Great advice as there seems to be so much contradictory advice around the area of long runs. I did a metric variation of your last interval long run 10 x 2km at marathon pace with a 1km float and 2km warmup and cooldown.
Fantastic! I have added this to my bookmark for next race i will be doing (still undecided). Your workouts are intense but thank you for detailing them. The mile on mile off workout sounds brutal and maybe i can start with smaller numbers. Thanks again, Andy! 👍👍
So funny, I came to the same realization - making long runs more “uptempo”-like than easy helped a lot… in fact, after my first longer run at a harder pace than “easy” I felt an exhilaration that gave me true confidence to race!
Great suggestions Andy, can't wait to get 100% over this injury and hit some Marathon workouts ready for Newport 🤞 A particular session I remember last year for London was: Wu, 3x15mins MP-10s with a 3min steady recovery followed by... 10x1min@10k on the track off of 30s, legs like jelly 😁
If you are running on mixed terrain you might like to consider training with power, such as a Stryd foot pod. All my runs here in Dorset include steep hills. It always surprises me how much extra effort I automatically make on the uphills - because it feels so slow I suppose. Running with a power meter helps you to gauge your effort and you don’t feel so depressed when you run slowly on a hilly course!
Agree, I’m in North Wales and Stryd is really helpful in focusing on power as opposed to pace. Surprising how much extra Power you use uphill. Giving the training plans ago, as enjoying the structure
I’ll be honest I’ve always been very adverse to technology and running, I begrudge wearing my watch at the best of times but I’ve seen so many people lately have great success training by power and it’s got me curious .....
I think some people go up to 16 miles at M pace, I’ve tried it once or twice but I find I’m totally wiped out and as I only do 50/60 miles a week that sort of effort is a bit too much for me! If I did more like 80/90 mile weeks then maybe I’d extend but not now!
@@TheFODRunner yea hope so back on the good nutrition so hopefully be lighter by then which will help massively, keep up the good vids and see you in newent
Great video! You might consider doing fartlek in the long run, bit like your mile workout, but with minutes. One minute faster , slower on and off and average mp , or just below. 20 x 1 min. Kenyans do it a lot. Or mix things up with diff paces , mp , hmp. 10 k. Anoter favorite is to run a hm race at mp, build into it. ( 10 k race 10 miler in mp) In a race the tempo is easier then in training. Or do a 10 or a5 k race at treshold pace. Lots of great fun out there ( if we only had races )
Wow fantastic suggestions there! Thanks for sharing! I love to do fartlek workouts midweek on rolling trails but I tend not to do them in the long run, maybe I should try that!
@@TheFODRunner sure, those little surges of a minute, not overdo it. Find a combination, of steady, easy, progressive, marathonblocks, treshold and mix paces. It can wear you out , take enough recovery days in between, but the long run is the bread and butter of marathontraining. I certainly love it
Great video of tips and tricks mate. Having just done the NYC Marathon Virtua today; and already thinking about my NEXT one LOL as we do. These I may just tap into! Thanks my man! You are always such an inspiration man!
Some good thoughts there. For me I think regular “time on feet” long runs, marathon pace runs, intervals where go quicker than MP and lots of easy miles are key. So you have pretty much all that in there. I perhaps haven’t really overly explored combining too much marathon specific work in my longest runs as always bit mindful that any really long run needs a bit of recovery time and I recall you do like to have some very easy days and complete rest days whereas I find it “hard” to take a day as then feel need to run yet more to make up. Perhaps sometimes I have been guilty of not taking enough rest and so doing my long runs on very tired legs and then can’t do them overly quick. It helps mentally but maybe not the most efficient way of doing it. I will think about that if and when do another marathon. TBH until know the big ones are on again, think will stick to shorter stuff. How “long” do you like to go? I usually like to do at least one actual marathon distance run in training as find that helps my confidence that I can last the course but it is not normally something you see in those training plans in magazines!
Awesome mate, yes I think I have an extra rest day in the middle just to let the body absorb the training, one day I’ll go up to 6 days though 🤷♂️ 2 1/2 hours is my sweet spot, over 3 hours regularly can be detrimental and I find even if I get to 2 3/4 hours regularly week after week, which I have done before, the fatigue is much greater
Oh yes definitely, all of these apply to a half, I just to top out at 16 miles for half marathon training long runs and do all of these in a “scaled down” format 👌
Great recommendations...will definitely give the negative three week out race ready plan a go... I haven't done this style before so it seems very adaptive to a marathon...
