How to do long runs and what it’s for.

Hi do you do a long run?

First of all, what is long run?

I mean, everybody knows that long runs are running long, but my question is how long?

My answer is, if you feel it is long, then it is a long run. Or, if you run more than usual, for example, if you run 70km a week regularly, then the average is 10km a day, then if you run 15km, it is a long run based on my definition.

Today, I want to explain you what is the benefit of long runs and how to do it.

The simple benefit of long runs is completely same with moderate runs and easy runs. Very simply, if you do longer easy runs or moderate runs, you can get more benefits.

In other words, your mitochondria improve, the dense of capillaries increases, your bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments get more resistant (less likely get fatigue and injured), your heart muscle gets stronger, your running style gets more economical and your mind is more able to focus on running in longer time.

There is nothing special. Basically, I recommend people to increase the frequency of running first because it has less risks and gets more benefits than running long with less frequency.

However, it is good to run long in one training session sometimes. Exactly speaking, once a week or two weeks. It’s important to give your body various training stimulus and long runs are just one training stimulus.

However, roughly speaking, there are two types of long runs.

First type of long run is not intense, it is general training, in other words, basic training. You do this type of long runs to build your solid base, in other words, to improve your basic endurance, to have a body which is less likely to get injured or tired and able to recover faster.

A legend coach named Arthur Lydiard who trained Olympic medalists (as far as I know 5 medalists but probably more) gave his middle distance runners 22 mile (app 35km) runs on every weekend during the fundamental period.

By doing this workout, his athletes were able to recover quicker in anaerobic training period. For example, one of his athlete named Peter Snell who won two gold medals in 800m and 1500m at the Tokyo Olympic game in 1964 did 20 times 400m with 400m jogging recovery at his 1500m race pace 58 seconds.

Usually, runners cannot do 20 times 400m at his or her 1500m race pace. If you do that, you would get tired too much and you cannot improve. Your body does not adapt to that training stimulus.

But Snell ran 250km a week and did 22 mile long runs once a week regularly during his fundamental period. So, he was able to recover faster and because of that his body adapted to these very intense workouts.

And considering his 1500m and 800m personal best time, his long runs were slow. It was approximately 4:20-4:00 per kilometer.

Let’s make a simple math.

His 1500m personal best time was 3:37, in other words, 2:25 per kilometer pace. So, approximately, 90 seconds per kilometer slower than his 1500m race pace.

Then if your 1500m ability is 6 minutes sharp, in other words, 4 minutes per kilometer pace, then you run 2 hours and a half at 5:30 per kilometer pace. Maybe, you feel hard because you need to run long. But the pace itself should feel easy enough.

These types of long runs are just general training (basic training), in other words, it is not special training or specific training.

If you are a track runner, long runs should never be fast pace because it is not your main workouts. You do long runs to build your solid base to do your special training or specific training well.

Again, Peter Snell won gold medals not because he ran 22 miles at easy pace, but he did 20 times 400m at 58 seconds and to do 20 times 400m at 58 seconds consistently and adapt to that training stimulus, he needed to get less fatigue and recover faster and his long runs helped him to get less fatigue and recover faster.

Basically, I recommend amateur runners to do long runs not at easy pace but at moderate pace. But the purpose and how it works is basically same.

So, if I train Peter Snell, I ask him to run 25km 3:30 per kilometer instead of running 35km 4:10 per kilometer pace.

Or, maybe 10 months before his target race, I ask him to run 35km at 4:10/k, 8 moths before his target race 30km at 3:50/k and 6 months before the race 25km at 3:30/k. If you get used to running long with slower pace, your body and mind are more ready to run shorter and faster.

Anyway, even though there is a small difference between coaches and athletes, basic idea is completely same. There are not many differences.

The basic idea is running long without using anaerobic metabolism. That’s it.

While for half marathoners and marathoners, long runs can be special training or specific training, in other words, it is main workouts.

