Phily Bowden just did a video about how long your longest run should be and I think she said like 80% of the distance or something? which is more realistic for us slow people because 3 hours is def way too short
@29s16 the race distance presumably. But that'll be too long for long ultras. Like nobody really does an 80k training run for a 100k race, so it depends 😊
For the ultra you are doing which is pretty flat and well supported by the race company.. I ran up to 22 miles beforehand as my longest run but for me I find as long as I have slightly more than the race distance in my weekly mileage.. Back to backs are good (IMHO) so half M followed by half M next day.... Lots of hills in training is nice for this one as you will be hill strong without having to tackle any nasty ones on the day which is a psychological win... We are all different and it's important to tailor your chosen plan to fit in with your needs.. Flexibility and common sense... There are not many absolutes apart from nothing new on race day and taper properly and being safe in the knowledge that your body is strong enough to keep going x
When I was training for the London marathon I had many long runs where I ran to a local park run did the park run and ran back. Chunking it up is such a great way to get it done. I went by distance rather than time on feet. Regarding fuelling, when I ran London, I had porridge a good four hours before I started running, followed by a peanut butter bagel and a banana in the start pen and then had a combination of gels, chews and salty diluted squash throughout instead of plain water. My 30km run was an education. I really want to get back to doing longer runs than a singular park run a week, but I’m a morning runner, and fitting work, college, F45, swimming and running into my life is a challenge at the moment.
Fellow slow runner here, I also did some research into this 3 hour thing. It seems it originated from coaches who coach elite runners likley to be running a 3 hour marathon. It was my conclusion that it doesnt apply to us. However equally because it would take me SO long to do a 20 miler I opted for 18 instead for this block (training for a marathon). Thanks for the video, nice to know there are other ppl getting up at stupid o clock on the weekend too for these things!
I had the same questions about the "3hr rule". My research found that this originated from much faster runners. Running faster obviously puts far more stress on the body, but the opposite is also true. Slower running or run/walk stresses the body less, so your long run can and should be longer. However, the idea of it being 75% of your goal distance isn't necessarily correct either. That might be ok for a 50k but are you really going to attempt a 75 mile training run for a 100m ultra. Nope!. I never got a definitive long run distance for a 50k, but to my mind 35k - 40k seems about right. The most important thing is to do what feels right for you. You seemed uncomfortably comfortable with the 38k, so it was right for you. Well done. Awesome result. And kudos for the salt and vinegar God tier!
slow runner here (5:30 marathon). i just heard this whole 3-hour thing for the first time last night, and it was news to me! like you said, if i capped my long runs at 3 hours, i'd only be hitting a half-marthon, or a bit more...and the reality is that i'm going to be on my feet for twice that long on marathon day. seems a bit silly to me, but i also do a lot of backpacking/mountaineering where it's not uncommon to spend 8-15 hours on your feet with a weighted pack, going up and down steep terrain. so the idea that more than 3 hours of easy jogging on a paved surface is somehow dangerous just doesn't really compute. (and i know that people are also like, 'well if you're slow, then break it into 2 days. do 3 hours sat, then 2 hours sunday. but my running plan *already* has sunday runs. it will be something like 18 miles saturday, then another 6 miles sunday, so.....)
I agree I think as long as you’re building up mileage gradually and ensuring we get enough rest, it should be fine to push over 3 hours! My longest run for marathon training was just over 4 hours and I felt good going into the marathon knowing that I only had to push that little bit further to complete it, it didn’t feel like such a crazy distance on the day.
Good job, Emily! We share the same feeling of having to eat something non vegan because theres no other option. Literally had to do the same while traveling. Trying not to put so much pressure on myself!
It's like every nation has its weird food combo, for the UK it's definitely the sandwiches and crisps combo, lol. I remember eating it for the first time while I was a poor acting student in London and it was sooooo strange but soooo goood at the same time. 😂😂😂
Cannot deal with the mini cheddar and nik nak slander 😭 putting them so low and skips so high is CRAZY to me ahahaha. But hey, to each their own! ... Now I want a crisp sandwich. Also well done on the distance! Super impressive, you're killing it!
I think back to back long runs are a good alternative to a very long training run, gets you used to running on tired legs. The second run doesn't need to be as long as the first.
