10 ways to run longer while making it more fun

Apr. 18

A trainer’s ultimate guide to the infamous long run.

The long run is indisputably the most important workout of the week for distance runners. Okay…maybe it’s not quite indisputable, but it’s safe to say that your performance on long runs is the single most accurate determiner of how your half, full, or ultra-marathons will go down. Ironically, it’s one workout that we’re not all that good at, with many athletes neglecting it altogether.

I get it. Running longer isn’t easy. As a trainer and kinesiologist who’s worked with plenty of endurance athletes, I see the mental, physical, and lifestyle barriers come up all the time when the two words ‘long run’ are mentioned. My goal is to make this session far less daunting to you by providing creative options to inject a much-needed sense of variety, fun, and purpose into your longest run of the week.

If you’re a distance runner who’s looking to run fast, you must run far in training. No questions asked.

If you follow these tips closely, you’ll quickly notice that your longer runs get longer without feeling that much harder. In the process, you’ll gradually build deeper aerobic fitness, stronger mental resilience, and an enhanced running economy that will take you through to the finish line with (fingers crossed) a shiny new PR.

Let’s dive right in.

Let’s Take Your Long Runs to the Next Level

A good place to start this comprehensive guide is to cover the purpose of the long run. Why on earth do millions of runners lace up their shoes on a weekend morning and run miles on end? The answer lies in its relevance to both race day and overall conditioning as a runner. Below are just a few of the benefits of having a consistent long run habit. Keep in mind that many of these pros will translate over to distances such as the 5k and 10k as well!

Long runs will…

improve aerobic fitness and fuel utilization (nerdy physiology stuff)
enhance muscular endurance and overall running economy
provide ample space to practice nutrition
increase time on feet to adjust to race-day demands
help you hit your weekly mileage that much easier
build mental resilience
…and much, much more!

If you’ve been hesitant about whether you need to add this workout to your week, just know that you won’t be the best runner you can be until you do. It’s that simple. It doesn’t matter if you’re an elite athlete or a novice who’s just starting to ramp things up. The long run is for everybody!

Before we get into my ten practical tips, I want to clarify what a long run is. While there’s no official definition, I like to summarize it as an effort that’s at least an hour in length and stands out as your longest workout of the week by a decent margin.

While this may look like 7 miles for a novice or 24 miles for an elite runner, the point is that you’re focused on pushing your endurance to become more injury and fatigue-resistant throughout longer races. As with your overall volume, please don’t make a jump of more than 10% from week to week for this specific workout.

Now that we have a decent idea of what the long run is and why it’s important, let’s get into how you can mold it to fit your needs and make it, dare I say, fun! Without further ado, here are my top 10 favorite types of long runs. There are no right or wrong answers here so my best advice is to try a variety of these workouts, find a few that work for you, and cycle through them during your training block. Ultimately, the ones that you’ll adhere to the best will be the correct choices!

1) Long, slow distance

This is the long run variation that most people think of when they hear others talking about their Sunday morning workouts. The focus here is to keep the heart rate down (120–135 bpm ballpark) and be relaxed the whole way. If you don’t have a heart rate monitor, think about running at a pace where you could still easily have a conversation with a friend. This is a fantastic opportunity to work on form and build the aerobic base that will carry you through whatever distance you’re challenging.

2) Long, steady effort

Now we’re taking things up a notch. While ‘steady’ is a bit of a vague word, just think about a pace where you could talk to a friend, but it’d be tough to get more than a few words out at a time. You’re not out of control by any means, but the heart rate is starting to creep into the mid-140s or even low 150s and you have to be intentional about controlling your breathing and form. This is a fantastic way to get into a similar cadence to that of your race pace for a longer period without having to exhaust yourself. It can also help push your lactate threshold further along!

3) Progression long run

This is a run in which you gradually increase your pace as the run goes on. To provide a completely random example, you could start with 8:30min/mile for the first 6 miles, 8:00min/mile for the next 6 miles, and then 7:30min/mile for the last 6 miles. This can be a rigid shift as seen with this example, or it can be a much more gradual progression that spices up after every mile. This is one of my favorites as I can get properly warmed up within the workout and feel mentally stimulated the whole way through!

4) Interval-based long run

If you’re looking to combine a speed-based workout with a long run, this is for you! Just keep in mind this one is probably best suited for slightly more experienced runners. While there is a huge variety of possibilities here, a couple of common ones are doing things like 2–3x 10k or 5x5k at a quicker tempo with a 1–2 mile float in the middle where your pace drops to a slower jog. Like I said the options for this one are near limitless, but at least you get the idea.

5) Fartlek long run

A fartlek run is a session based on random bursts of speed. A common way to approach this is to use markers in your environment (traffic poles, hills, landmarks) to guide how you pick up and slow down the pace. This can help you during a race when you're putting in a surge while trying to break a fellow competitor or catch up to a group in front of you. Sometimes keeping it random can help you become more versatile and robust as a runner!

6) Time-based long run

This one is as simple as it gets. Set out to get a certain amount of aerobic time done and go do it. This can range from one hour to three…or more depending on your distance and discipline. My favorite is to go out there and do an hour and a half. This is a great stress-free way to get a good amount of time on your feet and build that aerobic engine even further!

7) There and back (negative splint) long run

For this workout, you’re strategically selecting a there and back course to encourage yourself to pace wisely on the way there and pick it up a bit on the way back. This is called negative splitting and can be a great strategy for race day as you focus on conserving your energy in the earlier stages and saving room for a surge near the end.

8) Marathon-specific long run

This is a long run where you have blocks of running at your goal marathon race pace within the greater workout. It could be as little as 1-mile intervals with active recovery, or as long as 13–18 miles constant. Just make sure you leave plenty of room for an ample warm-up and cool-down with this one!

9) Hilly/trail-based long run

A clever way to add variety to your long runs is to mix up the terrain you’re training on! Why not attack a hilly, gravel road or challenge your hand at some trail running? Not only with this expose you to a stimulus that’ll likely be harder than race day (unless you’re doing ultras), but it’s fantastic both mentally and physically as you switch up your environment and get your joints and muscles working in slightly different ways.

10) Intuitive long run

This last one is near and dear to my heart! This is all about forgetting the watch and just getting out there. Instead of constantly checking in on your data, you’re listening to your breathing and being in tune with how your body is feeling. This is such an underrated skill for when your tech fails you during a race and you still need to keep a consistent pace. In the bigger picture, it can also help you stay sane as a runner as you ditch any session-related goals and just get out there and enjoy a good old-fashioned run.

In Closing,

There you have it! If you thought long runs were void of variety or purpose, think again. It’s the very workout that will take you further and faster than you’ve ever gone before. Now all that’s left for you to do is strategically build a long-run style that works for your current fitness and lifestyle. If you can stick to this like glue, there’s no saying just how high your potential can be!

You got this.

-DavidLiira.Kin

David Liira