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Preparing for Long Runs

The three challenges to a successful long run are: Hydration, Nutrition and Comfort:

1. Long runs are roughly anything over 60-90 minutes
2. Important to use all of your long runs to practice for your marathon race
3. Safer to run them on a soft, level surface
4. For most runners another safety line is to not go over 2 ½ hours, some slower runners will take longer, but after this point the muscles fatigue and the joints take a harder hit, thus it is good to be on a soft surface and in good shoes
5. Pace is crucial, needs to be 90 seconds slower than marathon pace
6. Good to have rest day before and after a long run

Hydration:

1. A loss of hydration, dehydration is dangerous as it can lead to heat stroke
2. Dehydration is easy in Houston’s climate, not unusual to lose 3 pounds an hour and runners also have greatly different sweat rates, could lose more
3. Loss of performance: for a 140 pound runner losing 3 pounds through sweat is 2% of body weight, and studies have shown a 6% reduction in running performance, and losing 6 pounds for this runner would reduce performance by 12% or more
4. Limits to hydration, research has shown that only 6-7 oz of liquid can enter the system every 15 minutes or 24 to 28 oz an hour, drink more than this it just sloshes around your stomach
5. Key to hydration is to drink a cup every 15 minutes and run on a cool day, if you can only imbibe one pound an hour while losing 3 pounds an hour through sweat it is only a matter of time before you lose performance and even get into medical trouble
6. Start hydrating the day before, bottle near the bed at night and drink about 16 oz of sports drink when you get up, start out on your long run with a full tank
7. Wear a fuel belt on your long run and drink 6-7 oz every 15 mins (studies have shown most runners only drink half of what they should!)
8. When you are finished need to drink often for the rest of the day to speed recovery
9. Hyponatremia, caused by a dilution of sodium in the blood stream, prevalent in runners in marathons on warm days that drink only water and finish in over 4 hours, has caused fatalities, need to have some sodium on very long runs, get it with sports drinks or sodium tablets

Nutrition:

1. The body is fueled for long runs (and marathons) by carbohydrates, fats and proteins, carbs are by far the most efficient energy source and they will run out in about 90 minutes.
2. Fortunately studies have shown that if you run slower, you train your body to burn a higher percentage of fats and the carbs will last longer. Well trained marathoners can burn 20% of their energy from fats. So this is why we train 90 seconds per mile slower than our marathon pace on our long runs.
3. Need energy supplements: Gels (Gu), sports drink, shot blocks, etc., very important to experiment on long runs to see which works best for you, 30% of all marathoners have trouble with stomach distress, so practice
4. Sports drinks take a cup every 15 mins or for gel a packet every 45 to 60 mins, will get you an extra 100 to 130 caleries per hour, for a 4 hour marathoner an extra 4 miles of energy!
5. Do not take gels with sports drink, flush down with 10 oz of water.
6. Start drinking sports drinks or taking Gels right from the start of a long run or race, if you wait 90 minutes when you are depleted you will miss out on much needed energy.
7. 3-4 hours before a long run (if you are up in the middle of the night!) you can top off your carbs with a light meal of a couple sports bars, a cup of sports drink and a banana, this will get an extra 400-500 calories or 4 or 5 more miles!
8. Coach Jack’s plan is: mid night snack of 500 calories, Gu within 10 mins of run, Gu with water every 45 mins, can personally make it to mile 22-24 of a marathon or through any long training run.
9. Post run nutrition: within the 15 mins good to drink Excellerade or Endurox, speed recovery and help rebuild muscles

Comfort:

1. Wear all tech fabrics to wick away moisture and keep cooler, this includes shirt, shorts (can get ones with Gu pockets) and socks
2. Prevent chaffing, use body glide on all friction spots: feet, crotch, under arms, under bra and for men use nip guards