prefer to run hills and trails and don't enjoy (and am poor at) running fast.
I'm not into races, training plans or audio-coached runs, and I'm not really interested in the scientific aspects of running either. I just sometimes get it into my head that I'd like to run further, or up bigger hills, so I end up running for longer!
Given that this reply is as much use as a chocolate fireguard, how about popping over to the marathon forum and asking there too? healthunlocked.com/marathon...
You definitely don't have to be training for a marathon or indeed any kind of race to join in the discussions, but as you say you're regularly running 10K, you might find the forum interesting. And of course you can continue to post on Bridge too.
Haha you made me stop and think with the ‘chocolate fireguard’ as I have never heard of that before! Thank you, I just joined that group upon your suggestion and I must say it’s another level of discussion there but a good idea as they will be discussing things I am curious about. I did run 15km a month or so ago just because I ended up running longer and I thought I may as well round it up to the next ‘milestone’ but I didn’t enjoy it and felt it in my knees a bit. My focus is always to enjoy running and run strong so my weekly routine is 50:50 strength training and running. I think running 2 hours in one go is a time issue for me as I work full time and have a toddler but where I get the chance it’s nice to know if I can do it. I think I can run 2 hours, I would just run at my easy effort but I also notice my form isn’t as great if I run too slow so it’s me trying to figure out the sweet spot where I am running efficiently without jeopardising my body. Thanks again for replying
As for "I must say it’s another level of discussion there," yes, it sure is - if you look at the weekly chat thread we seem to have segued off into insect bites, bizarre names for soft toys and pets, and unfortunate typos!
Joking apart, there's plenty of serious running stuff too. It's simply that the forum's focus isn't so much on post-C25K running and getting to 10K, as for looking at options beyond 10K. See last week's chat thread about a potential forum name change!
I try and run one longer run most weeks, I went mad on Sunday and was out for two and a half hours. Over hills so really slow. I like a 10k and my fastest was 95 minutes, I will run another at the weekend, it's interesting to know this is a good thing and slow is good too
2.5 hours! You’re a machine Sola! It seems that slow and steady is good for overall fitness and good to incorporate into training for a race too. I run a few hills on some routes but not trails. They did help me though on my mixed road and trail race (which I hadn’t mentally prepared for - I thought it was just an Easter fun run and just signed up 48 hours earlier, ha!) I’ve improved my easy effort/recovery runs which I am pleased about - focusing on breathing through the nose and I found my HR below 140 whereas before, I thought I was running easy and my HR was around 160! Now I’ve experienced what easy effort runs are I look forward to them in my running routine and I know what it means to work hard on my speed runs!
I think my recovery runs could be slower, I'm slow anyway so always try to go a little faster, that's great about your heartrate, I'll try and go really slow and see what happens
Out of interest, what makes you feel the need to run longer runs? I’m learning a lot and reading more and there is a lot of conflicting advice or maybe the advice depends on what you’re aiming for. Not long after reading about the benefit of running at least 90 mins, I read another one saying you don’t need to run high mileage to see improvements. But I suppose the question I ask myself is, ‘what am I trying to improve?’ I already know my focus which is to just be able to run 10k or over an hour so I can maintain that as I do now. Also my focus is to minimise injury so I can continue to run strong sustainably as well as be strong and fit for my day to day life. Do I need to run 90 mins every week then…probably not, unless I’m training for more which I’m not doing - no planned races and I don’t intend on running any at the moment.
Do you enjoy running half marathons? That’s a great distance isn’t it? I can’t imagine running that distance myself but I can also see the temptation to see how far you can run Maybe if I had more time to train that would be something I could think about but right now as a single parent to a toddler and working full time, it’s not the focus right now. Perhaps one day!
There's a difference between normal runs (20 minutes to an hour) and longer ones, and that relates to metabolism.
In longer runs, especially over 90 minutes, the normal energy source of stored glycogen is depleted, so alternative energy paths are needed. This can involve burning stored fats (and to a lesser extent, protein).
The first few times you do longer runs you'll experience odd things happening, like jelly legs, because your body isn't used to burning fats, etc.
Taking some fuel and drink with you is vitally important on longer runs, and eating something with protein in it within a couple of hours of finishing the activity is also important.
The 21.1km (13.1 mile) of a half marathon is achievable by most, and doesn't require targeted training. You can do it simply by gradually increasing the length of your longest run each week. A full marathon is a different beast, requiring a structured build-up.
This is why events like the Great North Run or the Great Manchester Run are half marathons.
I haven't yet done a HM in under 2 hours. My best time so far is 2h 7½m. My longest run so far was 26.22km (16.3 miles) which took me 2h49m in May last year.
Longer runs can help your shorter ones by training the aerobic metabolism, which will help you resist fatigue in your shorter runs.
You'll also be ravenous after a longer run. A typical HM will require about three quarters of your normal daily resting Calories.
The reason I say I need to get back to doing longer runs is because I had an injury at the end of March (a trip and fall which badly cut my left knee) which caused me to run unbalanced, and my weekly mileage has dropped off. I used to do two 10km runs per week. I haven't done a 10km run for ages. And then there are the time pressures…
I’m really sorry to hear about your injury. I hope you’re able to focus on recovery so that you can ease back into it when your body is fully healed. I did run 2-3 10k runs a week for a couple of months before hayfever came back into my life. I think I’ll start introducing the 90 mins run as my long steady run and see how that goes. I have done it before and didn’t feel too bad but I was hugely dehydrated afterwards but that was my poor prep. I’ll know for next time and will also make sure I fuel well before and after. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience, I really appreciate it.
I’m a very slow runner (queen-of-slow slow), but when at my fittest (now ca a year ago), I ran a 2 hour route every week or so. I loved that and it certainly was meditative. (Spoiler alert, I didn’t loose weight, even on top of rowing, but that’s another issue)
At the time I disliked jeffing, and a normal run for me was 60 min anyway. Short run was 30-45 minutes.
There is something to be said about slow and steady.
I agree and feel like I only truly appreciate that now about slow and steady. Oh I haven’t lost weight either but my focus hasn’t been on that with running, I just like to know I can run and I see it as conditioning my heart just as my strength training is conditioning my skeletal muscles! I haven’t tried jeffing since my C25k days (I assume that’s run/walk combo?) but I’m hoping a friend starts it soon (she says she could never run and I’m trying to show her anyone can start!) and then will be a buddy to her and do some jeffing alongside of her!
I would regularly do a long slow run between 20k and 30k on a Sunday morning, with the emphasis on slow.Slow I think without looking it up is meant to be about 60 to 90 second's slower than your 5k pace, but don't quote me on that.
I have yet to master the slow run as it takes time and patience to do it correctly because you mind and body want to go faster.
I also enter into quite a few events where the only person I am racing against is me. But saying that I just really do them for the sense of achievement and of course the bling. It's also nice to be running with other people of like mind. I think I must have ran in about 25 events last year (my first full year running) and about 8 so far this year consting of 10ks, 10 miles, 5 half marathons and my first full one in April. I have another half in early July and a marathon in late August and a big one at the end of October in Dublin.
The main reason I run is for the headspace, it's just me and the open road. Plus I always get a sense of joy that I am and can do it.
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Maybe if I had more time to train that would be something I could think about but right now as a single parent to a toddler and working full time, it’s not the focus right now. Perhaps one day!
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