Awesome tips mate 👍 I can see how those structured long runs would help develop speed endurance for a marathon. Also gives you a bit of variety, easy long runs get pretty boring when they're 20+miles
We are lucky where we live that easy long runs are stunning with the 🌳 🌲 but I prefer adding a bit of spice to them and just make them a bit more of a challenge!
@@TheFODRunner yeah the undulating trails you run on look really nice. Adelaide is amazing for cycling and still pretty good for running just have to mix up the routes to keep the mind fresh
If I can get through this workout feeling strong I know I'm ready for a road marathon: 20 miles of easy pace with 6x2 minute surges at 1/2 marathon pace right in the middle.
Thanks for those long run workouts; really useful. I've been wondering how to enhance my long runs from predominantly easy paced efforts. Can I just ask: how do you combine a long run workout with workouts during the week? Do you do just one workout during the week leading up to a long run with a workout? Or would you do two with the long run being the third harder effort of the week? Thanks
Awesome, glad you found it useful. So at the beginning of my marathon training block I’ll do “lighter” long run workouts and so I’ll still do my Tuesday and Thursday sessions at well but probably 6 weeks out down to the final big 3 weeks out I’ll just do one midweek session and do a really hard long run effort 👌
In the mid 80's I would run till I got hungry then continued a mile or two after. Week by week my mileage increased and so did my stamina. When I hit the wall at 22 miles for my first marathon it was like I had been there done that so many times it felt normal but hard. I guess this was my body switching over to burning fat for energy. Doing the build up period it started at 12 miles, 6 months later it was about 18. never took gels or water back then, We called LSD!
That’s a fantastic method to go by! I bet actually after a while that gave you big confidence building up the distance week after week 👌 I do often think “I wonder how this generation of runners would cope without technology”, it would be an alien concept these days to run until you’re hungry, they’d do what the plan told them!
Welcome to the dark world of marathon running 😂 I tend to mix mine between 18/21 miles week by week depending on whether I go hilly or flat but on the whole I try to keep relatively consistent with the longer distance. But I do make sure I listen to my body so if I go into the following week after a long run feeling very tired and flat I know the next weekend I need to scale it back down to let my body rest as they can take their toll
@@TheFODRunner thanks for the quick feedback. At this stage I would like to do one a year then in between do half marathons but I want to keep the long run going through the half marathon training block so I already have the weekly mileage and just change the intensity.
I don't know about long runs for someone with lower weekly mileage? as last year I was about into 35mile weeks and weekly 13-16mile long run was absolutely too much, too damaging and too soon. I'm streaking now and trying to shoot 45mile weeks and maybe once in 14days I do long run ~16miles or 150min. and other week just 10-11mile mid-distance run. It's been working so far as successful 51km time trial in July and yesterday I had official marathon race and PBd from last year 4.12:34 to 3.53:00 but I have to give couple of minutes for Asics Novablast, just being honest 😄
Sounds like you’ve got a great routine! Personally if it was me, If you find 16 too much then get consistent with 12/13 week in week out and get comfortable and work up from there, but then I am obsessed with the long run! 😂
@@TheFODRunner I believe there's some differences with individuals but I'm sure after I will get faster and more endurant I will favour long runs ☺️ my parent's neighbour local legend he never did any long runs just hard speed play being 1500m runner 4:03,xx at age of 17 back in late 1960's at older age he did Half Marathon of 1.20:xx with longest training run being only 8miles, thought talent is different and my aerobic base is certainly my weakness and streaking with higher weekly mileage it's been helping a lot also long run is good often as possible.
Yeah not everyone does them and lots of people are successful! I just absolutely love long runs so that’s why they’ve been an integral part of my training 👌
@@TheFODRunner I love them too as doing 51km time trial all alone ☺️ loved that rising sun 🌞 but I feel I have to be careful and wise with them to not injury myself, also some people ramping their weekly mileage very quickly without sign of injuries, I guess we're all different.
How are you?! Hope you’re keeping well mate!! So yeah basically marathon pace I cap to around 12 miles but “easy” and “steady” I’ll go longer. So my recent marathon was 6:14 per mile.... so steady for me is around 6:40/7 and I’ll do that for longer then easy as well but 6:14 I won’t do for more than 12 👌
@@TheFODRunner was off for almost 7 months for a achilles injury but back at it. My 5 mile tempo runs are around 6:20 pace and when I do my long runs at around 15+miles its around 7:20 pace im not sure if my long runs are at to fast of a pace.
