How often the longest run need to be repeated in order to keep the form?

Question

I've read a lot about preparations for long runs, and all articles were accenting weekly mileage as the most important factor to keep form. You could almost get an impression, that all you need is mileage, so simply running 60k a week (eg. split for 6 10k runs) would give you form to run marathon.

It seems strange to me, because fatigue after running 10k in days in row is nothing compared to what come after making 30k in one run... I feel all stabilizing muscles, sore foot etc.

From the ultramarathonists' experience, what is the minimum frequency you need to repeat longest run to keep in form? For example, if your goal are 100k distances, do you need to run 100k at least once a month, or at least once every 2 months, apart from doing weekly mileage?

Answer 1

I'm not a runner, but I know some professionals. What they do is basically increase the distance for each run and work their way up.

• week 1: 10km
• week 2: 15km
• week 3: 20km
• week 4: 25km
• week 5: 30km

You get it. More importantly, you should rest after each session until your body fully recovered! This depends from person to person. Some need more recreational days than others, very important. So, some can run twice a week and some can only run once a week. Listen to your own body and try to push your limits, but don't force anything.

Pro tip: drink 500ml of green leaf juice in the morning and you can run across the whole country. Add apple and lemon for flavour and use a high-speed blender to break up the cell walls, because inside are the good proteins and micronutrients. I like to freeze the ingredients before blending.