Very often track runners do tempo runs. For example, for 5000m runners 8-10km tempo runs and for 10000m runners 12-16km tempo runs to get more specific endurance (speed endurance).

For the completely same purpose, half marathoners do 20-30km tempo runs and marathoners do 30-45km tempo runs. It plays a completely same role with 8-10km tempo runs for 5,000m runners and 12-16km tempo runs for 10,000m runners.

However, if your body and mind do not get used to run these distances, you should never try to run fast. Your body and mind need to get used to cover the distance first and then you can try to run faster.

So, often marathoners do 40-45km runs with moderate effort or a little easy effort first and then they do 30-45km at faster pace.

For example, some top marathoners do 40-45km runs at approximately 80% their marathon race paces and then they go for 30-40km at 90-95% of their marathon race pace.

Or, in Japan there are many good Ekiden runners. Most of male university runners’ target distance approximately half marathon (some sessions 20.8km and some sessions 23km). So, they are used to run 30km in training during their college days. They repeat doing 30km runs and sometimes 40km at easier pace.

So, their bodies are used to run long.

Once they graduate their universities and become a professional runner, they are already ready to go for fast long runs.

You can take a step from this year to the next year to the next year to the next year. You need to be patient to be successful in half marathon and full marathon.

I was also suffering from running half marathon distance in the beginning. I already did 30km or longer than 30km long runs during in my high school days.

However, I never did fast long runs. So, when I became an university student, I was suffering from the half marathon distance, not the pace. My breath was still OK, I felt I still had some reserves, but after 15km my legs were so heavy and painful, I could not keep the same pace nevertheless my breath and heart were still OK. I was done.

To overcome that situation, I did fast 20km long runs regularly and finally I overcame that situation and boom! I ran half marathon 63:09. And also, before I went for fast 20km long runs, I did many 24-30km runs at slower pace.

Long runs as general training (basic training), you should not use anaerobic metabolism at all, in other words, your breath should be calm, you should not hear your own breathing. Also, you should not feel hard. Probably you should feel hard because you run long, but you should never feel hard about the pace.

While at fast long runs, you probably use a little anaerobic metabolism. You hear the sound of your breath a little, you feel a little hard about the pace and your heart rate is higher than 80% of your maximal heart rate, for example if your maximal heart rate is 180 times a minute, then it is higher than 144.

In marathon, you will never reach your potential with only 80km a week training, probably you need to run around 200km a week to reach your potential.

However, most amateur runners I coach and run full marathon under three hours run only around 70km a week. In the beginning, I was surprised, how they improve marathon time with very few training. The first thing I did when I had a dream to be a marathoner was running 1,000km a month, in other words, 240km a week.

Then I just figured out, if you do fast long runs regularly, you do need to increase mileage up to 200km a week to run marathon under 2:40. 70-100km a week is enough. Some amateur runners even run under 2:30 with only 80km a week training. For me it is unbelievable. But they did it under my coaching.

What is the maximal distance of long runs?

Based on my experience as a coach and an athlete, 30km is the maximum for track runners, also 30km is the maximum for half marathoners and 45km is the maximum for marathoners. The reason is very simple, if you try to run long without getting tired too much, you need to run slower. However, too slow running does not give your body enough training stimulus.

You need to run somehow long and somehow fast. And based on my experience as a coach and an athlete, 30km for track runners and half marathoners and 45km for marathoners is the above limit of the sweet spot. Less than that is always OK. You need to listen to your body and take a small step.

Also, 25km for half marathoners and 40km for marathoners are OK and 20km for half marathoners and 30km for marathoners are the minimum as long runs.

However, historically speaking, many top runners ran longer than 45km. How long did they run?

As far as I know, the longest distance is 120km. And also, some athletes ran 100km. They are not novices. They ran marathon under 2:10.

However, comparing runners who ran longer than 50km in training and runners who ran 30-45km in training, there is no significant difference. I think the reason is what I told you. If you try to run long without getting tired too much, you need to run slower and too slow running does not give your body enough training stimulus.

