Why You Need—and Want—to Go Long Often

There's nothing quite like long runs to develop your running body—and refresh your mind.  [View this email in your browser]( Escape Velocity An hour into my run on Sunday morning I escaped. Up until then, as in every other waking minute, my mind had been full of incessant and interrupting concerns. It jumped from running issues—does my foot hurt...is my stride compromised from too much sitting last week...am I overdressed—to home questions—will those shingles I glued down yesterday survive the winter..why didn't that outdoor light come on last night...should I get the mower serviced now to be ready come spring—to work troubles—can I get this project done on time..do we have enough budget for that idea...should I be focusing on that issue—on and on, an unsolvable web of unanswered questions. Just like yours, I suspect. But as the run took over, the rhythm of my breaths and my footfalls replaced the barrage of emails and news cycles, the calm of long, open time and space replaced tight schedules and intense interactions, and each concern drifted away. The questions didn't get solved but they faded in importance and urgency, replaced by a quiet calm, a voice that said, "It is going to be alright." I've known that voice since it calmed adolescent anxieties some forty years ago. And it has always been right. I didn't realize, until I heard it again, how much I've missed it. This run was the first time I've gone that long since August, when I broke a bone in my foot on a trail run. I've also missed the awareness of feeling no pain that washes over me as the run gets longer, and the thought that I could keep doing this all day, even as a deep and satisfying fatigue grows with the miles. And, I've missed the feeling I have today, two days later, of my body adapting into a stronger, leaner, more efficient machine. The long run does amazing things for your body, and the articles highlighted this week detail these benefits as well as how to best pace your long runs depending on your goals. As much as any other workouts, long runs transform you at the cellular level, raising your level of running excellence and ease. Beyond all the fitness benefits, however, the long run is worthwhile for its own sake, as a time in your week when you escape all your other roles and get to be just one thing: a runner, alive and free. Whatever you are training for this fall, whatever your level of conditioning or experience, I hope you get to go long often. —Jonathan Beverly, Editor If you find this newsletter valuable, please forward to friends and suggest they [subscribe]( invite them to join you in our [Turkey Trot PR Challenge]( Thank you! [Ask Pete: How Far and Fast Should I Run My Long Run?]( Your long run pace depends on your running goals, what systems you're trying to improve, current fitness, and what you mean by long. Pete Magill [What Pace Should You Run On Easy Long Runs?]( When you're going long and easy, running slower produces all of the benefits, and leaves you fresh for the training week to come.. Jeff Gaudette [4 Rules of Periodization to Help You Reach Your Peak]( Periodization—planning phases of your training—can take different forms, but follows universal rules that will help you get the most from your training. Jason Fitzgerald [Ditch The Long, Slow Marathon-Training Distance Run]( Revising the traditional long run with a focus on intensity will get you to the finish line faster—but you need to be creative and careful. Courtney Baird G E A R [Four Top New Light and Responsive Road Shoes]( Our review of four fun, fast, lightweight training/racing shoes to propel you to speedy miles. Jonathan Beverly [Update Your Newsletter Preferences]( [The Well]( [The Latest]( [Training]( [Shoes & Gear]( [The Rundown]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( [Privacy Policy]( Copyright © 2019 Pocket Outdoor Media, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in on one or more of these Pocket Outdoor Media brand websites: PocketOutdoorMedia.com, PodiumRunner.com, Triathlete.com, VeloNews.com, VeloPress.com, VeloSwap.com, WomensRunning.com or because of your business relationship with one or more of our brands. Our mailing address is: Pocket Outdoor Media 4745 Walnut St. Unit ABoulder, CO 80301-2587 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? [UPDATE YOUR PREFERENCES.]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Pocket Outdoor Media · 4745 Walnut St. · Unit A · Boulder, CO 80301-2587 · USA