How To Really Prepare For a Long Distance Run

Taking on a longer distance can feel intimidating, even if you’ve been running regularly for a while. Whether you’re doubling your mileage from 5K to 10K or are taking on a marathon or ultra marathon for the first time, training and eating correctly is essential. 

You won’t be short of information when you search for preparation tips. However, figuring out what actually works for you can take some research, trial and error. To give you a head start on hitting your best long distance performance, we’ve put together some advice on training plans, nutrition and gear. 

Create a Training Plan

Having a training plan that builds you up to bigger distances is essential to manage your physical workload, prevent injury and ensure it's mentally achievable. Even if you’ve run everyday for a while, increasing the amount of miles you cover has a significantly higher impact on your body and mind. So it’s important that your plan does this gradually enough so you don’t suffer from extreme fatigue or worse. 

Some individuals will be able to increase their mileage faster than others, so you need to closely monitor how your body responds to the higher workload and adapt accordingly. For example, if you go out for your first 10k run and don’t feel adequately recovered 48 hours afterwards, consider cutting back for a week before trying again. Any runners who experience discomfort or pain should stop and fully recover before starting training again. 

The 10% rule has long been used as a training guide for increasing distance. This says that runners shouldn’t increase their training load by more than 10% each week. So if you are running 80k in one week, you can bump this by up to 8k in the next. Although this may seem like a slow build-up at the beginning and a huge jump as your mileage grows, adapting your load within this 10% rule gives you a good rule of thumb to start your plan from. 

Another key tip is to start running at a slower pace than you might expect. This will ensure you can complete the distance and can build up your endurance effectively. If you’re wanting to build speed as well as distance, add in a mixture of shorter tempo or track runs alongside longer distances to ensure you hit close to your race pace regularly. However, make sure you’re also planning in enough rest days to recover from this mix of exertion. 

Alongside mixing up the type of sessions, switching up who you run with can also help you tackle mileage increases. Planning in a variety of solo and group runs will help you stay motivated across the weeks or months of your training schedule. Running with an experienced athlete, coach or club can also help you pick up mental resilience tips to get you through. 

Know Your Nutrition

Any runner knows that fuelling correctly is essential for effective recovery and improving performance. This means choosing the right food and hydration strategies to maintain your energy and health throughout your training schedule. 

Is Carb Loading a Myth?

Carb loading is a tried and tested method of increasing an athlete’s muscle glycogen levels. When running long distances, the body pulls on these stores to adequately fuel its performance alongside some enroute refuelling. Alongside tapering off your training load, increasing your carbohydrate intake to 10g per kilo of body weight for 72 to 48 hours before your race day will help you adequately increase your glycogen stores. 

Complex carbohydrates are the best type to pre-load with, as they help sustain energy over a longer period. This means introducing plenty of wholegrains, potatoes, pasta and rice into your daily diet. Try to eat as little fat as possible, as this will help digestion. Balancing these foods alongside a good amount of protein and a range of vegetables will help you maintain your recovery and health. 

Is Water Enough for Hydration?

Increasing your water intake as you train is the basis of good running performance. This is because distance runners can lose up to three quarts of water per hour of activity. However, you don’t just lose water when you sweat, but salts and minerals too. So to avoid fatigue, cramps and other dehydration symptoms, you need to be consuming electrolytes as well as water. 

This means you need to be prioritising sports drinks or electrolyte-infused water before, during and after your training session or race. Coconut water, milk and caffeine drinks (such as tea and coffee) should also be included to maintain your energy and hydration. To ensure you don’t dehydrate, consume up to 700ml of electrolyte drinks before and after your activity, and up to 300ml for every 45 minutes you work out. 

Glucose for Energy Top Ups

Across long distances, your glycogen stores will become depleted as your body uses them for energy. So taking quick, easy-to-consume glucose sources with you on endurance runs will help maintain your performance. Gels, drinks, tablets and fruit snacks are all good options and should be taken 30 minutes into your activity and at regular intervals afterwards on any runs that last longer than an hour. 

The frequency of these intervals and the types of glucose top-ups you choose will vary depending on your individual needs and preferences. You should test out different foods and timings during your training sessions to see what best enhances your performance.

Get the Right Running Gear

When you’re outdoors for an hour or more at a time, having the right distance running gear will mean you’re prepared for changing weather conditions and can stay comfortable throughout. Alongside your water bottle and glucose-heavy foods, having several different layers on hand will help you maintain a consistent core body temperature, which is essential for performance. 

Making sure these layers are breathable will also mean internal moisture gets wicked away, minimising discomfort and chafing. Combining these with comfortable, supportive running shoes and any technologies you find helpful, such as a sports watch or headphones, will set you up for a strong run. 

Whatever kit you use, it’s important that you stick with your choices on race day. Don’t try any new trainers, gadgets or layers for the first time, as they could make you feel uncomfortable or distract you from performing. 

Preparing for a 10K 

A 10K is likely to be the first longer distance you attempt. However, you still need to take your preparation seriously by: 

• Drinking plenty of water and electrolytes before, during and after the race

• Testing and taking glucose foods if your 10K time will be longer than an hour

• Integrating speed sessions with easy distance runs if you’re aiming for a personal best time

Preparing for a Marathon

Hitting the marathon distance is a target for many endurance runners. Get ready for this milestone run by: 

• Building up your mileage slowly and not exceeding the 10% rule

• Carb-loading between 48 and 72 hours before your event

• Testing your nutrition and gear so you know what feels comfortable ahead of your race

Preparing for an Ultra Marathon 

An ultra marathon is a next-level challenge for long-distance runners and will involve several hours or even days of endurance, so you need to be prepared by:

• Making sure you have refuelling stops with the right balance of carbohydrates and protein

• Taking on plenty of water and electrolytes pre, intra and post race

• Building rest days into your training plan to balance out the high levels of exertion

Let GOREWEAR Help You Go The Distance

Having the right running gear will ensure you feel comfortable, warm and dry throughout your training session or race. Made specifically for long-distance runners, our kit will help you maintain your performance in any weather conditions for mile after mile.