In the end of the day, we compete how fast we are able to run, not how long we are able to run. I think that is the reason why there is no significant difference between runners who ran longer than 50km in training and runners who ran only 30-45km in training.

However, one thing I cannot deny is that if you run 60km in training, you feel that running 42.195km is short. This is absolutely what I cannot deny. So, I call it mentalization. Maybe you get no big benefit from running 60km physically, but you’ll get some benefits from running 60km mentally.

So, if you want to try it, I will not stop you although I usually do not recommend it to amateur runners who I coach. The reason why I do not recommend them it is also very simple. If I put a 60km long run into a regular marathon training schedule, not many people follow me and listen to me. That’s why I do not recommend them something unnecessary.

Also, as the CEO of my company, I usually do not make unnecessary orders to my subordinates because if I often make unnecessary orders to my subordinates, sooner or later, they do not follow my instructions seriously when it is necessary.

But some amateur runners go for 60, 70,80 even 100km run because if they do it, they can stay away from their wives the whole day on every Sunday. This is a big benefit for some amateur runners.

While some amateur runners do only 30km long runs on every weekend because this is the minimal distance for running marathon under 3 hours, and as soon as they complete the minimum distance they need to do to achieve their goals, they want to go back to their wives and children.

This is one of the biggest reasons why training should be individual. There is no perfect training schedule for everybody.

Anyway, I think that you already understand what is long runs and what for you do it. I hope this article helps you a lot.

Lastly, if you want to run a half marathon sub 90 minutes, I have something good for you, so please keep reading through to the end. If you don’t, please read other blog posts, they would help you too.

Now, I wrote 12 weeks training program for half marathon sub 90 minutes for an amateur runner. If you want to run half marathon sub 90 minutes in an effective way, already run 200-300km a month (50-80km a week), and coach yourself (creating your training plan by yourself) and willing to pay as much as two cups of Starbucks coffee (5 USD ) for an effective training, this program is perfect fit for you.

Let me tell you why and what it is.

I have coached hundreds of amateur runners to help them to run half marathon sub 90 minutes, marathon sub 3 hours, 2:50 etc to achieve that and they really achieved that. From my experience, I know how a typical training program looks like for running half marathon sub 90 minutes. So, I want to share it with you.

Once you know how a typical training program looks like, you know which direction you need to go and approximately how hard you need to train so that you don’t train too hard for your goal. Also, you don’t do unnecessary things and know what kind of workouts you need to put on your whole training program, so that you can go for a shortcut.

Also, I explained the terminology in this 12 weeks training program, in other words, I explain what supplemental speed workouts are, what tempo runs are, what test races are, so you do not get lost and understand what I mean. And once you know the concept of each workout, you can think about your training more by yourself.

One of the goal of long distance running and marathon is creating the best training plan for yourself and you get one step closer to it.

A lot of runners who got this program knew which direction they needed to go without getting lost or thinking so much. So, their thought got clearer and were able to focus on their training more. So, they just went for half marathon sub 90 minutes straightforward.

Of course, sometimes they wanted to consider some things. Then they go back to this 12 weeks training program and then their thought got clear again and go back to their training with 100% focus. Literally, they went to the fastest way to half marathon sub 90 minutes.

Getting started is very very easy. You just choose your payment method from a credit card, Paypal, Apple pay, Google pay and Alipay, type your name and your e-mail address which I am going to send the program to. It takes only 5 minutes and you’ll get the 12 weeks training program by an automation e-mail.

So, literally you’ll get the 12 weeks training program in 10 minutes from now. And one hour later or one day later, you will already appreciate your decision and motivated so much to go for running every day.

The only problem you’ll have is that I didn’t start coaching in English 3 years ago and you started then. Does that sound fair enough?

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Do you want to think about it more?

I totally understand how you feel because many runners said ‘Let me think about it more’ before I started coaching them even though now they appreciate my coaching so much and some of them call me ‘master’.

Now, let me ask you a question. Does the idea make sense to you?