Sounds like a steady long run to me mate if you’re tempoing at 6:20, but that’s not a bad thing as I find the steady long runs the best for fitness! Dropping it to 7:40+ would be getting into the realms of easy
Thanks mate! Yes the ones I explained are definitely more experienced runners but everything can be scaled back and start with just a fast finish couple of miles 👌
Probably one of the best running videos on UA-cam right now 👌
Really appreciate that thank you 🙏
Great advice as there seems to be so much contradictory advice around the area of long runs. I did a metric variation of your last interval long run 10 x 2km at marathon pace with a 1km float and 2km warmup and cooldown.
Fantastic! I have added this to my bookmark for next race i will be doing (still undecided). Your workouts are intense but thank you for detailing them. The mile on mile off workout sounds brutal and maybe i can start with smaller numbers. Thanks again, Andy! 👍👍
Yes mate everything can be scaled back so pick a workout and start with less intensity then work up!
Would like to try number 5 sounds real good
So funny, I came to the same realization - making long runs more “uptempo”-like than easy helped a lot… in fact, after my first longer run at a harder pace than “easy” I felt an exhilaration that gave me true confidence to race!
Great suggestions Andy, can't wait to get 100% over this injury and hit some Marathon workouts ready for Newport 🤞
A particular session I remember last year for London was: Wu, 3x15mins MP-10s with a 3min steady recovery followed by... 10x1min@10k on the track off of 30s, legs like jelly 😁
Awesome information
If you are running on mixed terrain you might like to consider training with power, such as a Stryd foot pod. All my runs here in Dorset include steep hills. It always surprises me how much extra effort I automatically make on the uphills - because it feels so slow I suppose. Running with a power meter helps you to gauge your effort and you don’t feel so depressed when you run slowly on a hilly course!
Agree, I’m in North Wales and Stryd is really helpful in focusing on power as opposed to pace. Surprising how much extra Power you use uphill. Giving the training plans ago, as enjoying the structure
I’ll be honest I’ve always been very adverse to technology and running, I begrudge wearing my watch at the best of times but I’ve seen so many people lately have great success training by power and it’s got me curious .....
North wales = ⛰😃
Great video, Andy. I love the variety of workouts here. This is why you crushed your most recent marathon!
Thanks mate! They definitely helped for sure
Thanks Andy! I was considering to do 2 WU, 7 M, 2 E, 7 M, 2 CD. But i may limit the M pace to 12 like you say.
I think some people go up to 16 miles at M pace, I’ve tried it once or twice but I find I’m totally wiped out and as I only do 50/60 miles a week that sort of effort is a bit too much for me! If I did more like 80/90 mile weeks then maybe I’d extend but not now!
Smashed it well done, my mojo is slowly coming back had a really good run on Sunday, now trying to get fitness back ready to smash newent 9
Thats awesome sharon glad to hear its coming back, should be good for newent 9 then!
@@TheFODRunner yea hope so back on the good nutrition so hopefully be lighter by then which will help massively, keep up the good vids and see you in newent
Andy great ideas to mix into the long run. I’m going to try a couple of these. I enjoy your training tips, keep them coming!
Appreciate it mate thank you!
Great video Andy! Can’t wait to try some of this out for 2021!
Thank you!
Great video! You might consider doing fartlek in the long run, bit like your mile workout, but with minutes. One minute faster , slower on and off and average mp , or just below. 20 x 1 min. Kenyans do it a lot. Or mix things up with diff paces , mp , hmp. 10 k. Anoter favorite is to run a hm race at mp, build into it. ( 10 k race 10 miler in mp) In a race the tempo is easier then in training. Or do a 10 or a5 k race at treshold pace. Lots of great fun out there ( if we only had races )
Wow fantastic suggestions there! Thanks for sharing! I love to do fartlek workouts midweek on rolling trails but I tend not to do them in the long run, maybe I should try that!
@@TheFODRunner sure, those little surges of a minute, not overdo it. Find a combination, of steady, easy, progressive, marathonblocks, treshold and mix paces. It can wear you out , take enough recovery days in between, but the long run is the bread and butter of marathontraining. I certainly love it
Some great long run workouts, Andy! Look forward to adding them into the next training block
Thank you for watching jacqui!
