Should You Be Cutting Out The Long Run Now?

Published April 9, 2025 

This is a hectic time of year - but also a fun time of year - for you and your athletes.

Today, I want to help you plan for the rest of the season with a tip that will help your kids PR in the last three meets of the year.

The Long Run

The long run is a key workout in my training most months of the year. Both cross country runners and 1600m/3200m runners gain significant fitness from weekly long runs (or a long run every 10 days).

And...

When an athlete only has 3-4 weeks left in their track season, however, the long run should not be a key workout.  

“But don’t we need to stimulate the aerobic metabolism in these last few weeks?” 

Absolutely!

But a long run isn’t the most effective way to do this when you consider the stresses from races and race pace workouts. Your kids have a limited number of hard days they can complete in a week.

What could you do in place of a long run to get an aerobic stimulus?

Progression Runs  

I love progression runs for three reasons.

1. Athletes have fun with them.
2. Athletes gain confidence when they run 20-30 minutes and feel fast at the end of the run.
3. A controlled progression run advances the athlete’s fitness.

While I think older kids can handle 30-minute progression runs most months of the year, I’d consider just 20 or 25 minutes as the appropriate assignment this time of year.

The workouts both start with 10 minutes steady, then 5 minutes a bit faster, then 5 minutes fast but controlled for the 20-minute version.

For 25 minutes simply tack on one more 5-minute segment in the middle, but again, that last segment must be controlled. The workout is 10-5-5-5 for 25 total minutes.

For both assignments, the athlete needs to be able to say: “I could have run 5 more minutes at that pace without any problem. And, if you told me I had to do 10 more minutes, I had that in me, but it would have been a race effort.” 

Then you have them run easy for 3-5 minutes, before immediately going into the post-run work, to extend the aerobic stimulus. If the concept is new to you, read about it in ​A Comprehensive Cross Country Training Plan​.

Here's The Workout...

Here’s how I assign this workout.

1. Dynamic Warm-up (get the one I currently use ​here​)
2. 7 minutes of easy running, followed by 8 minutes with 3 x 20 seconds at 5k pace.
3. 20-minute progression run: 10 minutes steady, 5 minutes a bit faster, then 5 minutes faster but controlled.
4. Run easy for 5 minutes, then go directly into post-run work. Total run time is 40 minutes. (If doing a 25-minute progression run, then the total run time is 45 minutes).
5. Post-run work is a “Hard” day. Use color progression or do the SAM phase you're on (get those ​here​).

One thing to remember with this is that if there is no break between the dynamic warm-up and the running, and no break between the running portion and the post-run work, the total time moving is:

• 13 minutes – Dynamic Warm-up
• 40 minutes – Running portion
• 20 minutes – Post-run work

Thus, with just a 20-minute progression run, the total time moving is 73 minutes. If an athlete can handle a 25-minute progression run, then they are likely doing 25 minutes of post-run work on their Hard post-run day. Thus, they get in 83 minutes. What a day!

“What about strides after the workout?”  

Great question.

When I assign this workout, the athlete would have done 3 x 20 second strides at 5k pace in the first 15 minutes of the run for a bit of “engine revving.”

Yet, if athletes are doing strides every other day that they run, then this is a day where they can go right into the challenging post-run work and get a longer aerobic stimulus, rather than changing into spikes and having their heart rate dip.

That said, if you want to have them spike up for some faster strides after the progression run and before the post-run work that's fine. The obvious issues is we're not "extending the aerobic stimulus" by going immediately into the post-run work, but again, that's fine.

The bottom line with post-workout strides: either approach will work and there are benefits to both. If it were me, I'd explain the options and the rational to the athletes and let them choose.

800m PRs 

“I did it last week and all 3 of my girls had season bests and one was a PR.” 

That coach is talking about the ​800m Pre-Race day​. It works, and there is plenty of time to use it before the season ends.

It's Go Time!

The first day of the Colorado State Track Meet is just five weeks from tomorrow!

It's time for your athletes to get quality sleep, be mindful about their hydration, and focus on beating the people in front of them to PR and possibly advance to the championship meets.

Let’s go!

Jay

PS – "This is the book I wish I had when I was in high school. It's a must-read."

That's what Chris Lear, author of Running with the Buffaloes, says about ​Consistency Is Key: 15 Ways to Unlock Your Potential as a High School Runner​ 

You can get a bundle of books and save over 50 percent. Shipping is free. We're happy to help you pay with a PO.

Details ​here​.

PPS - You can get six chapters for free - ​click here​.