Arthur's Marathon Training
Run Smart... Run Forever!

THE LONG RUN
  Check the following links for information relative to our Saturday morning long runs.  Each of these links has something a little different to say about the long runs, their role in marathon training, and how best to benefit from them.  But, there are common threads throughout all of the articles, threads that focus on the benefits derived from slowing the long runs down and the physiological processes at play as we do so... processes that allow our bodies to adapt sufficiently over time and best prepare come race day:

Hal Higdon: Marathon Training Guide
Preparing For The Long Run
Long May You Run
Making Your Long Runs Count
Best Pace For Long Runs
Avoid Hitting The Wall


But wait, there's more!  The following is an excerpt from an article in "Peak Running Performance"... one of the best performance running-related periodicals I've found over the years: 

"Build Your Endurance: Aerobic Conditioning"
"Research has shown that when you run at an effort or speed in the range of 55-75% of your VO2max running speed (easy distance running at slower than marathon race pace), you are primarily utilizing your aerobic energy-producing system or aerobic conditioning system. You build endurance. Training at this effort or intensity level improves your endurance by increasing: 

  • the amount of fat you use as fuel
  • the number of mitochondria (energy factories) in the muscle cells
  • the amount of oxidative enzymes in the muscle cells
  • the number of capillaries (blood vessels) in the muscle fibers
  • the endurance of "slow-twitch" and certain "fast-twitch" muscle fibers
  • your total blood volume
  • the amount of muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrates) that can be stored
  • the strength of the connective tissues

"Surprisingly, most distance runners train much too fast for optimal aerobic conditioning to occur. This not only fails to achieve the desired results but leaves their legs too tired to properly train the other energy systems that are essential to well-balanced training and overall improvement.  For example, a 41:36 10K [6:40/mile] runner could run his or her easy runs from 8:10-11:08/mile and be assured of training the aerobic conditioning energy system."

Soooooo... the long and short of all this literature is SLOW DOWN during your long training runs in order to RUN FASTER during your races.  Simple, eh??

Run Smart... Run Forever!
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