This 12 weeks training program sounds good to you?

If not, probably this training program is not for you. Please close this page and I will try to write something for you next time.

While if that sounds good to you so far, let me say ‘You are a smart person who knows the value of this program’.

The true beauty of this program is, not only giving you 12 weeks training program but also explaining what you understand before you start this program. I explain also the idea of periodization and test races. So, you will know the right process to half marathon sub 90 minutes, first you do this, second you do this, third you do this and on and on.

Imagine the recipe of Sushi. Even the materials are same, if you change the order of procedures, a completely different thing is made. You don’t know what Sushi is?

Oh my god, OK, imagine how to cook a scramble egg. What if you put egg into a frying pan before cracking the egg?

Or what if you ask an woman to marry you before asking her a date?

Changing the right order of procedures makes a wrong result even if you do all necessary things.

Training is same.

Not only understanding what you need to do but also the right order of what you need to do is so much important. And you’ll know the right order that most people don’t know if you buy this program.

Let me ask you another honest question. Are you comfortable with me right now?

I mean, I have 10,000 customers only in the last 5 years in Japan and have never met most of them. So, in the beginning they were uncomfortable with me for only one reason that they have never met me in face to face even though most of them respect me and trust me so much now and some of them call me 'master' just like I told you.

And I totally understand that feeling too.

So, let me introduce me a bit. I’m Ikegami Hideyuki and have been running daily since I was 12 years old. My seeking was running as long as possible with 3 minutes per kilometer pace. When I was 14 years old, I ran 3,000m under 9 minutes, I ran 5,000m under 15 minutes at the age of 15, I ran 8.5km under 25:30 at the age of 18 and ran 10,000m race under 30 minutes at the age of 18, I ran half marathon 63:09 at the age of 19. And then unfortunately 30km 1:31 and full marathon 2:13 are my personal best time in my life so far. I have never sustained 3 minutes per kilometer pace until 30km. My dream is sustaining that pace until 42.195km and still chasing it.

On this way, I have read hundreds books about running which were written in Japanese, English and German and heard hundreds top coaches and athletes all over the world including Japanese, German, English, Norwegian, Kenyan, Austrian, Australian, French etc. Some of them ran under 2:10 for male runners and under 2:25 for female.

The fastest guy I talked with daily was 2:06 male marathoner and 2:18 female marathoner even though we did not always talk about running or training but also family, friend, love, job, education though.

After 18 years old, mostly I trained alone. So, I knew I was able to help amateur runners who trained alone or coached themselves. I made my company Well-being Ltd 5 years ago with no capital investment with my goal ‘Helping 10,000 amateur runners to achieve their goals, dreams and solve their problems’. And I already did it with Japanese amateur runners.

So, I made a decision to do the same thing in English.

Additionally, I hired 5 employees who are still running or were running in the past. Three male employees ran full marathon around 2:30 with my coaching and two female runners ran 1,500m under 4:30 and 3000m around 9:30 without my coaching.

Plus, the vice president of my company who ran full marathon 2:29 trained junior high school students now and one of them became a junior high school champion with the time 1,000m 2:30. Now he is 16 years old and already ran 1,500m 3:52 and 5000m 14:22.

As long as my company goes, we support you too if you commit yourself. Remember, this is not the end, but the beginning of our relationship. Finally, you found a person who teaches you the right information about running.

Now, what if my product does not help you at all and you are not satisfied with my product?

In that case, I will give you money back without any hesitation. Let me honest with you. Approximately, 0.3% of my customers are not satisfied with my product for some reasons and in that case I always paid all money back to them because I’m proud of my coaching. If I help runners, I get paid without hesitation and if I do not help runners, I pay them back without any hesitation too.

However, the simple truth is that more than 10,000 amateur runners are satisfied with me in the last 5 years and the next is your turn.

The only problem you’ll have is that I started this business in 3 years ago and you started then. Sounds fair enough?

Getting the fast ticket to half marathon sub 90 minutes now!