10/09/2026
The long run should teach patience, not speed.
Today I ran 6.5 miles. My longest run since the Pittsburgh Half Marathon back in May. My plan was 6 miles, but apparently I miscalculated how far I was from home. 😂
The run ended up being a progression run, but not because I was chasing faster paces. I actually went into this run with a plan to chunk my miles.
🏃🏻♀️Miles 1–3: 9:30–9:45 pace
🏃🏻♀️Miles 4–6: 9:15–9:30 pace
🏃🏻♀️Final .5: Because I still had to get home.
Why chunk my miles? Because it keeps me mentally engaged and, more importantly, helps me stay disciplined with my pace early in the run. It’s so easy to start out feeling good and run faster than you should. But just because you CAN run faster doesn’t mean you SHOULD.
Here’s what I wish more runners understood about the long run.
The purpose isn’t to prove how fast you can run for an extended period of time. It’s to build endurance. To teach your body to stay efficient as the miles add up. To develop the mental patience to keep moving when fatigue starts creeping in.
And here’s the part runners tend to overlook: You shouldn’t have to completely exhaust yourself to make a long run productive.
If you’re finishing every long run completely wiped out, you’re likely compromising your recovery and potentially the quality of your training in the days that follow.
The goal isn’t to win your long run. The goal is to absorb the training, recover, and come back ready for the next one.
There’s absolutely a time and place for faster miles within a long run, especially when training for a specific race. But those faster miles should have a purpose, not just happen because you’re feeling good.
Today wasn’t about speed. It was about rebuilding endurance, practicing patience, and finishing feeling like I had more to give.
And the bonus? 6.5 more miles for Layups For Lucy💜🏀 💜
Sometimes the biggest progress comes from knowing when to hold back.
