It’s common to make a few running mistakes during training. Mistakes help us learn, grow and develop a strategy for successful and better runs. There are a few things that we should always avoid doing during a long run. But with the right training plan and mental preparation, it’s possible for just about any runner to control their long runs.
Taking the time to prepare and decide exactly what we will do during our long run will set us up to enjoy the kilometres.
RUNNING MISTAKES
1. Starting The Run Too Fast.
The easiest way to set ourself up for failure during long-distance training is to start out too fast during our long run. Not only is this the wrong time to be pushing the pace, but we should actually be running our long runs slower than our goal pace
Finishing a long run is enough of a challenge on its own between the increased kilometres and mental strength required to conquer new distances. Adding a faster pace to the mix is a disaster.
We should slow down, stop if we need to and not feel guilty.
If we’re feeling especially motivated or excited, the key to enjoy our entire long run is starting out slow and steady right from the beginning.
We should remind ourself that long runs are the time to fit in kilometres, not only speed. The point of a long run is to help our body adapt to increased distances safely over time. But to start short sprints or faster pace closer to the end of the run will be super-efficient to activate our fast twitch muscles.
2. Not Eating, Fueling Or Drinking During The Run.
Another major mistake runners make during a long run is failing to eat or drink anything during the run. Most runners take the time to carb load and prepare their nutrition prior to the run, but many assume that this is enough.
As our kilometres increase, our body will need fast-acting energy regularly to keep up with the energy. Waiting to fuel until we are actually hungry means that by the time we are taking in fuel, our body has already depleted the energy stores.
We should always plan to consume energy bites or gel during a long run.
Create a hydration and fueling strategy that provides our body with regular water and energy at least every 60 minutes. We should plan ahead by taking a water belt, as well as easy to consume snacks for during our run.
Enjoying our long runs means never letting our body get depleted. We need to take in plenty of fuel and water throughout the run to maintain our energy and help our muscles perform at their peak.
3. Trying New Gear For The First Time.
Training is a great time to test out new gear and fitness products but this should be saved for those easy runs throughout the week. Trying out new shoes or clothes during a long run can cause injuries or blisters.
We should try out all new running gear at least once during an easy run before putting it to use on a long run. It’s much easier to push through the pain of a blister forming for 5-10 easy kilometres than it is during a 30 kms long run.
Trying something new is one of the worst things to do during a long run.
We need to avoid this running mistake, testing out new gear during our shorter runs is the recommendation. We need to make sure to test new gear prior to race day.
4. Running The Day After a Hard Workout.
Completing a long run is hard enough when our legs and mind are feeling fresh. Attempting a long run the day after a hard workout or run adds an entirely new level of difficulty that our body does not need during training.
We should plan our training weeks ahead of time to make sure we have either an easy run active, recovery day or rest day the day before our long run.
There is no need to schedule a long run right after a tough strength training session or intense speed workout.
A simple long run tip is to always start our runs with fresh legs, so we can make the most of our running distance.
5. Eating Immediately Before Your Run.
We should know that long runs require enough calories and fuel. It is important to time our carb loading right. A common running mistake is to continue fueling just before the start of our run.
Eating immediately before a run, especially a long run, usually creates some digestive distress since our body is unable to fully digest our food before we start running. This can lead to many bathroom issues and abdominal cramps that can really ruin a run.
We need to carb load the day before our long run. The morning of our long run, we need to fuel our body with a carb friendly healthy breakfast or snack, but we should finish eating a breakfast at least 30-60 minutes before starting your long run. Small snacks can be consumed 15-30 minutes before our run.
6. Over Or Under Dressing For The Temperature.
As kilometres increases, the time we spend running will increase as well.
The weather and temperature can change drastically over the course of a few hours, especially if we are starting a run in the morning. Failing to dress for changing weather is a common running mistake during long runs. Dressing properly will help us enjoy and feel better for our long run.
Long-distance training plans are created with a specific strategy to allow for a gradual increase in kilometres and plenty of recovery.
Avoid Running Mistakes For Long-Distances Runs, Focus On Good Running Plans And Schedule, Enjoy Longer Distance Runs, Feel Better Muscles And Energy, And Incredible Nice Long Runs!
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