• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • New? Start Here!

RunToTheFinish

Online Running Coach for All Paces, All Ages

  • Training
    • Beginner Half Marathon Training
    • Sub Two Half Marathon Training
    • Marathon Training
    • New Runner Tips
    • Low Heart Rate Training
    • Group Run Coaching
    • Nutrition for Runners
  • Running Injuries
  • Gear Reviews
  • Work Together
    • Virtual Run Club
    • 1-1 Coaching
    • Brand Partnerships
  • Courses
    • Book
    • IT Band Solution
    • LHR Training Plans
  • Blog

The Split Long Run: Is It As Effective?

96shares

Sunday – 4:00AM
AKA – Zero dark o’clock and time to get up for a marathon training run

What if I just sleep a few more minutes?
And an hour later…oh man I don’t have time for all 18 miles.

It happens to the best of us at some point in training, we just can’t figure out how to squeeze an extra hour out of our day or maybe for you that’s every single long run.

Which often leads to the question: can I split my long run in two or is it less effective? Split Long Run: Does it have the same impact as a long marathon training run, click to find out

What is a split long run?

Instead of doing all 20 miles on your weekly long run in one shot, you might split it in to 12 in the morning followed by 8 that evening…or any other variation where your math correctly adds back up to 20/2.

Busy? Tired? Life? Find out how to split your long run for maximum benefits #runchat #marathontraining Click To Tweet

Is the benefit the same as a single long run?

No. Well fine, then why not?

Oh let me count the ways that long runs force you to learn about your brain and your body…

  1. Extended time running forces you to learn the mental tricks you need to keep going when you’re ready to stop
  2. Extended time running helps you learn how to pace for a longer distance
  3. Longer runs teach you what kind of fuel your body can handle and what it needs to avoid hitting the wall
  4. Long runs are where your muscles breakdown, repair and adapt to the SPECIFIC stress of longer distances

Does it still have value?

Yes! There are actually a number of reasons you might employ this a few times during a training cycle. One of the main reasons is for someone who finds themselves chronically injured or returning to higher mileage, it can help early in the training cycle to split up that run.

A good coach will know your strengths and weaknesses, so if you often run too hard on long runs or get injured, they may opt to split your long run occasionally throughout training to provide some different benefits.

  • Entirely over scheduled week
  • Runner returning from overuse injury
  • Runner who often gets injured during marathon training
  • Managing extreme outdoor temps if you can’t stomach the treadmill
  • Using the split to get in more miles at goal race pace
  • Option to cover more miles in the day than the single long run

Ironman finisher, speedy marathon runner and full time mom Stephanie, uses them on occasion:

I am a busy Mom and sometimes I simply can’t find the time to get in my longer runs. I would rather split it into two runs than not do it at all. If I can bust out some in the morning and then a few more miles during my kids soccer practice or after they go to bed, I feel like I have put in the work.

Why it's ok to split your long run
In fact, elite running coach Andrew Kastor will also employ the split run with his athletes:

It’s not as effective as running a straight 20 miler, but there are different benefits. I will typically do this if I am trying to raise someone’s overall weekly mileage and feel the Sunday run would just put them over the edge.
Let’s say its a safer way of getting more out of the week versus getting the most out of a straight long run. [Bonus] The athlete will burn more calories running 12M/8M that day as well, need to remember the “after burn” of metabolism effect of each run.

How to Maximize the Split Long Run?

If you are going to split your long run, then make the most of it!

  • Ideally your first run will be at least a few miles longer than your second run.
  • If the second run is half as long, try running it at a faster pace than the morning run.
  • Remember time between the runs isn’t meant for hiking, biking and other crazy activities.
  • Use the second run to really focus on good form while running on tired legs.
  • Use both runs to test out pre-run foods that sit well on your stomach and give you enough energy.
  • Remember to hydrate consistently all day so you aren’t at a deficient going in to the second run.

