It’s no easy feat tackling a long run. But, with the right preparation, strategy, execution, and mental toughness, completing a long run can be done!
Scout the course. This should be a no brainer. Scouting the course in person and/or online will give you an idea of any tricky/challenging parts. Are there hills on the course? Where are these hills located? How long are these hills? Getting a handle on the course you’re tackling can be very helpful.
Fuel/hydrate well the day prior to your long run. The day before your long run is probably NOT when you want to go out and tie one on with your friends! If you want to have a positive experience for your long run, aim to fuel and hydrate well the day before.
Get some quality rest the day prior to your long run. If your sleep is compromised, it’s tougher to perform at a high level. With this in mind, try to get a solid night’s sleep the day before your long run.
Take a look at the weather forecast. The ‘ideal’ temperature for running is between about 44-59. If it’s markedly COOLER or HOTTER than this, you may need to adjust your wardrobe as well as your strategy for your long run.
If it’s markedly COOLER, you may need to throw on an extra layer and run a bit slower the first few miles to warmup. If it’s markedly HOTTER, you may need to shed a layer, seek out shade, consume more fluids, and read a bit slower than usual.
Hydrate and fuel properly during your long run. Aim to take in fluids every 15 mins. or according to thirst. Aim to take in fuel every 45-60 mins.
Break down your long run into segments. Rather than focus on the ENTIRETY of your long run, try to focus on breaking your long run down into smaller segments. Maybe you treat the first few miles as a glorified ‘warmup’. Then, the next few miles is where you start ‘really running’. The final few miles is where you dig deep and gut it out.
Make things SMALLER. I often encourage my runners to focus ONLY on the mile in front of them during a long run. But, you ‘may’ get to a point where a mile starts to feel MUCH more challenging than it did at the beginning of your run.
If/when this happens, make things SMALLER. Rather than focusing on the ‘mile’ in front of you, focus on getting through the next block or reaching the tree that’s 200 meters ahead.
Consciously focus on your biomechanics/form. Your form tends to fall apart when you get fatigued. So, when you become fatigued, it’s a good idea to consciously focus on your form.
Focus on keeping your arms cocked at 90 degrees and make sure they’re propelling you forward. Focus on light, quick strides. Focus on keeping your breathing under control. Doing this helps prevent your form from falling apart AND gives you something positive/productive to focus on.
Mantras! A 2015 study in the journal “Brain and Behavior” concluded that subjects who repeated a mantra displayed decreased brain activity, allowing for increased focus and relaxation. A mantra is great to pull out in the latter stages of a long run when fatigue sets in.
The mantra should be simple and specific to you. For me, my go to mantra is ‘Focus and Relax’. This mantra nicely captures what I need to do when I’m dealing with mental/physical fatigue. I need to FOCUS on the act of running (economically/efficiently) and RELAX (stress/tension exacerbates fatigue).