How Do You Do the Distance? Break it Up Into Chunks!

When I began training I looked all over the internet to figure out how people could physically run 15, 20, 26.2 miles. I had no clue. COuldn’t comprehend it.

Now that I’m on the other side-I just finished my 20 miler yesterday (and boy are my legs tired–barump!) I can tell you exactly how I have done it.

Training, of course, which means adding on to the mileage slowly, building up so that your body can tolerate the added distance. For instance, I might run 13 on a long run, then 15 the next weekend, and then drop back to 11 to give my body a break. From 11 I’d go to 14, then 17, then 12. Two longer and then one in which I dropped back really helped me to gain distance and recover from my higher runs.

But honestly my best piece of advice is to break up your long runs into chunks.

Huh?

Let’s put it this way: You have a 15 miler to go. You have your regular long distance path carved out. You know that you are going to start out going left from your house, and then at mile marker 2 you will pass the elementary school, and then at mile marker 5 that cute white Victorian home, and then at mile marker . . . well, you get it. You find targets at different distances.

When you begin your 20 miler you don’t think Today I’m going to run 20 miles. Instead, you think that you are going to run to the elementary school. Once you are there, you visualize that white Victorian. And so on and so forth.

For me, I know that 3.5 miles is the ocean, 2 more miles is the pier, another mile is the road on which I cut off, and two miles down on that road I’ll view horses. I know where I go and then when I turn around I know what I will see next, because I’m simply moving backwards from my start.

By breaking the run up into chunks it is so much easier to tackle.

And my last trick? When adding on a higher distance – for instance, when going from 13 miles to 15 – all you have to think is, “Today I’m just running one extra mile out, and then I get to turn around and head home!”

Before long, you’ll realize there is nothing to this distance thing . . . nothing but a little time, a few gel packs, some water and a beautifully foggy morning that you never want to leave.