Long runs so hard!

[Starlightstargazer]

Agh! So when do long runs get easier? I’m training for a marathon and each week I’m absolutely floored and it takes me days to recover.
Plan has gone like this:
15 miles, 18 miles, 16 miles, 20 miles, 15 today

20 miles took me 4 hours 13 minutes last weekend and I’d lost the plot by 3 hours. It was a looong last 75 mins. I didn’t even know my name at the end.

im fuelling every 20 minutes although I don’t feel any great burst of energy?! I wear a fluid backpack. I’m already slow as fuck.

still got 2 weekends of long runs (20 and 22 miles).

Not rtft so sorry if already covered but I think you're over fuelling on the long runs. I have one shot blocks gel or a few fruit pastilles every hour for the first two hours, then every half hour for the next two hours on long runs. Much more than that can just make it harder to process. Maybe work on a higher carb diet the rest of the time with enough protein to avoid overeating. Main thing is you're doing it though.

I don't have any advice, I'm aiming to get to 10k in the next few weeks and I'm a "slow runner" too.
I just wanted to say you sound flipping amazing! I hope the advice on here keeps you going and you have an amazing experience on the day- you deserve it

I think losing some weight would make things a lot easier. My BMI is at the top end of OK, however I am big breasted and could lose two stone and still be in the OK BMI range. I wear two sports bras but I often think of how much extra weight we carry and the impact of that, especially on a longer run. At running club the whippets are all skinny and fast. I’m going to try to lose some weight because it will be good for joints, muscle strain, pelvic floor and overall fitness and will certainly make exercise a lot easier not carrying all those extra pounds.

I think losing some weight would make things a lot easier

This is true. I was a lot heavier when I ran my first marathon and it definitely makes things harder, particularly in terms of the impact on your joints.

Marathon training is a great way to lose weight though.. providing you don't eat all your calories back. I can easily burn a full day's worth of calories in a long run.

Yeah training for a marathon is absolutely gruelling! I forgot as I loved the marathon day SO much. Mostly!

Just another one here to say keep hydrated and eat well during the week as much as you can. It’s meant to be really hard though and you aren’t stagnating you are going further each week too.

all the best for the day! If it’s London - ill
Be watching from mile 7ish

Please give your body time to recover! I’m having a deload week this week (I should have had it earlier really but am doing a local half marathon this Sunday) and then one last long run next weekend. I’m doing Manchester so the same day.

I did my first 2 marathons last year (I’m in my mid 50s). First one I went off too fast and suffered for it. Second one I got injured in training so my only long runs were 16 miles and 18 miles and I took it reallly easy in the few weeks before - deliberately kept it slow in the race, and took 15 minutes off my time!

So you’ve done brilliantly to get your 20 miler in already. You’re so lucky to have a London place, so the main thing now is to get yourself to that start line in one piece!

And definitely look into electrolytes- I use the SIS ones and that dissolve in water plus salt sticks on the really long runs and race days.

Good luck!

If you're craving savoury look out for the Run Mummy Run cheer station on the left after you've left the Canary Wharf madness and shortly before you hit the ramp out of Docklands - they usually have loads of mini Cheddars..... I preferred dried apricots+salt sticks to mint cake a lot less sugary (and one of your five a day!).

IF you've tried walk run already then I suggest bringing it down even further - maybe a one minute walk after each half a km instead of each whole one - and do it right from the start not just when you begin to feel tired. But remember that after 15 miles you will be knackered so don't be surprised when it doesn't feel like an automatic reset. (I'm a Jeffer so run half and full marathons at one minute run 30 seconds walk from start to finish but don't try that now as you're not used to stopping and starting quite so often and risk injury.)

ETA - if you don't already try rubbing magnesium spray into your legs and knees after a long run - it really makes a difference.

You sound like you’re overtraining actually for your level and ability- it’s very similar to how I trained for my first marathon (also London, as a beginner!). Your mid week runs aren’t long enough or fast enough to sustain the kind of long run’s you’re aiming for at the weekend, but as your long runs are what’s wiping you out, it creates a cycle.

