Week 9 Long Run PSA
"3 HOURS OR 15 TO 18 MILES (WHICHEVER COMES FIRST)"
Note the above instructions in this week's long run. Here's how to break it down: if your LRP is 10 min/mi or faster, there is NO NEED to run more than 2.5 hours, or 15 miles. And if your LRP is 8:20 or faster, THERE IS NO NEED to run more than 18 miles. You may choose to run up to 2.5 (if you are faster than 8:20) - 3 hrs (if you close to 10:00), but IMO, all this does is wear you out for the upcoming week's workouts, as well as aggravate any nagging little lower extremity problems you may be working thru, especially considering the further instructions to run the latter part of this wko @ a faster pace.
If you are a 12 min/mi LRP or slower, than 3 hours is ALL YOU NEED to be ready for the extended running you'll be doing Nov 16th. Please trust the wisdom of the coaches and years of experience on the team that this WILL work on race day for you.
The people who are between 10:00 and 12:00 have the toughest choices to deal with. It's a fine balancing act between getting in the work you need and putting future work at risk. Again, just my opinion, but in long runs beyond about 2 hours, additional work starts to be a negative downstream. Don't leave your race out on the road during training.
The coaches have tweaked these runs annually, trying to get the best balance, especially for the faster and slower runners. The folks in the middle, as I said, have the hardest choices to make, based on your current fatigue, history of injury potential, and knowledge of how the long runs have gone for your over the past 6 weeks or so.
Comments
Thanks for your PSA, Al! I was planning to do an 18 mile run. My Z1 pace is around 9:40/mi. Based on your guidance, I'll shoot for about 16 miles, which should take just under 2:30.