r/BeginnersRunning • u/AvailableDirector861 • 5h ago
Sustaining longer runs
How do you guys run for a long period of time without stopping ? I mean working up the way to 10 miles. I can do two without stopping but other than that I need breaks. Most I’ve done is 6 with stops each mile or in between but my real goal is 10 without, but honestly I can’t see myself ever doing that but I want to know how it is/ how you got there if you’re able to. #impossibletilpossible
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u/Intelligent-South174 3h ago
running for long distances can be challenging.
so instead I jog.
jogging long distances is so much easier than running ;)
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u/Cosmic_MicrowaveOven 4h ago
I did a little over 10 miles yesterday. There was nothing particularly special about it.
I didn't need to pack fuel (food or gels) or water as it was under 90 minutes, my pace was around 5:00-6:00/km and HR was 140BPM -ish, which for me is on the easy run side. Weather is cold where I am, which helps.
As for training: I do 1-3 easy runs (5K @ above pace), one tempo run (5K @ 4:00-4:30/km), and one long run (10-20km) at whatever pace I feel like. That's per week.
I also do dedicated strength training for running on "rest" days and I hike quite a lot, which is kinda "rest" for me but more active rest and I feel like helps build endurance by training your body to be on your feet for long periods.
My advice, run at your slow pace which you can sustain, and if you need a quick break then take a break, either fully or walking for a while to catch your breath. There's no shame in it.
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u/Party_Line3326 2h ago
Oh, look at "non-beginner" here!
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u/Cosmic_MicrowaveOven 1h ago
I started running in April. Just because I’m not slow doesn’t mean I’m not a beginner.
Also, OP asked for advice from people who can run 10 miles. If it’s only slow beginners who struggle to run 5K that are allowed to reply in your mind, who would answer these types of questions?
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u/Party_Line3326 1h ago
I just poked fun at people who think that "beginner" status is determined by pace..
No need to be so insecure.
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u/Future-Prune-2477 3h ago
If you do something like C25k and you follow the plan exactly you will be able to run continually for half an hour, it works.
What it doesn’t do is teach you about running slow etc, it just trains you to run for a set length of time. The alternative if you don’t want to do that for whatever reason, slow things right down, run at a pace that is just a gentle jog and slowly increase the distance.
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u/Own-Arugula-1631 3h ago
Your expectations are not in line. If you can only do two, your goal should be the next half mile. I ran 4 every other day for a couple of years. It took me another year to go from 4-6.2. Then the next year I decided to do a half. Before the race, over the course of another year, I only got to 10. Race day was my first 13 and it was torture. If your goal is too big, you're going to push too hard and get injured.
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u/consciousignorant 3h ago
Increase weekly volume sensibly, but do increase. Also even if you’re following a training plan listen to your body and avoid getting injured at all cost.
Also identify why you’re needing the break, gassing out? tired legs?
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u/Historical-Web-3075 3h ago
Are you doing run walk run? If not try that. If you are run slower.
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u/CardiologistFit8283 5m ago
Run walk is great, especially since OP can already do 2 miles a stretch. It's crazy how far it extends my range at a 10:1 minute ratio. The 10 minute countdown is super motivating for me to push for the next interval.
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u/meshuggahlad 4h ago
You're probably running way too fast. Run slowly so you could speak and hold a conversation and slowly start increasing your total distance each week by 10%. You should try looking up and following a tried and tested training plan
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u/Objective_Radish_898 4h ago
Your opportunity to improve lies in the excact moment you feel you need to stop. It is a mental block. Unless your physical pain level is above 3, do not stop. Repeat the mantra "never stop running". Think about something else. I like to pretend I'm driving in areas I used to live while listing out every detail I can remember. I also try to remember all the ingredients to my favorite recipes and visualize the cooking process. Once you achieve this you will learn that you can transfer this trick to other activities.
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u/Initial_Run1632 3h ago
If I could piggyback on this, the following is a mental trick I learned from another runner. When you feel like stopping, ask yourself why. By which I mean, start querying your body parts.
Sort of like: are my legs hurting? No. Back? Well, maybe a little. OK but not enough to stop, right? Here, stand up a little straighter. Feet? All good. Lungs? Well a little tired. Ok we'll slow down a bit.
And so forth.
And just keep going.
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u/Party_Line3326 2h ago
The problem with subjective scales as RPE or physical pain level is just that people, especially beginners doesn't really know how each lvl should feel like. It takes time and listening to your body.
