Where do you do your long runs?

2»

Replies

  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
    i dont think i could do loops. I generally run to nearby villages and back, but like to vary it up now and again. Im not on marathon length routes. My longest is 15 miles, but ive got some other longer ones planned for the future
  • cariandy
    cariandy Posts: 175 Member
    I agree with taking your cell phone and letting someone know that you are out running. I think it may be more motivating if you are not running a little loop..that could get monotonous! I use the www.mapmyrun.com and map out my runs..it will also show your elevations if you need to add hill training. I use a bike path sometimes, but prefer to do a big loop as opposed to running straight out then havinging to run the same route back..everyone is different so you'll find what works for you!! Good Luck!!:wink:
  • atsteele
    atsteele Posts: 1,358 Member
    I change my trip up w/3 different routes. If you let your mind distract you while you run..it really does not matter where you are going!! lol ALWAYS RUN WITH SOMEONE IF YOU CAN..stay safe!

    I was thinking the same thing! Safety is paramount, not just in regards to "bad guys" but also bad drivers and extreme weather conditions. If you can find a partner to run with, all the better. You can pick different routes, depending who wants to be the "map" for that run. I try to stay off main roads as much as possible, although it's very difficult to do on long runs. Also, I try to get most of my mileage in developments and less traffic roads but avoid areas that are isolated. I have driven around our area looking for the best routes beforehand. What I need to do is find more routes to run because I have gotten in the habit of running the same route almost all the time... which is not a good idea from the standpoint of safety.
  • UltraRunnerGale
    UltraRunnerGale Posts: 346 Member
    The beauty of having a GPS watch is that you can run without mapping the route out. I run around my neighborhood, zig zag around different streets, go to new areas, etc. There is a towpath by my house that is great for long runs but any road running gets boring for me since I became a trail runner. I try to go to trails that are somewhat familiar to me. I park my car at a trail head then venture out one way for a while, then turn around. Use my car as an aid station, get more water, eat some PB&J, use the restroom,etc, then venture out the opposite way for a while. Can get some long runs in without being terribly far from my car. That can work for road running as well. :bigsmile:
  • Vhovell
    Vhovell Posts: 286
    I am training for a marathon in October and my long-runs are becoming really long. I have a very nice hilly loop in my neighborhood that is about 3 miles long. I have been running that loop so far in my training but I am thinking that running the same loop 4 or 5 times will get really boring, no matter how pretty it is.

    I am wondering whether I should venture out to the city and create a long-run route for myself, but it also scares me a bit because it will mean I will be quite a distance away from home during my run and will have to figure out how to go back if something goes wrong. Also, I do not know how to figure out whether a route I choose will be good traffic and safety-wise. I have a Garmin GPS watch, so maybe I should just run 6 miles one way and then turn around on Saturday? What do you do?

    I use a website called walkrunjog.co.uk and you just put in your postcode and it brings up a birds eye view and you can either see other peoples routes, or create your own. I find it great :o)
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    I do like out-and-back as you know how much you have left to do and you can aim for a negative split by going a bit faster on the way back - easier when home's in sight! But for longer runs, I have some loops that I can make longer with add-on sections.

    I sussed them out first on MapMyRun and checked whether I'd be happy with the route by using Google street view which eliminated a few overly-rural country lanes for me.

    Alternatively, when I have a tough new challenge, like you I don't like to get too far from home in case it all goes pear-shaped. Why not work out several loops or out and backs from home in different directions, say three different directions at two miles out then back each?

    Good luck, let us know what you do!
  • Jconner30
    Jconner30 Posts: 311
    I do not like to look at same scenery (this was posted earlier by another person). If I did a 5 mile loop, by the 2nd time, I would just go home... At least I know I will do it if I made one large loop! Its also nice to know you are getting close to the house (at the end of the run). I get happy at <2 miles :)
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
    Here in the Houston area where I live, we have these awesome greenbelt trails. I do my c25k walk/jog there. I don't like to be on "display" so running through these wooded trails is perfect for me. Runkeeper didn't work on my Android so I went to Endomondo (just make sure when going to the website you type it in correctly, one misspelled letter and it brought me to some crazy-looking porno website in Chinese, with my 10 yr old right next to me, thought I'd die....anyhow) and I love this app and website. It tracks your route or you can draw it out yourself, tells you your distance, speed, calories...for all sports.
  • lucythinmint
    lucythinmint Posts: 239
    I live in Las Vegas and I map out my runs on Google. I go through the city and on extra long runs I run down the strip (non weekend days).
    I get up an hour before my family every day and go running. Its a lot less hot and less traffic to worry about.

Categories