"The long run is what puts the tiger in the cat." - Bill Squires
I have a confession: I don't know why long runs work.
I understand, more or less, the science behind running at various faster paces. I understand the concepts of V02 Max and Lactate threshold, and am happy to reap the benefits of race-pace repetitions. But long runs are still a bit mysterious to me.
When I say long run, I mean a run lasting 90 minutes or more at a relatively modest pace (1 1/2 - 2 minutes per mile slower than 5K race pace, or even slower). When done with a group, long runs are obvious social occasions, and the pace is never so fast that it precludes a good long conversation).
When I'm out of shape, the long run scares me. I make excuses for myself before I've taken my first step, and I struggle to manage 75 minutes, and I need a day or two to recover. As Sundays come and go, I find myself able to manage 90 minutes on a regular basis, and recovery is quicker. And if I'm really motivated (and healthy), and not too distracted by over-racing, I start pushing the long runs up to 1:40, 1:45, 1:50...
...and it is when the long runs start approaching two hours that this amazing thing happens. It's hard to describe, really, because it's a subtle change in how I feel all the time. For one thing, I start looking forward to longer and longer runs; in other words, it's highly addictive. For another thing, I seem to recover more quickly from all my runs, including hard efforts on the track. The effect of a two-hour run once a week seems to be that it drives my metabolism into a new gear where I am always ready to run some more. It's a little spooky, as though my body has decided that it should prepare itself for constant ambulation.
Some of this is psychological, no doubt. There's a powerful sense of accomplishment in running a long way. But what physical changes underlie that psychological strength, I don't know for sure. When asked about it, I'm happy to blather on about capillary growth and mitochondrial enzymes, but really, I don't know what's going on down there at the cellular level.
But I do have some opinions about how to do long runs, based on what has worked for me in the past.
First and foremost, I would do long runs in beautiful places -- on trails, in woods, or along quiet and pleasant roads without a lot of traffic. It's healthy in multiple ways to have something to enjoy besides the sound of your own breathing. Also, in planning a route, it's a good idea to make sure there are water fountains and bathrooms along the way.
Second, I would try to find agreeable training partners who are happy to share a relaxed pace that allows for free conversation.
Third, I would have a goal of increasing the length of your long runs by about 5 minutes every two weeks. In other words, if your longest long run now is 70 minutes, do your next two at 75 minutes, then the next two at 80, and so on.
Fourth, I would not plan anything too important for the rest of the day on a day you are doing a long run. I know that I like to do some walking after a long run to keep my legs moving at least a little bit. The worst thing (for me) is to sit in a car or on an airplane after doing a long run.
Fifth, since doing long runs is likely to fill your mind with feelings of running invincibility, I would urge a certain amount of caution. Like anything else, the benefits of doing long runs come slowly, over the course of many months, if not years. I have to remind myself that I was struggling mightily through 90-minute runs this winter, and it's only now -- six months later -- that I feel like I'm reaping the benefits.
And finally, I realize after writing the paragraph above that long runs are hard to manage for a lot of high school athletes who might compete in three seasons, racing many weekends. On the other hand, summer might be a good time to experiment a little with doing something a little longer than the standard high school 7-8 mile run.
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2 comments:
I think the main benefit, as you say, is the sense of accomplishment that gives you confidence and raises you self esteem. That, in turn, increases your motivation to be productive. My long runs began running through Wellesley and Needham. Then extended through Dover and then Medfield. I always felt proud that i could do what few others could. My longest was 4 hrs. and my wife almost called the police. That's when I realized I had become too intoxicated with that sense of accomplishment and need for increased self esteem. So I switched to shorter runs, but continued to cover the Needham, Dover, Medfield route on bike. Now I am content to drive the course.
The psychological benefits are undeniable.
On the physiological conditioning side, like so many other things in life, the differences are found at the margin. The long run is a very effective stimulus which pushes out the edge of the aerobic threshold, training the body to use these pathways over the anaerobic pathways (i.e. use fat for fuel and conserve glycogen), particularly once one gains the confidence/ability to accelerate through the second half of the run (or even just for the last mile or two once the glycogen stores are burnt is useful). Even during complete "aerobic" activity, it is suspected that a very slight amount of glycogen in required by the muscle, thus improving aerobic efficiency and being able to hang on to a supply is essential.
I agree with the tactic of expanding it five minutes at a time, and you can see that even over the course of a year, you can reach a time which will have friends and family calling the cops to look for you!
JK
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