Avoid Some Mistakes While Running
Truly the long run is essential of an endurance running program
. The long run teaches our body how to spend time on its feet, how to utilize fat as a primary fuel source and is a dress rehearsal for the big dance. The actual secret in perfecting your long runs is to keep it simple and avoid making these common training mistakes.
Running too Fast
There is little difference between running for fitness and long distance running race. The difference is one stays consistent week to week (fitness) and the latter builds and progresses throughout the season. Because of this progression, it is important to vary your effort level as you train. In other words, run at a pace that is easy and conversational. Avoid trying to run the long runs by a pace or target time. This sets you up for the race pace training disaster where you feel great for about four to six weeks, then things start to crumble when your energy levels decline, your body aches, and performance begins to suffer. If you can talk while you're running the long run, you're at the right effort. If you can't, you're running too fast.
Running too far too Quickly
If your longest run is 4 miles, you'll want to find a plan or create one of your own that starts no higher than 5 miles for the first long run. This may not look all that exciting. However, the goal isn't about how many miles you tackle each week; it's about getting to the start line healthy, fresh and ready to rumble. Start from where you are and you'll perform well, recover better, and have fun along the way. Soon after you commit to a half or full marathon, it's time to train. Excitement from the target can encourage runners to tackle longer runs than their bodies are ready for at that point, which can quickly lead to aches, pains, burn out and poor performance down the road. The greatest way to assure your success on race day is to follow a plan that starts from where your current fitness level and mileage is.
Fueling With too Much Sugar
Everyone will have their own unique menu for fueling on the go. Some go with sports drinks only as it contains both sugar, electrolytes and fluid and is easily digested. Others go with sports drinks plus a gel along the way. Still others go with the simplicity of water. Sports drinks and other on-the-run fueling products such as gels, beans and Clif Shot Bloks were originally invented to supplement your energy intake. Your body can only take in so much energy in the form of sugar, and when you exceed that level, it causes nausea and stomach upset. The idea is not to replace the energy lost while running but to only replenish some of what is lost.
Running too Many Long Runs Back-to-Back
Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. A long run schedule should ebb and flow through two to three building weeks and cutback weeks to recover. Running too many long runs back to back (12, 13, 14, 15, 16...) can lead you quickly and efficiently to no man's land where you're fatigued and struggle to make it through the day. Once you get into the longer miles, you can alternate a longer run one weekend with a shorter run the next. This allows your body time to recover from the last effort before you hit your next building long run. It's not about the total miles. It's about the quality of the long runs.
Running by Pace Rather Than Feel
When you run by feel (effort level) and stick with a conversation-pace effort, you'll always be in the right zone for that day. The easiest way to bonk during a long run is to run it by a pace. Pace is only the outcome. It's not the target. Running on a very hot day will be much harder on the body. Lack of sleep, stress, training fatigue from other workouts and more can affect your performance. If the goal is to train in the easy effort so you can cover the distance and recover efficiently, you can't pin this running goal on a specific pace. Doing so can lead you to over training and under training and will rarely keep you in the optimal zone. Listen to your body, do a talk test, and stick within the easy zone when going the distance. This is best left for those who are seasoned and have a solid base of miles behind them.
by: Shibalik Sanyal
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