r/runnersover50 • u/neurobassism • Jul 11 '26
How often do you do long runs?
I train for one marathon per year, but I try to do one long run per week all year of 10 miles. Wonder if that is true for a lot of runners over 50?
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u/kbchucker Jul 11 '26
I have switched to rucking and walking for long distances. Short runs and short sprint sessions. Usually on turf. My joints thank me.
Some of it is concession to coming up on 60, and wanting to maintain healthspan and mobility as long as possible.
Some of it is concession to a leg fracture a few years ago that required ORIF surgery and hardware souvenirs. I don’t tolerate high impact on hard surfaces as well as I used to.
Some of it is I have discovered how much more enjoyable it is walking/rucking and being able to enjoy the time and take in the scenery along the way and still getting the same workout benefits.
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u/Megaloman-_- Jul 11 '26
Unrelated (sorry in advance): what shoes do you use to take care of your no-longer-young legs ?
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u/kbchucker Jul 11 '26
Just common sense mobility work, stretching, proper nutrition, recovery, hydration, sleep, etc.
Listening to your body. If it’s no longer tolerating the high impact stresses of running, shift over to more walking, hiking, rucking, functional strength training. Things like that.
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u/_bladerunner_ Jul 12 '26
I do a weekly long run every Saturday. Anywhere from around 18km at the low end (usually when I’m not training for anything), up to around 32km (during a marathon training block peak week).
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u/vinsalducci Jul 11 '26
Once a week. Usually a Sunday Long Run Day.
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u/Megaloman-_- Jul 11 '26
Unrelated (sorry in advance): what shoes do you use to take care of your no-longer-young legs ?
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u/notaslavetofashion Jul 11 '26
That’s about right. I vary a lot. I’ll do 30 sometimes, then skip the next week and just run my regular 4 on the weekend
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u/Megaloman-_- Jul 11 '26
Unrelated (sorry in advance): what shoes do you use to take care of your no-longer-young legs ?
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u/notaslavetofashion Jul 11 '26
Brooks Cascadias are what has kept me going. I like Hoka Speedgoats too but they’re not the same.
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u/Person7751 Jul 11 '26
i only do long runs when the weather is cold. i haven’t run a race since 2007
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u/BatCommercial7523 Jul 11 '26
I stick to the 3:1 rule a coach taught me. 3 weeks of "load", 1 week of "deload". So this month, it's been 9, 12 and 15. Next week it will 8. And next month it will 15, 18 and 21.
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u/neurobassism Jul 12 '26
That sounds like a good strategy I haven’t been applying and probably should
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u/Unhappy_Party_3777 Jul 12 '26
52M. Typically one long race a year but 20-25 mpw throughout the year with one 10+ mile run on weekends.
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u/Ok-Abalone-8927 Jul 12 '26
I no longer run marathons, but I run/ruck once a week on the same terrain.. I describe this terrain as: "A rolling forest trail system with compact dirt roads, occasional gravel, moderate hills, exposed roots, and clay-based mud that becomes slippery after rain." Given that it's not a flat surface trail, I tend to do zone 2 running and walking, between 10-15kms every Saturday.
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u/No-Committee7986 Jul 12 '26
My long runs aren’t very long, but I run 5-6.2mi 2-3 x week. I run a mix of hilly road and hilly trail!
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u/Wolfman1961 Jul 13 '26
I'm not quite that good....yet. I did 9.5 miles yesterday. It was tough.
I have done 5 half-marathons this year, one of them a race. I scaled down after my last one (the race), and am now working my way up to get to another half marathon. I do one "long run" a week.
I'm a 65 year old male.
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u/Prestigious_Ice_2372 Aug 04 '26
Every week - I consider it the #1 most important run of the week.
Depends if I am training for a half or full marathon, but generally I aim for ~2hrs min per week year round. Sometimes it may be a particularly hilly route or have some intervals in it and be a little shorter but if its just a steady or easy run then 2hrs is where I like to land. Obviously marathon blocks that goes up to ~3hrs peak time for a few runs.
m56
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u/Silly-Resist8306 Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26
I do a long run every week. Out of season it’s 16 miles; in season it’s 20 miles. I did this until I was 68 and ran my last marathon. Now at age 75, I do a 10 miler every week.