How to Get Through Long Runs During Marathon Training

ldquo;When my daughter was younger, I loved running with a marathon, your longest long run may reach 20 or 22 miles and take three hours or so to complete, depending on your fitness level and training plan. Just thinking Best Brooks Running Shoes.

Luckily, Fast and Flat Boston Qualifying Marathons don’t start with 20-mile long runs and instead, build up to the longest long run by gradually increasing mileage in small increments each week, making each long run easier to mentally and physically tackle.

Get the Plan easy runs, speed workouts, Can a Marathon Shoe Be Fast AND Super Comfortable weeks (a period when there’s a slight decrease in weekly mileage). Combined, all these workouts and adjustments help make completing long runs and the longest long run feel even more doable, says Katie Kissane, M.S., R.D., registered dietitian, owner of Fuel2Run, and marathoner. You just have to trust in the process, she adds.

Training plans also include DAA Industry Opt Out. Eating and drinking enough the day before you head out, and then bringing food and fluids with you when you start your miles will keep you not only physically able to handle the miles, but also mentally prepared to do so (your brain needs glucose too!).

If you’re a C.P.T., deputy health and fitness editor, you may think you don’t need fuel 30 minutes into a longer long run, but if you don’t refuel early and often, you won’t have enough energy to complete the run once your glycogen stores have depleted, says Kissane. So she recommends starting with 30 grams of carbs per hour, starting around 30 minutes into your run and for regular intervals after that, for long runs that last more than 90 minutes.

But fueling isn’t the only strategy for getting through the miles. When you start dreading your long runs during marathon training or find yourself mentally struggling to make it, you have to have a few tricks you can turn to for inspiration and motivation. Saba Ahmed, assistant commerce photo editor Runner’s World editors and other experienced marathoners to share how they manage to navigate long runs during marathon training. Follow their tips to make the miles easier, more enjoyable, and something you look forward to on weekend mornings.

Plan Ahead

✅ “The biggest thing for me is setting myself up for success the night before, getting a good night’s sleep, C.P.T., deputy health and fitness editor hydration. I know I’m going to have that long run tomorrow so I actually put all my clothes out the night before and then when I wake up in the morning to do it, I stare at my shoes for a half hour and fight with myself. But I get out there.”—Andy Marx, Runner’s World+ shoe tester in the How Slow Is Too Slow for Long Runs

Wear (and Listen to) What Makes You Fast

✅ “What I wear matters, especially when I’m out there for two hours. If I look fast, I feel fast. It’s like getting a new haircut and walking into a room. The right soundtrack also helps. I need that I’m-the-main-character-in-a-movie energy—or feel like I’m on a dance floor.”—Amanda Furrer, running reviews editor

Run a Short Loop

✅ “When I need a change of scenery from my normal out-and-back, I’ll drive to my favorite loop: the Ironton Rail Trail. It’s a five-mile loop that’s mostly flat and very shaded. It’s perfect because I can set my water bottles near my car and pick them up when I come through. There’s also a porta-potty near the parking lot.”— Theo Kahler, news editor

Recruit Multiple Friends

✅ “Long runs are hard! I’ve tried just about every trick over the years, but having friends to run with is my favorite way. This spring, my buddies weren’t in 20-mile shape, so they tag-teamed. I ran about five miles by myself, then hooked up with one friend for a few miles. A second friend joined us later and we ran a few miles all together. The first friend dropped off and the two of us ran the remaining miles together. It was one of my favorite runs, even if it did require some zany logistic.”—Jeff Dengate, director of product testing

Bring the Kids

✅ “[When my daughter was younger], I loved running with a jogging stroller. I would head out with my daughter about 30 minutes before nap time, bring toys and snacks. My rule was that we’d stop for lunch when she woke up and we’d go to the nearest playground then we’d run back home. I could easily get in 20-milers with her.”—Dengate

Find Ways to Keep It Easy

✅ “What helped me get through my longest runs of marathon training in my last buildup was simply knowing I would run them at a super easy pace. I kept reminding myself that I wouldn’t be huffing and puffing or struggling to finish, but instead enjoying my surroundings and the nice weather, listening to an audiobook, and sometimes even chatting with friends or family on the phone. It took me a while to realize how easy long runs should feel and once I did, I started enjoying them more.”—Mallory Creveling, How Slow Is Too Slow for Long Runs

Reward Yourself

✅ “I always run to breakfast and my husband meets me there. It’s a nice, fun tradition that made me not dread long runs as much,”—Ally Ellis, director of content hype

✅ “Ending my run somewhere they serve fries and diet Coke (McDonald’s is convenient to my house) is a great motivator. I also like having my halfway point near something fun to look at like the ocean or my fave: right outside the after-hours spot where you can feel morally superior to people absolutely dying from drinking and dancing.”—Cat Bowen, senior commerce editor for reviews

✅ “Having a nice meal planned, either going out or making it at home, motivated me through my marathon long runs. I had to do a 13-miler before a birthday brunch for a friend during my last build, and it made me excited to get up earlier and get it done.”—Can a Marathon Shoe Be Fast AND Super Comfortable.