Busting Common Endurance Running & Marathon Myths

My clients are a savvy lot. But I still hear a lot of misconception and confusion about endurance running. It's time to bust some myths! Here's the truth...…

The Marathon Training Myth: "You need to run at least 20 miles in training for a marathon or Ironman distance triathlon"

The truth: there's nothing magical about the 20-mile marker.

I get it, running a marathon or doing an Ironman triathlon is a daunting prospect (on that note, have you read my Ironman Frankfurt race report - it's here). It's understandable that people still believe the old advice about running 20, 22 or 24 miles at least once in training.

The truth is somewhat different. I encourage athletes to think beyond distance and time on their feet in training. There are other factors to consider, which may mean you don't need to touch 20 miles in training at all:

Do as much as is necessary for aerobic development. Research shows that 90-120 minutes of running brings about the most mitochondrial growth and is therefore the sweet spot for aerobic development. And this is the main goal of those long runs.
Don't run 20+ miles just because it will boost your confidence. Long runs also make you very tired, and demand a lot of recovery time, both of which could impact your new found confidence.
Train your technique. Form tends to deteriorate towards the end of very long runs. Scale back the long distances and train good running technique every time you run.
Rethink the structure of your training week. Instead of one long run taking up 50% or more of your time and mileage, increase total volume slightly by adding in a greater number of useful sessions like tempo runs.
Try splitting your long run across the weekend: 8-10 miles at marathon race pace on Saturday, then a slow 16-18 miles on Sunday with the final 4-6 miles at marathon race pace.

The Easy Run Myth: "Run faster on easy recovery runs, and you'll get faster more quickly"

The truth: recovery runs are easy for a reason!

This is another misconception that I can understand. We all like to progress quickly, especially in sport, and it makes sense to push harder to get faster results. But rest days, recovery runs, and easy runs are in your schedule for a reason. Respect the recovery run!

There's a time to push hard and exert yourself. Easy runs aren't the time. Save the intense effort of your interval runs, tempo runs and sprints. Easy runs have two main functions: helping you recover, and boosting your aerobic development. Pushing too hard can actually prevent both of these things happening.

If you still think easy runs are useless, think about what's happening as you cruise along:

You are increasing blood flow to the muscles.
You're delivering oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and organs (and clearing out waste).
You are helping your body recover from your most recent hard training runs or race.
You're setting a great foundation for your next hard training session.
You're maximising your chances of being fit, healthy and injury-free for many years to come!

The Footwear Myth: "Minimalist shoes or barefoot running takes us back to our physiological roots and is the best choice for everyone"

The truth: whoah, not so fast. The barefoot running trend shouldn't be adopted by everyone, and here's why.

Barefoot running and minimalist footwear has been a huge trend over recent years. The idea is that the lack of cushioning forces you to adopt a forefoot-strike style of running, which is apparently better for us all. But is everyone built to be a forefoot striker? And should we all strive to be one? I don't think so.

And research has shown that minimalist running shoes don't actually force everyone to run on the forefoot anyway. It's thought that 30%+ of people who try minimalist shoes still end up running as heel strikers. And the lack of cushioning and structure in the shoe results in increased impact with the ground, and potential injury.

Minimalist footwear, and forefoot strike running style, can be suitable for some runners. But don't assume it is best for you. Get your gait, strike pattern and biomechanics assessed (I can point you in the right direction), and then choose footwear which suits you. Don't try to change your running style to suit a new pair of shoes (no matter how cool they look).