I’m also a slower runner (first marathon in around 6 hours, PB 5 hours 7 mins) but have now run 5. There’s absolutely no need for a 22 mile run, nor 2 x 20 milers if you’re not a super advanced runner. 5 marathons in and I still only ever cover 20 miles once in training, never more. I focus more around the 14 -16 mile mark. For my super long runs, I will attempt 2 x 16 miles, 2 x 18 miles and 1 x 20, generally in the pattern 16,16,18, drop back to 12 miles as a recovery week, 18,20, then into a taper. And generally one of those super long runs will go wrong or not get fitted in, in some way.

If you’ve done 20 already, I’d not try and go that far again, make your next couple of long runs 15/16 or cap at 3.5hours, there’s not much benefit to running over that in training, apart from the psychology of hitting the 20, which DOES help on marathon day- and look, you’ve already done it!

Maybe try and get something slightly longer in your legs mid week (maybe 10km) or some speedwork/intervals, as this will help make you stronger for the big day. Absolutely don’t shorten the taper! You won’t lose fitness from your months of training and you don’t want to feel that heaviness and tiredness you feel now on the start line- you want absolutely fresh legs- my longest run is always 3 weeks before race day. And yes the taper will make you twitchy, and paranoid (maranoia is absolutely a thing!), if you have a DP prepare them as I get grumpy as anything on a taper 😂. But once you hit the three weeks to go mark the aim of the game is fresh, rested legs and no injuries. Honestly, making it to the startline uninjured is a massive massive achievement!

I promise you if you’ve covered 20 miles, you will make it round. London is absolutely magical. The atmosphere is electric and when you see the 2 million people turning out to cheer you round, you won’t let them, or yourself down. When you’re finding it tough on the day, the crowd, the atmosphere, the other runners, something will pick you up and spur you on. They will still be there if you’re still out there at 3/4pm and you will forever be able to call yourself a marathoner!

20 miles with your legs.
6 with your heart.
.2 with your tears because the thing reduces me to a sobbing mess every single time!

Have the BEST day!!!!!

You'll do great OP. You've worked really hard. Your long runs are in the bag now, PP are right i wouldn't do another super long run, cap it at 3.5 hours 3 weeks out.

This week rest up, do a max of 12/13 miles on your long run and you'll have a great final week of training into taper. Get to the start line feeling refreshed!

Let us know how it goes.

Wow I didn’t expect to have this many replies , I have read them all and am taking on board everything. Thank you 🙏.

I did actually cry on the school run this morning from utter exhaustion and things are really hard at the moment with my oldest who has severe special needs. But believe it or not I am looking forward to the actual thing and I know how lucky I am to have a London place.

losing weight would definitely help. My BMI is 29. I eat my feelings so the pounds have piled on. That and being perimenopausal / 40s makes me ‘mummy 5 chins’ lol. At 2lbs a week I could lose half a stone by d day (m day?!)

Run mummy run cheer station sounds fab! What an amazing stand! I will be sure to invest in the mini cheddars.
Tip of magnesium spray good too.

Wishing all of you the best with your training and running journeys. You’re all fab!

As already said, your long runs are too long. I am running London and I am slow and my plan only has one long run of 20 miles, that's next week. The others have been less that that.
As others have said, at a slower pace, there is no benefit from doing your training runs for longer than 3.5 hours.
You need to eat good carbs not only on the day but through the week too.

I am on a good London marathon Facebook group and seeing lots of other people worried about their long runs has strangely put me at ease as we are not alone.

The crowds will also pull you round.

OP, take a general vitamin pill as well. Unless you have been taking a supplement, this time of year, you are likely deficient in Vitamin D and it can make you feel very tired.

Try it for a few days and see if you feel less exhausted.

Please please don’t try and lose weight leading up to a marathon!!! This is really unadvisable by a lot of nutritionists and dieticians! A couple of pounds between now and the marathon really won’t make that much difference to how you feel running on the day and as you’ve been doing so much training and are struggling with recovery, a calorie deficit will only make that problem worse!

I would focus on just eating well and fuelling yourself for the activities you are doing so eating enough carbs and protein, fruit and veg to get vitamins in, maybe a multivit if this is a challenge and plenty of water.

