Changing up how you run and the distances you cover each time you go out, whether you’re training for a specific event or just working out to stay in shape, will keep things interesting and pay off in terms of better overall fitness (both aerobic and anaerobic), endurance, and performance. But that’s easy to say. The hard part is figuring out the best mix of short and long runs and when to do them so they fit in with all your other commitments. But we’re here to help.
First, let’s talk about what we mean by “short” and “long” runs, since different people will have very different ideas about what these terms mean. For Damian Hall or Jasmin Paris, a short run is a 30-mile bimble across the Brecon Beacons or a pootle over the Peaks. For most of us, though, those words mean something very different.
In this article, we’ll use the term “long run” to mean any outing that lasts an hour or more and is done at a slow pace, no matter how far it goes. We’ll use the term “short run” to mean fast-paced activities like interval and tempo work. There are long-term benefits to both types of running.
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What would make me want to go for a long run?
Longer runs, where you keep a steady pace and cadence for a long time, are great for building muscle strength, improving your breathing patterns (which raises your aerobic capacity and VO2 max score), and boosting your mental and physical endurance.
As you run, you improve your cardiovascular system, teach your body how to store and use glycogen more effectively, and make your musculoskeletal system stronger. This is because the longer you exercise (when you take rest days), the more mitochondria and capillaries your muscle cells make.
If you want to run a half, a marathon, or an ultra, you need to put in some long miles during training to get your mind and body ready for the challenge of running for many hours. You also need to know how much food and water your body needs during these kinds of challenges and figure out the best way to give it to them long before race day.
Why would I want to do the quick, short things?
Even if you don’t want to stand on a podium or put cutlery on your mantle, adding some speedwork to your weekly training can be very good for your running fitness and overall health. To begin with, speed-based sessions are shorter and easier to fit into your work and home life. But if you want to get better at running, even if it’s just cutting a few seconds off your parkrun PB, you’ll have to run outside of your comfort zone at some point. That means speeding up.
If this sounds interesting but a little scary, it might help to clarify what “speedwork” means. It’s not the same as full-on sprinting, but some of the techniques, like moving your arms more, can be used in both. The term basically includes any kind of running where you try to go faster than you normally would on long runs. This can include everything from track repeats, strides, and fartleks to tempo runs on non-technical surfaces.
Running shorter distances at a faster pace teaches your body how to use the anaerobic energy stored in your muscles more effectively and trains your system to work more dynamically, which will help you run faster for longer. Elizabeth Corkum, a running coach, says that “it recruits and develops fast-twitch muscle fibre, builds muscle, raises heart rate, and burns more calories.”
Tempo runs, in which you try to run just below your all-out goal race pace and within (but close to) your lactate threshold, are great for building stamina and mental strength so you can keep going even when your legs are begging you to stop.
How do I deal with the mix?
The 80/20 method is a popular way to mix short and long runs into your weekly training routine. It says that 80% of your exercise should be done at a slower, more relaxed long-run pace, and the other 20% should be done at a faster, more intense fast-run pace. This method is popular for a reason: it works very well, lowers the risk of injury or burnout, and has been used by world-class runners like Eliud Kipchoge and Paula Radcliffe to get ready for races.
Joining a good running club can really help amateurs deal with this split. Bigger clubs often have different sessions on different days of the week, mixing longer runs with exercises like splits and interval training, and even the occasional beep test to keep everyone on their toes. Experienced run leaders will explain what you need to do for each exercise, but if you’re doing your own thing, remember that warming up is especially important before doing any speedwork.
