Just One Weekly Long Run Gets It Done
By K10 Patel / Dec 6th, 2023
I have always done one long run per week for at least a decade of running. There is no hard and set rule about what a long run is, however, I like to think of it as five miles or more. If your “long run” distance is less than this, then you are a runner who is still building a base and that is perfectly OK.
The weekly long run is a workout I like to execute during a Saturday or a Sunday only because I have more time outside of my career on weekends. If your schedule allows for a weekday long run, then by all means go ahead, and do that long run on a weekday.
The long run exists in my weekly routine to maintain my fitness. If I signed up for a race, the long run exists in my training plan to build on my mileage, week after week. I have been practicing this one-long-run-a-week routine for many years now, so I would recommend it for anyone who is swamped in their busy weekday schedule with work, school, kids’ activities (if you are a parent), and social life.
Why only one long run per week? Can I have two long runs in my week?
Unless you have high mileage weeks of at least thirty miles per week or are an elite runner, I would not recommend two long runs in a seven-day period. One long weekly run is what most runners tend to stick to. Achieving a 30-mile week would indicate that your shorter weekday runs are getting long, or you might be running at least five times a week. Also, one long weekly run is time set aside for your health on the weekend, however, two long weekly runs require a larger time commitment. Keep in mind that those shorter weekday runs are there to supplement and support the distance you are running for the weekend long run.
To maintain some consistency in my week and for time management purposes, I like to keep my weekday runs short and not increase the mileage too much during the Monday to Friday period. At a minimum, the weekday short runs help support my long run for the weekend. Do not attempt to continuously do one long run every weekend without having shorter runs during the week. By only having one long run workout every week without the weekday base miles, you are severely increasing your chances of getting injured. Build a weekday run foundation prior to attempting a long run.
How long should a weekly long run be?
As previously stated, my criteria for a run to be considered a long run is five miles. Your criteria might be different if your goals are different. Let us say you are on a ‘Couch to 5k’ training plan – Most of these plans are time based rather than distance based. They are geared towards non-runners or people who have never ran before. If you are on a time-based training plan, then as a rule of thumb, the long run should be considered as two times as long as the shortest run during the weekday.
For example, if on the weekdays you executed two workouts with each being 15 mins long by a combination of running and walking, then try executing a 30 mins long workout. The 30 mins workout would consist of the same combination of running and walking, but with more walking than running on the front end of the training plan. The goal would be to build up the running time such that the entire 30 mins would consist of running by the time the training plan is done. There is no such thing as too slow because even the slowest paced runner is still considered a runner.
What happens if I skip my long run?
It is Saturday morning and you didn’t get good sleep last night?
It is Saturday evening and you got peer pressured into going out and your morning Sunday run workout is in jeopardy of not happening?
Dealing with a last-minute request from a family member or friend to help an issue?
If you must skip a long run, this is acceptable. There will always be something that comes up last minute or an emergent task that requires immediate attention. Life gets in the way sometimes, but depending on your fitness, it is debatable about how long you can go without running to lose fitness and endurance.
The biggest thing to remember is to not chase your mileage. Don’t go running every day to catch up you’re your mileage goal if your body is not conditioned to handle that type of shock. Listen to your body. Do not go out for that long run if your body is telling you otherwise. Do a much shorter run today and go back to the next point in your training plan.
You can also take a rest day and do the skipped long run the following weekend. Modify your training schedule to accommodate the missed long run and get back to your routine the next day. This might include adding an extra week of training or skipping a rest day the following week to push yourself a little more. Be careful about not having enough rest days in your week since they are just as important as your exercise days.
If you skip your long run but you can fit in another type of activity such as playing sports or some type of gym workout, then you should take that opportunity to be active rather than skip exercise entirely and do nothing.
If you find yourself skipping consecutive long runs, then this means that your training plan in unrealistic and needs modification to fit into your lifestyle. Most people try to adjust their lifestyle ever so slightly, so that the training plan they create can be fulfilled. Drastic changes to your life are a hard habit to accommodate and maintain.
Skipping consecutive long runs (or short runs for that matter) should be a sign to yourself that you are lagging in your discipline. Set your priorities straight. You may have been a little too optimistic when creating your training plan. Adjust the training plan so that you can accommodate your workouts. If your training plans keep failing or you find that you keep falling behind your scheduled plan, keep tweaking that training calendar. Sometimes it takes five or six attempts to plan and execute something that works for you, especially if it is the first time you are following a regimen.
Final Thoughts
Prioritize your workouts and take on one long run per week. If you cannot run ‘long’, build up your base mileage with shorter runs throughout the week. Do not make too big of a drastic change to your lifestyle unless you can realistically execute a major lifestyle change. Make slight changes over a prolonged period so that you can make it a habit of running long once per weekend.