Did someone say LSD?

The benefits of a weekly dose of LSD are well documented in the running community. In fact, weekly LSD sessions are critical to success in races of all distances and are the backbone of all training programs. No, I'm not talking about an artificial runner's high prescribed by Timothy Leary. I'm talking about a weekly Long Slow Distance run. This is the most important workout in any marathon buildup program but it's not just for marathons. A regular dose of LSD can mean the difference from finishing your next 5k strong or praying for that finish line.

Let's say you're just starting out and you want to train for your first 5k. On your first day out you many only be able to run 1-2miles. You might think that if I just add some distance to each run I'll be up to 5 miles in no time. Rather than slowly adding incremental distance to each run, a weekly longer than usual run will have you endurance fast! You can add an endurance boost once a week and your regular mileage will help you maintain the endurance gained without having to always run long.

In all types of training it's very important to understand the reason behind a given workout before you actually set out to do it. The main reason behind a weekly long run is clear, building endurance. In response to running long your body undergoes 3 major physiological adaptations that allow you to run farther and faster than before. (1) You will develop more capilaries in the muscles that increase the amount of blood flow and oxygen flowing to the muscles. (2) Your body gets better at conserving carbohydrates in favor of burning higher energy fat for fuel. And (3), your muscles will become more resistant to fatigue by recruiting more muscle fibers that aren't normally used on shorter runs.

So, how long should your weekly LSD be? There are two considerations to take into account when setting up your weekly long run. First, how many miles do you run per week? Your long run should be no more than about 30-40% of your weekly mileage and this percentage will be lower if you run more than 5 days/week. For example, let's say you're running about 25miles/week over 5 days. That's an average of 5miles/day. If you go out and run 5mi everyday you will get very good at running 5miles but your body won't respond to running longer than that. It's much more beneficial to shorten your weekly runs and increase the length of your LSD. In this case a better approach might be: 5mi,4mi,5mi,3mi, 8mi. The 8mi LSD is about 30% of the total weekly distance.

The second thing to consider when setting up your long run distance is the race you are training for. Most runners will set a seasonal goal race to shoot for. If that race is a 5k how long should your LSD be? What about the marathon? For 5ks I recommend at least a 7mile LSD for peak performance and 20miles for the marathon. Much more goes into these numbers but you generally want your LSD to be longer than race distance exept for the marathon. This will build confidence that you can finish strong and resistance to fatigue at a faster race pace.

So, how often do I need to go long you ask? It's best to have a weekly LSD built into your training regimen for optimal performance. When you long runs get up to 15mi or more you can choose to run them every 2-3 weeks. At the longer distances it becomes harder to recover for quality training the next week. It usualy takes the body 3 weeks to fully recover from a run of 17+miles. Before a goal race you should cut out the LSD about 2-3 weeks ahead of time.

Long Slow Distance can be a misnomer. These runs can and will generally be a little slower than your weekly runs, but not as much as you think. It's generally advised that your long run should be at a pace anywhere from 1-2 minutes slower than your 10k race pace. So, if you race the 10k at 9min/mile run your long runs at anywhere from 10mi-11mi/mile. It's been said that running long and slow will make you a long slow runner. This isn't necessarily the case, especially when the LSD is just part of a well planned training schedule.

When adding distance to you long runs try and add no more than 10-15min to each succesive long run. Aim lower if your weekly mileage is less than 30miles. In the past I have utilized a run-walk strategy to add distance to my long run. To add mileage fast try alternating running for 5min and walking for 1min. You will recover much faster than if you ran the entire way and you'll be able to run much farther. Once you've built to a distance you are comfortable with you can increase the ratio of running to walking and eventually eliminate walking all together.