The Long Run: How I Survive It

If you've ever trained for a big race, you know how hard it can be to get out there for your long runs. With that in mind, what can you do to actually get out the door, and maybe even survive your long runs?

1. Safety and Sensibility

Even as I write this, I’m sure there’s some dude on Reddit crowing about his 4am long run where he left his phone and keys and everything behind and how it was the most freeing experience of his life. Well, good for you, bro. I’m not at all preemptively rolling my eyes just thinking about you. Most of the population cannot safely do that. So, what precautions do I take when I go out?

You’ll notice, I’m not posting my route here. Call me paranoid or whatever you want, but I don’t need the entire internet knowing my favorite routes. You know who I did give my route to? Partner, who knew where I was planning to park and which path I was planning to take. Oh, and he also promised to come pick me up in case of lightning.

Also, the idea that running without a phone is a freeing and magical experience is ludicrous to me. I’m sure I’d feel super free if rabid coyotes attacked me while I didn’t have my phone with me. I’m sure that magical experience will really hold up if I twist my ankle and have to limp my way home.

2. Stop and Smell the Roses

I’ll preface this by saying, I am a slow runner. Like, may not finish in time for the cutoff slow. Like, people are always saying, “but you could walk faster than that!” And, first of all, eff off because no I couldn’t. I can walk at a normal pace, or I can run at a slow pace, but walking at a fifteen minute mile pace is not comfortable. If I try to walk at that pace, I hurt myself, so stop trying to tell me that my running isn’t fast enough to be worthwhile.

Alright, back to the point. I go slow enough that I know there’s a pretty good chance of getting swept in a marathon. Do I want to DNF a race and feel like the whole thing was a huge waste of time afterward, or do I want to DNF and be able to tell people that I really enjoyed my experience up to that point? With that said, I stopped to enjoy all of the pre-spring flowers that are coming out around me right now.

3. Just. Keep. Going.

These days, I’m all about progress. I know I’ll be at the back of the pack in any group of runners, so what’s the point of comparing my pace to them? I know there’s always going to be someone else who can go farther than me, so why would I worry about trying to keep up? But if I remember that I’m the only real competition, and that forward is a pace, then I can keep moving toward my goals.

So that’s it. Today I ran nine (very slow) miles on my way toward running a marathon. And I feel better for it!