How Many Long Runs Should I Do Before a Marathon?

It seems like common sense that to prepare for a marathon—an event that includes a heck of a lot of running—your training should also include a heck of a lot of running. That’s why marathon preparation dogma preaches that you need to do one long, 12 to 26 mile run each week.

The problem: That often puts too much mileage on your body, says Mark Conover, director of the cross-country and track-and-field programs at California Polytechnic State University.

“The key is to get to the starting line fresh,” says Conover. “You don’t want to arrive at the marathon as damaged goods.”



Indeed, weekly long runs often lead to overtraining. “Doing too much volume can create a combo of muscular and skeletal issues,” says Conover. Those can cause injuries that sideline you before you even get to the starting line, or flare up mid-race. “Overtraining can also just wear you out, physically and mentally, which kills motivation.”

Science agrees: A study in Sports Medicine found that overtraining can compromise your immune system. And a study conducted in Taiwan found that those markers of immune dysfunction caused by long runs lasted for up to a week.

“Researchers have been looking for the solution to running injuries for a few decades,” says Bill Hartman, Men’s Health Fitness Advisor. “But the rate of injury remains unchanged. Perhaps it’s time to consider that too much running increases your risk of injury.”

That’s why you need to give your body time to recover. Start training at least six months before race day. In that time span, you should do 10 to 12 long runs—total—that each take about an hour and a half or longer.

Don’t cluster those runs—space them out every other week, tacking on 2 miles each time until you’re up to 22. That’s the longest distance you’ll want to hit during your training, says Conover.

The exception: If race day is three weeks away and you’re still feeling less than confident, it’s okay to go the full 26.2, says former Olympian Jeff Galloway. “Doing that can help you build the stamina to finish the end of the race at a good pace,” he says. “Passing people at the end of a marathon is one of the most empowering feelings in life.”

Just be sure to walk and run that pre-marathon marathon in ultra-turtle mode. That means going at least 2 minutes per mile slower than your usual pace, says Galloway. Liberal walking breaks will save your legs from a beating and could prevent a physical meltdown on marathon day.

----------------

Article source: http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/how-many-long-runs-before-a-marathon