That last workout sounds insane... I can't wait to try it!!
It’s a good one mate 👌
Great tips Andy! And I must say that I also like the music you put into your videos. Keep up the awesome work you're doing.
Thank you so much 🙏
Thank you very much for sharing. This a great support to organize my futur long runs 🙏
Thank you so much for watching!
Awesome contents Andy. Keep it up. Appreciate your work. Look forward to learn more from you. Love from India.
Thanks so much! Really appreciate your support!
Great video of tips and tricks mate. Having just done the NYC Marathon Virtua today; and already thinking about my NEXT one LOL as we do.
These I may just tap into! Thanks my man!
You are always such an inspiration man!
Fantastic mate well done! Well if you’re already thinking about the next one, you’ve got the bug!! Top man thank you for your support!
@@TheFODRunner haha it just makes sense 🙃 haha always buddy! Always! 🤘🏼
Great insight into marathon training I’ll Be incorporating into my marathon training in the spring 👍👏👏👏
Wicked!
Some good thoughts there. For me I think regular “time on feet” long runs, marathon pace runs, intervals where go quicker than MP and lots of easy miles are key. So you have pretty much all that in there. I perhaps haven’t really overly explored combining too much marathon specific work in my longest runs as always bit mindful that any really long run needs a bit of recovery time and I recall you do like to have some very easy days and complete rest days whereas I find it “hard” to take a day as then feel need to run yet more to make up. Perhaps sometimes I have been guilty of not taking enough rest and so doing my long runs on very tired legs and then can’t do them overly quick. It helps mentally but maybe not the most efficient way of doing it. I will think about that if and when do another marathon. TBH until know the big ones are on again, think will stick to shorter stuff. How “long” do you like to go? I usually like to do at least one actual marathon distance run in training as find that helps my confidence that I can last the course but it is not normally something you see in those training plans in magazines!
Awesome mate, yes I think I have an extra rest day in the middle just to let the body absorb the training, one day I’ll go up to 6 days though 🤷♂️ 2 1/2 hours is my sweet spot, over 3 hours regularly can be detrimental and I find even if I get to 2 3/4 hours regularly week after week, which I have done before, the fatigue is much greater
Great video Andy,, I'll never be a marathon runner, but I can see me adapting those training runs to the Half Marathon 👍
Oh yes definitely, all of these apply to a half, I just to top out at 16 miles for half marathon training long runs and do all of these in a “scaled down” format 👌
Great recommendations...will definitely give the negative three week out race ready plan a go...
I haven't done this style before so it seems very adaptive to a marathon...
Thanks 👌 yeah slots in really well and to be fair, if you’re confident with your long runs then they can slot in quite nicely
Brilliant content, thanks Andy
Thank you for watching Mark 👌
Great video, good for thought definitely.
Thanks mate 👌
Really enjoy your videos.....Thank you!
Thank you so much for watching!
Awesome tips mate 👍 I can see how those structured long runs would help develop speed endurance for a marathon. Also gives you a bit of variety, easy long runs get pretty boring when they're 20+miles
We are lucky where we live that easy long runs are stunning with the 🌳 🌲 but I prefer adding a bit of spice to them and just make them a bit more of a challenge!
@@TheFODRunner yeah the undulating trails you run on look really nice. Adelaide is amazing for cycling and still pretty good for running just have to mix up the routes to keep the mind fresh
I need to bookmark this. I need to get a grip on these long runs.
They’re great when you get into a good routine with them!
If I can get through this workout feeling strong I know I'm ready for a road marathon: 20 miles of easy pace with 6x2 minute surges at 1/2 marathon pace right in the middle.
Fantastic that sounds like a killer having to pick up to that pace half way!
Thanks for those long run workouts; really useful. I've been wondering how to enhance my long runs from predominantly easy paced efforts. Can I just ask: how do you combine a long run workout with workouts during the week? Do you do just one workout during the week leading up to a long run with a workout? Or would you do two with the long run being the third harder effort of the week? Thanks
Awesome, glad you found it useful. So at the beginning of my marathon training block I’ll do “lighter” long run workouts and so I’ll still do my Tuesday and Thursday sessions at well but probably 6 weeks out down to the final big 3 weeks out I’ll just do one midweek session and do a really hard long run effort 👌
@@TheFODRunner Thank for the really quick reply Andy. That's really helpful, and makes perfect sense too.
