Long Run for the Half and Full Marathon (Part 2)

On an earlier post, I talked about integrating faster work within the long run. Several people reached out and asked about the length of long runs, how many, and volume of intensity within a long run

How many long runs:

• For marathon, I like to program a minimum of 4 runs in the 32 to 36km range. If someone needs to build their aerobic capacity, this may be increased to 6.

• For half marathon, I like to program a minimum of 4 runs in the 23 to 28km range. If someone needs to build their aerobic capacity, this may be increased to 6.

How many runs with intensity and how much intensity:

• 4 runs with intensity is my preference for a marathon or half marathon build. These are built up with each run. For the marathon, the maximum distance of built in intensity within the long run is 25km, and for the half marathon 10 to 12km. Again, this depends on the athlete but this is a pretty good general guideline.

• Programmed every 2 to 3 weeks. Depends on the how long the training cycle is.

Type of Intensity within the Long Run:

• Marathon- marathon pace and faster pace work

• Half marathon – half marathon and faster pace work.

• Generally, I like to break these into segments. Marathon- 3km up to 10km segments. Half marathon- 1km up to 5km segments.

• Here are some long run inserts I recently built into programs of runners with years of running with me.

Marathon Specific:

• Within a 30 km long run, usually after running for 60 to 75 minutes, 8x 90 seconds at 10 mile to half marathon effort with 4 to 5 minutes at MP.

• Within a 30 to 32 km run, 2x (6 to 8km at MP/ 2 min easy/ 2 km HMP/ 3 min easy).

Half Marathon Specific:

• With a 22 to 25 km run, 3k at HMP, 2k at HMP, 2x 1 km at 10km pace with 3 minutes easy between all.

• Within a 22 to 25 km run, 3x 3km run progressively for each km. Starting at HMP and descending down to 10km effort for the last Km. 3 to 5 minutes easy running between.

Alternations

I use this type of workout in marathon and half marathon builds extensively. These are also effective at other distances. What changes is the specificity of the pace varying to the distance we are training for.

Why and how:

• Alternations improve our ability to handle lactate.

• We vary the pace so that it is slightly faster than lactate threshold and slightly slower.

• The benefits of this type of training comes from the work done at the slightly slower than lactate threshold. The work we do above lactate threshold causes our blood lactate to rise. When we transition to the slower pace, we are teaching the body to clear the lactate.

Examples:

Marathon training

• Early block: 8 to 12 km continuous as 1000m at slightly faster than LT - near 10km effort, RPE 7.5 to 8 / 1000m at MP, RPE 5 to 6

• Later block: 2 to 4 sets of 3000m at MP, RPE 5 to 6 or slightly faster / 1000m at 10 seconds slower than MP.

Advice:

• Pushing the pace defeats the purpose of the workout and can lead to the slower sections becoming too slow.

• Rhythm runners or those with a strong aerobic engines tend to do well in executing these sessions.

• Runners used to pushing out fast intervals with decent recovery tend to struggle with these sessions.

• Integrate alternations into your training plan every three to four weeks.

• Stick to about 10% of your weekly distance for alternation volume in a session.