Where do you do your long runs?

TorridCutie
TorridCutie Posts: 84 Member
edited September 30 in Fitness and Exercise
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?

Replies

  • winodini
    winodini Posts: 135 Member
    I typically s tick to running/walking loops in my neighborhood. Boring, yes. I am going to venture out of my comfort zone this weekend with a friend and run along the sidewalks in town. Should be interesting. our local park offers a paved portion, and a nature trail for this as well that I use while my kids are at soccer practice.
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
    There is a bike path here in Irvine that's many miles long - I rack up the miles there.

    This version of Google Maps might be helpful:

    http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/


    It's not that intuitive - read through the docs at the "Usage Instructions" link and you'll be all set.

    Enjoy runs and good luck with the marathon!
  • wbgolden
    wbgolden Posts: 2,066 Member
    I do like the "out and back" strategy.

    but sometimes out and back from home does get boring, so i find one of the local trails (most are paved around here, it seems) and "out and back" from the easiest access point.
  • Broken_
    Broken_ Posts: 172 Member
    I use the river near my home. There is a nice loop and a foot bridge that gives me a great variety.
  • Malloryrae1211
    Malloryrae1211 Posts: 60 Member
    I live in a rural area and there are a few different loops I take. For some reason I HATE having to look at the same thing twice so I don't run x miles out then turn around and go back. Just bring a cell phone. I know a few people who live around my loop so if I'm 5 miles out with my kids and a storm hits I could run there. Good luck!
  • MarieNevada
    MarieNevada Posts: 395 Member
    do a google search for a running group in your area. or check with a specialty running store such as The Running Room. they could give you an idea or maybe you could join them and do your long runs in a group. The Running Room offers marathon training classes. then you don't have to worry about your safety as much when you're far from home running a trail
  • JHunter75
    JHunter75 Posts: 14
    If you can, map a one-way running route. When you get to the end, have a friend, family member, non-stalker-type person pick you up and drive you home. I have found that these kinds of runs are far more enjoyable than out-and-back runs or loops around your neighborhood.
  • TTops76
    TTops76 Posts: 116
    I use the log your run app on my phone to check out trails that other people have run or logged. Then I carry my phone with me and it will show me where I need to go. Other good thing about it is I can let my fiance know before hand where I will be at on that day. Good luck
  • ErikaJanem
    ErikaJanem Posts: 7 Member
    you can always check with your cities visting center to see if the have specified runners trails. maybe running along with others will help you.
  • ✿KẙMb529✿
    ✿KẙMb529✿ Posts: 152
    http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/?
    I really like this website. Just put in your location and other people's recorded running paths come up. Other runners have already mapped the run and have commented on it, so you have an idea of what to expect. It shows the distance and everything. You can always drive it to get a better idea of the area too.
    Good luck in your race!!
  • elliecolorado
    elliecolorado Posts: 1,040
    I live in the middle of nowhere and there is a long dirt road outside of town that runs along the river and is about 8 miles each direction from where the dirt road starts to the end so it's 16 miles if you go to the end and back. I don't run that far, yet, but I do bike that road sometimes.
  • maemiller
    maemiller Posts: 439 Member
    www.mapmyrun.com

    i use this to map my route the day before i do my long run. i live in the country so my runs are on the country back roads. But i like to map my course so i can do my mileage and in case anything would happen, my family knows what roads to find me
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I use RunKeeper.com to map out routes, typically loops, sometimes zig-zagging though side streets and alley ways to get more mileage.
  • irishseven
    irishseven Posts: 35 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!
  • wbgolden
    wbgolden Posts: 2,066 Member
    I use RunKeeper.com to map out routes, typically loops, sometimes zig-zagging though side streets and alley ways to get more mileage.

    another strategy i use. runkeeper is awesome. both the app and the site :)
  • Runs4Wine
    Runs4Wine Posts: 416 Member
    For my shorter runs I stick to the neighborhoods and take various loops to change it up a bit. For my longer runs there's a bike/walking trail that stretches for miles and miles... so I run to that for my 7+ mile runs and then do X miles out then turn around and run home.

    Like everyone else mentioned, check out various options on mapmyrun.com for some variety.
  • TorridCutie
    TorridCutie Posts: 84 Member
    Thank you all for the feedback and ideas. I am looking at some of the sites that you suggested right now. I will create a route for myself.
  • yaddayaddayadda
    yaddayaddayadda Posts: 430 Member
    I don't run, but I take long walks. We go to the C & O Canal to walk. Any place like that is great. There are mile markers so you can keep track of how far you have gone, and there are other people around for safety reasons.
  • paulclifforduk
    paulclifforduk Posts: 3
    I'm quite lucky living in Yorkshire in the UK. I have access to some great off road running using the trans pennine trail but also use road loops. I try to vary my runs quite a bit as it helps to keep things interesting. I also take my phone with me when running and make sure people know where I am going before I set off.

    Completed my first 18 mile run last weekend in prep for my first marathon in October. Aiming for a max of 22 miles in training before the race.

    Still quite new to MFP and it would be great to receive a friend request from anybody who is interested in sharing some motivation.

    Happy running folks!
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    I am NOT a loop person. I took careful steps in planning my routes for my long runs. Typically they were out & back sections, with single loop parts to add up the mileage. Sometimes it also helps to drive your route & check out the side of the road to see if you will have enough room to run there & how uneven it is.
  • 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.
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