Go Long and Prosper!!!

This past weekend the Chicago Marathon kicked off the fall marathon season.  The fall is one of my favorite times of year to run.  Morning, noon, or night the air is crisp with nearly zero humidity; great weather to go for a long run.  If you’re an endurance runner there is no escaping the long run; it’s the cornerstone of just about every running plan there is.  But why run long?  Can you get by with a bunch of 3-6-8 mile runs and call it a day?  The short answer is no.  The benefits of running long, full body work out, burns many calories, and improved mental health.

Need a work out, don’t have a gym membership… put on a pair of shoes and go for a run.  Technically speaking, any run over 90 minutes is considered a long run.  Within these 90 minutes you work your arms, legs, abs, quads, hamstrings, back, etc.  Show me one singular workout that will hit that many areas at the same time.

Looking for a high calorie burn?  Running long is the perfect answer to weight reduction, which generally speaking means reducing calories.  There are many tools, formulas, calculations, watches, and scales which will tell a person how many calories they've burned.  If you’re like me, forget all that and keep it simple.  A generally accepted formula to use is 100 calories per mile run.  So, if you run 5 miles, you've burned 500 calories.  So, if a person were to run 10 miles on their 90 minute long run, they've burned 1000 calories.  That’s a pretty good burn!!

Ever have one of those Monday morning feelings only to realize it’s Wednesday and you’re knee deep into it?  Whenever I have a stressful day a long run is there to clear my head, put me into a better mood, or help me work through whatever the situation I’m dealing with.  Running produces endorphins that your body just soaks up.  These endorphins naturally boost your mood, something many runners call the “runner’s high”.  Trust me its real.

So, for you newbies out there still not convinced a long run is for you.  I say this, we all started from zero.  Running long is truly possible for everyone.  But, we all must choose the path we run on individually.  If you decide to one day take that leap, proceed with caution.  Be sure to follow a sound plan, consult your physician, and build slowly.  The benefits of running outweigh the few.  Go long and prosper!!

Big Rome