I would also take a look at how you are refuelling immediately after your long runs as this will make a difference to recovery- the advice is that chocolate milk has a great carb/protein balance but should be consumed within 30 mins.

Adding some electrolytes will also really help. Test out using Lucozade Sport during the run as it will be available on the course and I find makes a big difference compared to water. I also add a SIS electrolyte tablet to my first 500ml bottle of water each day during marathon training.

Hopefully these are all things that make you feel better, without the focus being on losing a few pounds!

I Jeffed my marathon and long runs (still kept up my usual parkrun and shorter runs). If going for a run/ walk, keep the intervals short and frequent like R60s/W30s.
I did my long runs every other week with a mid-length 10-13mi run in the between weeks.

Due to snow/ ice and child illness my 20mi run was brought forwards to avoid the weather when I wasn't fully recovered from racing a HM and the longest run I could fit in afterwards was 14mi (a horrid, focus-less bunch of laps around my undulating neighbourhood incase he needed collecting from school), but on the plus side I was well rested by race day.

While the 20mi run was a joyless slog in 3⁰C drizzle where every step hurt and I really didn't know if I could pull it off, race day was joyous. A comfortable 15⁰C. Company. Crowds. Entertainment. Starting fresh. Run/ walking from early on (I ran the first 5k steadily until the pack thinned) kept my energy steady and 5 hours in an nearing the end, my only niggle was a stiff knee and I was passing out knackered runners and walkers- sometimes powerwalking past runners.
Mentally every step from 20mi-25mi was a new pb. At 25mi there was an end in sight and I could use my tank up and get running to get it finished.

I really recommend Jeffing for those that just want to get it done in decent condition, and for those at the slower end of the market it often doesn't lose time because of retaining the energy far longer. But the secret is in the short frequency because it stops the tiredness brewing.

Such brilliant advice here

Hi, just a quick update. I took on board all the advice here which I’m really thankful for! Dialled down the long run distances and upped the mid week runs over the last 3 weeks. Thought more about what I’m eating and fuelling.
Today I managed 20 miles without hitting the wall, super proud of myself as I was very down a few weeks back.
Did jeffing all the way and was actually quicker. Just hoping people watching marathon don’t think I’m a waste of space walking so often!!!
3 weeks to go….

LOVE this update, I was hoping you’d come back and let us know how you were doing, so happy to see it was helpful!

I’ve been out with my Dad today, he’s 61 and going for it. He’s missed a good few long runs as he’s been ill and ended up with a blood clot. A successful 17 miles for him today and he’s committed to being there on the day, even though he knows it will be tough.

You sound like you’ve done some great prep the last couple of weeks, now time to dial back, rest up and get excited (yes, there will be fear too, but you’ll handle it!).

I will be out cheering with a massive green “Dad” sign and will be thinking of you and all the first timers out there, doing something amazing. Please come back and tell us how you get on!!!!

Superb work, don’t worry about jeffing, you are already running laps around people who haven’t got off the sofa.

Brilliant update! So pleased for you.

Ah well done, brilliant update.

Let us know how it goes on race day.

Please don't despair! I did London in 2023 and it took me absolutely aeons (6hrs 20 mins to be precise). My training was wrecked by a knee injury, so my longest "run" in training ended up being 5 hours on the cross trainer in the gym (I watched a lot of Stacey Solomon that day).

The crowd will get you round OP. I promise. Just don't accidentally eat the vaseline they give out at the St John's Ambulance stand. It does not taste good.

I'm just here to wish you luck, op! I've run a few half marathons and am in awe of anyone who has the dedication and commitment to go any further than that! You've done amazingly already.

They won’t - they won’t care! Loads of people will be walking most of it anyway. The biggest risk is you feeling self conscious and deciding to run instead of doing intervals and burning out early (been there done that!) so just stick to your plan and only take what you need from the crowd.

Good luck! Fantastic update xx

Well done OP - enjoy taper. You really shouldn't worry about Jeffing - loads of people do. Just make sure that whatever you are using to tell you to switch between running and walking has a vibrate setting otherwise you'll not be able to hear it amongst the chorus of beeps and bongs from everyone else's timers.