August 15, 2020

 I woke up this morning to a 65 degree day and was green with envy for those of you who will head out for your weekly long run today.  Much of what you've been doing this summer in preparation for the fall Cross Country season has been easy pace running and Saturday provides an opportunity to extend your run while maintaining that low intensity.  A long run during which you can hold a conversation with a teammate and keep your heart rate <140 or so.  The type of running that makes you happy to do what it is you do.  

The long run provides many benefits, not the least of which is making those 4-6 mile runs seem so much shorter, but more importantly in developing your aerobic endurance.  The benefits of aerobic endurance, according to Dr. Tudor Bompa in Periodization, Theory and Methodology of Training, include enhanced cardiorespiratory function such as decreased blood pressure and increased cardiac output, along with enhanced musculoskeletal system function such as increased muscular endurance.  In simple terms you become healthier and stronger. 

I remember a few years back when my Saturday long run essentially served two purposes.  First, I got to spend a few hours with friends, and second, it helped me to meet my weekly mileage goals.  In retrospect, my reasoning was half right.  I don't recommend "cramming" your miles on Saturday in order to reach an arbitrary mileage goal you may have set for yourself.  The long run provides a real opportunity to work on your running form and efficiency at a pace at least 2-3 minutes slower than your race pace.  Carefree and pressure free exercise.  A run that can be of a longer distance than your upcoming race, especially for those racing distances of less than 10 miles.  A run that can give you the confidence you need to go the distance when you race.

Long runs won't make you necessarily a great or even a good racer.  But they will provide you with the necessary foundation for those high intensity workouts that will make you a force to be reckoned with.  As we have in the past, once each week we'll focus on the long run during our season.  We'll take those road trips to sites you've enjoyed visiting.  Whether it's Wompatuck, World's End, Burridge or just the Abington-Hanover Bike Trail, you'll be out there for my favorite run of the week, the Long Run.  Can't wait . . .