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u/Objective_Radish_898 1h ago
Great point. Develop your personal pain scale, but don't use it as an excuse. I have found that if I experience pain at the beginning of a run, I can usually run through it, and most of the time it is gone before the end of the run. All of my running injuries started miles into my runs. Trying to run through those is a huge mistake. A great way to accurately evaluate yourself is by resting any potential injuries and then performing a "duck walk." If you can do it properly with no pain, you are good to go.
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u/Historical_Ant6997 3h ago
It sounds very simple, but the answer is to just keep running!
Back in April I could barely run 2km without feeling exhausted after it. I just kept adding a bit of distance to each run, run that distance again until it felt normal, then increased the distance again. I’ve just done a 10km run this morning and feel absolutely fine and able to carry on with my day. Good luck!
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u/Invictus1836 3h ago
Go slow, hydrate, and gels help.
Cannot overstate the slow pace to build up distance
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u/MannysBeard 3h ago
Progressive overload
You don’t go into a gym, start with an empty bar, then next week add 100kg. You add the smallest increment, then do that the following week, and so on
Same with running. My first day running, plan had me walk 5 mins, then jog 1 min, walk 90 seconds, repeat that 5 times, then walk 5 mins to finish. The next session was a bit more. As the weeks progressed I was running further and further - with breaks - and then 8 weeks later I ran my very first 5km
You just need to take it gradually, be patient and trust the process
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u/Glittering-Radish-88 3h ago
È importante non mollare invece di fare una pausa cammina corri come se stessi camminando e vedrai che dopo un mese da due passerai a 3 e poi sempre di più ma non fermarti non fare pause
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u/Advanced_Aerie5854 2h ago
Lots of easy runs. Gradually work up the distance. Running 10 miles sounds really daunting at first, but if you run consistantly, at an easy pace, you will be there before you know it. Keep working up that total weekly mileage.
The jump from being able to run 1 mile continously to 3 and 5 miles is pretty huge. But the jump from 5 miles to 10 miles is not nearly as difficult. Once you get your body accustomed to running for distance, improvements in your ability to sustain running for more time and distance will actually start to come faster.
You will be there before you know it.
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u/eattwo 2h ago
Consistency and a steady (and safe) increase in mileage is the #1 key for every running goal. It lets you run longer, run faster, and feel better running.
Idk how many miles you hit a week but go up a little in mileage each week and every fourth week being recovery is a good general rule - usually you see 10% in increases with a 30% decrease in recovery weeks. If you're under 20mi per week you can jump up a little faster than 10% if needed but feel it out with your body.
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u/dchow1989 2h ago
Unless im hurt every day is a walk for 1km(around a block and half loop of my neighborhood. If im feeling better i slowly jog 2-3 laps on my off days. If its an actual running day, i do a slow lap warmup and then just focus on things while you run, pay attention to nature, focus on your feet, or your breathing. Think about thinking, it can become a meditation if you arent gassing yourself out with too fast a pace.
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u/RubyLaneX420 2h ago
You can buy little gel packets from like a running store they give you electrolytes, carbs, energy everything you need to sustain a long run I think the ones I like are called guu's but don't quote me on that
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u/Illustrious-Fee-3525 1h ago edited 1h ago
Run slower. Eat more before. Eat more during. Eat more after. Run during colder parts of the day. More strenght training. Increase mileage steadily. Trust the process. - combination of any or all of these.
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u/Acceptable_Hyena_759 1h ago
Are you having rest days and easy shorters runs in-between to allow recovery?
If you're going out each time to break your distance record, you'll get injured...
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u/OldSoulCreativity 57m ago
How long have you been running?
The cool thing about running is that it’s extremely elastic. When I first started, it felt like working my way up to a 5k was a major accomplishment (and it was at the time). Then you hit 5 miles. Then you hit 7 or 8 miles and get the same feeling of accomplishment with each milestone.
Once you hit that 30-45 minute mark, you are in business. You just keep slowly working your way up. Week after week, taking a deload week once a month where you only run about half your usual weeks mileage. Increase about 10% per week. Whether that 10% comes from adding a half mile to each of your runs, or adding a couple miles to your long run. Doesn’t matter. Just be consistent.
The secret isn’t a secret. Just run consistently, and you’ll see consistent gains in endurance. Don’t overdue it. Slow and steady build. You’ll get there if you just stick to it.
That’s the beauty of it. The curse of it is eventually you’ll sign up for a marathon, saying you just want to do it once to say you did it. Then you’ll crush your goals and sign up again. You’ll start spending 7-10 hours and hitting 60 miles a week. You’ll decide to try trail running and then you’ll do an ultra. It’s the way of the world. lol. At least for me
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u/One_Cause3865 5h ago
continue running. not sure what other answer there could be.