Many people say, “I could never run that far”. They are almost always wrong.

Running long distances is something that you can easily train your body to do. The biggest barrier is your own mind. If your longest run is 5 miles, you can’t imagine that you could run 10, 15, 20 miles or more. You can run farther than you think you can.

There are several things that you can do to successfully increase the length of your runs.

Slow down - Don’t expect to be able to run longer distances at the same speed as do on your short runs.

Get some rest - If you do shorter runs every day, take a rest day (or two) and then attempt a longer run.

Run back-to-back’s - If you normally take a rest day between runs, run two of your normal runs back-to-back on consecutive days. This will help you build the endurance needed for longer runs. If you can run 5 miles on 2 consecutive days, you can probably run 7-8 miles after a rest day.

Cross-train - If you normally take a rest day between runs, but don’t want to run back-to-back’s, you can do some cross-training to help improve your endurance. Biking, elliptical, and stair climber are all good choices.

Walk - If you are trying to extend the length of your runs, don’t be afraid to walk a bit, if you need to. It’s not a failure. Run-walking is a perfectly legitimate way to cover long distances. Jeff Galloway and thousands of his followers do it. Most ultramarathoners do it at some point in their races.

Strengthen your legs - Even using just your body weight, there are a lot of exercises you can do that will help you to improve your leg strength to be able to handle longer runs.

Increase gradually - Don’t suddenly double the length of your long runs. Increase them gradually, by not more than 10% per week.

Have a plan - Plan out the routes for your long runs carefully. Give yourself a destination to go to. Have someone drop you off at a distant point and run home. Run an out and back course and plan where you will turn around. Give yourself some options to run slightly longer or shorter, depending on how you feel.

Bring a drink and a snack - If you are running for more than an hour, it’s a good idea to bring a drink with you (or plan your run around the location of a water fountain). An energy gel or a chew may provide the carbs you need to finish strong on a long run.

Enter a race - You can usually run a race that is a bit longer than your longest run. If your longest run is 5 miles, you can probably do a 10K race. If your longest run is 10 miles, you can probably do a half marathon. The crowd and your adrenaline will carry you to the finish line.

How do you increase the length of your long runs? Tell me in the comments.

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