In the mid 80's I would run till I got hungry then continued a mile or two after. Week by week my mileage increased and so did my stamina. When I hit the wall at 22 miles for my first marathon it was like I had been there done that so many times it felt normal but hard. I guess this was my body switching over to burning fat for energy. Doing the build up period it started at 12 miles, 6 months later it was about 18. never took gels or water back then, We called LSD!
That’s a fantastic method to go by! I bet actually after a while that gave you big confidence building up the distance week after week 👌 I do often think “I wonder how this generation of runners would cope without technology”, it would be an alien concept these days to run until you’re hungry, they’d do what the plan told them!
New marathon runner here. Once you get a decent long run length do you mix up the lengths week by week or are they always the same length?
Welcome to the dark world of marathon running 😂 I tend to mix mine between 18/21 miles week by week depending on whether I go hilly or flat but on the whole I try to keep relatively consistent with the longer distance. But I do make sure I listen to my body so if I go into the following week after a long run feeling very tired and flat I know the next weekend I need to scale it back down to let my body rest as they can take their toll
@@TheFODRunner thanks for the quick feedback. At this stage I would like to do one a year then in between do half marathons but I want to keep the long run going through the half marathon training block so I already have the weekly mileage and just change the intensity.
@@alanshrimpton6787 yeah that’s exactly what I do, keep the long runs high as I found that helped my half marathons massively too 👌
I don't know about long runs for someone with lower weekly mileage? as last year I was about into 35mile weeks and weekly 13-16mile long run was absolutely too much, too damaging and too soon.
I'm streaking now and trying to shoot 45mile weeks and maybe once in 14days I do long run ~16miles or 150min. and other week just 10-11mile mid-distance run. It's been working so far as successful 51km time trial in July and yesterday I had official marathon race and PBd from last year 4.12:34 to 3.53:00 but I have to give couple of minutes for Asics Novablast, just being honest 😄
Sounds like you’ve got a great routine! Personally if it was me, If you find 16 too much then get consistent with 12/13 week in week out and get comfortable and work up from there, but then I am obsessed with the long run! 😂
@@TheFODRunner I believe there's some differences with individuals but I'm sure after I will get faster and more endurant I will favour long runs ☺️ my parent's neighbour local legend he never did any long runs just hard speed play being 1500m runner 4:03,xx at age of 17 back in late 1960's at older age he did Half Marathon of 1.20:xx with longest training run being only 8miles, thought talent is different and my aerobic base is certainly my weakness and streaking with higher weekly mileage it's been helping a lot also long run is good often as possible.
Yeah not everyone does them and lots of people are successful! I just absolutely love long runs so that’s why they’ve been an integral part of my training 👌
@@TheFODRunner I love them too as doing 51km time trial all alone ☺️ loved that rising sun 🌞 but I feel I have to be careful and wise with them to not injury myself, also some people ramping their weekly mileage very quickly without sign of injuries, I guess we're all different.
You said after 12 miles you dont like to run to fast, how fast do you run your longer runs like 18miles etc, btw long time no talk!
How are you?! Hope you’re keeping well mate!! So yeah basically marathon pace I cap to around 12 miles but “easy” and “steady” I’ll go longer. So my recent marathon was 6:14 per mile.... so steady for me is around 6:40/7 and I’ll do that for longer then easy as well but 6:14 I won’t do for more than 12 👌
@@TheFODRunner was off for almost 7 months for a achilles injury but back at it. My 5 mile tempo runs are around 6:20 pace and when I do my long runs at around 15+miles its around 7:20 pace im not sure if my long runs are at to fast of a pace.
Sounds like a steady long run to me mate if you’re tempoing at 6:20, but that’s not a bad thing as I find the steady long runs the best for fitness! Dropping it to 7:40+ would be getting into the realms of easy
Great video, thanks! But 10 steady + 10 half pace is just not possible, sorry😂
Thanks! Work up to it 😉 start with a fast last mile, then last 2 miles, 3, 4 etc 👌
Some cracking sessions in there, maybe better for the more advanced runners rather than beginners, but everything is relative...
Thanks mate! Yes the ones I explained are definitely more experienced runners but everything can be scaled back and start with just a fast finish couple of miles 👌