Fall marathoners: Long training runs just gotta get done

If you’re training for a fall marathon (as I am), then you probably know the drill:  Long runs just gotta get done. They don’t have to be pretty … or even pretty fast. You just have to pound out the miles … all those miles.

Just get ‘em done.

That’s become something of a mantra for me lately.

Still slugging my way back from a knee injury, I’m looking down the pike at the last six weeks of training for another full marathon. Ask any fall marathoner (if that’s not you), and you’ll hear how that means increased mileage, including one or two double-digit-mile runs each week. 

What’s a marathoner’s goal this time around?

First-time marathoners may be hoping to finish the 26.2 miles within the allotted time limits for their races. Seasoned long-distance runners might be aiming to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Most of us find ourselves somewhere in the middle, between those two goals.

My goal is simple: I’d like to finish this particular marathon faster than I did last time around.

Also, I’d like to keep all my toenails intact (unlike last time, when I actually ended up losing three of them). I’d like to complete the race without some of the other miserable side effects I endured last year (and mine were minor, compared to what many others faced).

Anyway, back to the finish time thing.

According to my recent long run paces, I’m well within the race limits. But I’m not exactly breaking my own records. I’m running about 1 ½ minutes per mile slower than I was at this time last year. And I’m about two minutes slower than my recent half marathon race paces.

But I guess I’m OK with that right now.

My knee is holding. My pace is fairly consistent. And I know I run considerably faster on race days than on training days. (Don’t we all?)

READ: Power Play: 15 reasons runners often run faster in races than training runs

Last week, I received excellent advice from a local running coach and friend. He said, “Don’t fret about your training times. They don’t carry over to the actual race. Go run the miles, and let the clock take care of itself. Play some happy tunes, and go the distance, no matter how long it takes.”

Wow. What freedom his words gave to me!

Instead of dreading my double-digit runs, I now almost look forward to them. I’ve loaded up a (very long) peppy playlist. I’ve chosen some scenic routes. I’ve blocked out appropriate amounts of rush-free time. And I step out there to enjoy some healthy solitude.

Hey, if I have to slow to a walk for a particularly steep hill or two, it’s not the end of the world. The miles still count, even if some of them are plodding and perhaps painful. In the long run, I’m still building strength and endurance and a new mindset. I’m remembering why I started running in the first place.

Bring on those long runs.

I know those extended jaunts are wearing and tearing. But they’re not so terrible anymore.

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