Hi

Is there any particular way to build up speed on long runs eg 18 miles plus?

At the moment I just try to survive them, but I want to get a bit faster this year...

Generally I do "some" hill training and just put in a fair amount of miles, but nothing much focused on speed. What things do people try to develop a faster pace they can maintain for a long time?

-all thoughts appreciated -

off the top of my head....

longer interval reps 800m to a mile with plenty of recovery inbetween.

and/or put a "fast" section into a mid/long distance run, i.e. warm up 3, run 5 quicker than target pace, and 3 to coold down.

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Thanks ..

We've recently done several sessions of either 4x1km followed by or 3x3km.

I've felt that this has helped me at least keep my pace steady over the long runs, without slowing down at the end.

Training for the marathon, apart from reps and fartleks, every second long run I try to go slightly faster (than race pace) for the last 15/20 minutes.

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If you and a friend are in the forest and a bear appears, try to run faster than the bear! But at least run faster than your friend...

Nice, hadn't thought of that. I find that a few sessions of 5x 0.8 mile fast stretches with 2 mins recovery really helped me

try this one... take a rest day. Then, run what you'd consider a LONG run... then rest 5minutes whilst stretching and taking on powerade/lucozade sport whatever, *then* do your interval session, 5x800m with 90sec rest. Afterwards, an extra special stretch session.

then afterwards have a day rest.

You are innoculating your legs and cardio system against running whilst tired. This is effectively what 'upping the pace' during a long run is all about, so you're simulating this in a controlled environment. Nothing in a race should ever come as a surprise, everything you want to do should have been done in training. If you choose to up the pace in your 18mile race, this should be something you simply do as a reflex, a reaction to the day, but you draw from what you've done in practice; you know the pace, you know how long. You know that "today is too hot, I can't do it". All the parameters are there for you. this is your training

Hmm...

Knowing how tired I feel after a 20-miler, and knowing how tired I feel after a speed session... I'd place bets on one or both legs falling off somewhere in the middle of lap 2... :eek: Maybe go double-or-nothing on running head first into a tree as well

I might build a speed session into some of my 11-milers though

Start your long runs slowly then pick the pace up.
E.G. 90 minutes with 30 easy,30 steady then 30 at half marathon pace at the end.
Always aim to finsih faster than you start. The temptation is to run too hard in the early stages! Long runs for time should be steady/easy if they are just for time on feet.

Hear, hear!!

or is it Here, here?

I agree with steepler, the faster finish long run is a great session & a really satisfying one, without being too crippling.

Doing some intervals within your 11 miler would work well too. Something like 5 x 1k (as Granty mentioned) at 10k pace with 1-2 mins inbetween. Or 4 x 1 mile at 1/2 marathon pace with 1-2 mins between. Anything faster is too stressful within a run of that length.

Agreed. That's one of the first things I ever learnt when I started running. As a group we started off very slowly indeed, then gradually picked up the pace to invariably finish up racing each other over the last couple of miles back to the Sports Centre. ("Last one back's a sissy" - sort of thing!).
Cheers!

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Give me the hills!

One I love to do which is also a great time saver is a 10 miler with 6 x 3 minutes hard, 1 minute easy. If you want to have a good run plus session and not go to the track try that!

Story of my life!! I always seem to go into a race hoping for the negative split thingy, where your second half's faster than your first half. I've not managed it yet, I always always end up being too fast then too slow, so that's the goal for the next marathon

My usual route's around 11 miles along a river, and I do tend to start off slow, then get faster, although not generally through meaning to But it's got no artificial lights so I'll likely do a lot of running, and most of my speedwork, in the gym during the dark months. I find a treadmill's pretty good for pacing yourself and putting in some speedy miles.