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Should you Run Longer than your Race Distance?
Good morning!
This week: Running all easy Runs at the same pace can cause issues, should you train longer than your race distance? and running form.
NEW this week. Starting this week, you will find a new section called Fast News, where you will find links to interesting stuff we read over the week.
Happy running, đ
EASY RUNS
Running all Easy Runs at the Same Pace can Cause Issues
Some runners have an easy pace in mind and they aim to hit that pace for all of their scheduled easy runs. There are 2 reasons you should avoid doing this!
1. Running the same pace for most of your runs can actually ramp up your injury risk.
You should have an easy pace range, not an exact pace. The VDOT app can help you figure this out! (We discussed this on our podcast here). For example, try plugging in a 5km race time of 25 minutes. Youâll see if this is your time. Your easy pace training range should be between 6:17 and 6:55 mins/km or 10:07-11:07 mins/mile.
2. Easy runs should go by feel, not an exact pace.
Every runner knows some runs just go better than others. Your pace may feel more challenging if you have a bad night's sleep, youâve been eating poorly, drinking a lot of alcohol, or youâve been under a lot of stress. Also, if the footing is poor or conditions are not ideal (too hot/too cold), your easy pace can and should be slower than normal.
Sometimes instead of focusing on pace, you should just make sure your run feels comfortable/controlled and that you can carry on a conversation with no problem.
Not running with anyone? Try closing your mouth and breathing through your nose 10 times to see if you can. If you're too winded to do this you're probably going too hard!
Easy runs are a very important aspect of every training program so you want to make sure you are doing them correctly!
LONG RUNS
Should you Run Longer than your Race Distance in Training?
Depending on your running experience and which race youâve signed up for, you may run well past your race distance in your training.
Letâs start with the 5km:
A new runner training for their first 5km may do a couch to 5km program where they don't actually run 5km until race day.
A more experienced runner may go up to 8-10km so they feel really confident they can finish 5km come race day.
A very experienced runner may run 16km long runs (or more) in their training. Why? Because the longer runs will make them more aerobically fit!
What about a Half Marathon?
Again your long run depends on experience and how long your training block is. A runner doing their first half marathon may only get up to 18km. With a good taper and all the race day vibes, they can get those last 3km done on race day. A more experienced runner may go up to 25km or more for their long run. The half distance relies heavily on aerobic fitness so it makes sense to increase the long run past 21.1km in some cases.
What about a Full Marathon?
Now, this is the one time you rarely see someone going beyond the race distance in training. Running more than 3 hours for a long run seriously ramps up injury risk. And a lot of time is needed to recover from an extremely long run like this. Therefore runners rarely will do anywhere near 42km for marathon training!
Keep these tips in mind when deciding on your next training program. Your experience will play a big factor in what kind of volume you should be aiming for!
So, the answer is, NO. You don't need to train longer than your race distance to have a succesful race, but, the longer you train, the better results you will get.
PODCAST
The Truth About Running Form: Debunking Myths and Misconceptions
In this episode, we'll be discussing running form. Many runners believe that perfecting their form is the key to improving their speed and reducing their risk of injury, but is that really the case?
We'll explore the common mistakes runners make with their form, such as overstriding, heel striking, and slouching, and how these mistakes can impact their running performance and injury rate. We'll also discuss the benefits of proper running form.
However, we'll also touch on the idea that perfect form alone may not be the key to unlocking your full potential as a runner. Instead, we'll argue that running economy, which refers to how efficiently your body uses oxygen while running, may be a more important aspect to focus on. We'll explain how you can improve your running economy.
Tune in to this episode to learn how to improve your running form and economy and become a stronger, more efficient runner.
Listen today!!!
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