The short and sweet of this my friends is that while it sounds divine to split it up, sleep in, not endure the brain games that start happening around mile 17 you really need to do it. You’re a runner and a marathoner and thus…you’re willing to do the hard things.

Now go on and read more about how to prepare mentally for those miles!How to enjoy your long run

Now the next step is finding ways to enjoy the long run! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Top Podcasts for Running >>
Long Run Mind Games >>
Surviving Long Runs on the Treadmill >>

What’s your longest long run?

Have you ever tried splitting it?

Other ways to connect with Amanda
Instagram Daily Fun: RunToTheFinish

Facebook Community Chatter: RunToTheFinishRunning_motivation_thumb

Sign Up to Receive a Weekly Newsletter with Top Running Tips

96shares

Posted by amanda Categories: Marathon, marathon training, running coach

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. [email protected] the Long Way Home says

    September 3, 2017 at 2:30 pm

    Mentally, I need that long run. I need to know I can go that distance all in one fell swoop.

  2. Emily Swanson says

    September 4, 2017 at 7:39 am

    The longest long run I’ve ever done was about 21 miles (besides a marathon), but I’ve never tried splitting them up. However that does make a lot of sense especially if you don’t have a large chunk of time to devote to one.

  3. Aimee Run Eat Drink Podcast @runeatdrinkpod says

    September 5, 2017 at 2:50 am

    Interesting take on the split. I know I have to do the long run all at once to feel the effects on race day. But good points about benefits if you have to do it! Thanks!

  4. Kimberly Hatting says

    September 5, 2017 at 11:56 am

    My longest training run has been the benchmark 20 miles. I have split up some long runs, though, to crank out the miles in a way that would work with my schedule. Although I know it’s not ideal, it does give your brain a break from all of the “thinking & dreading” of the longer runs LOL

  5. Marcia says

    September 5, 2017 at 7:54 pm

    My longest training run is 22 miles. While I sometimes will pause and regroup for about 15 minutes in the middle of my long run, I’ve never totally split in up into two parts of the day. I fear that second run might not get done.

    • amanda says

      September 6, 2017 at 8:42 am

      I’m totally that way, I need to just get ‘er done!

  6. Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says

    September 6, 2017 at 6:09 am

    I have never done a full marathon before but we did do a couple double runs to train for Ragnar in the past.

  7. Mema Sandie says

    September 9, 2017 at 6:01 pm

    My longest run while training for the LA Marathon was 26 miles (run/walk/run, Jeff Galloway-style). The only way I split it up was to do some of it on my treadmill and some on the streets.

Primary Sidebar

Filter by Category
  • Select a Category
  • 10 miler
  • 10K
  • 13.1 marathon series
  • 15K
  • 30 Day Challenge
  • 5k
  • About ME
  • Abs
  • Active Travel
  • alaska
  • Amanda Brooks
  • Arizona
  • Asics
  • Austin
  • Baltimore
  • barefoot running
  • beauty
  • Biking
  • birthday
  • bloggers
  • blogging tips
  • body fat
  • body image
  • body weight exercises
  • book reviews
  • Boston Marathon
  • breakfast
  • California
  • Camping
  • Canada
  • Caribbean
  • chicago
  • ChiRunning
  • Clean Eating
  • cold weather training
  • colorado
  • compression
  • Costa Rica
  • Crockpot
  • cross training
  • CrossFit
  • dairy free
  • dessert
  • egg free
  • electrolytes
  • emotional health
  • Europe
  • family
  • Fit Together
  • fitness gear
  • Fitness Tracker
  • fitness vacation
  • florida
  • foam roller
  • food sensitivity
  • Fort Lauderdale
  • France
  • Funny Running
  • Gift Guide
  • Gluten Free
  • GPS Watch
  • Green Smoothie
  • Guides and Tips
  • habits
  • Half Marathon
  • Hawaii
  • HBBC
  • health coach
  • healthy eating
  • Healthy Home
  • Healthy lifestyle
  • Heart Rate Training
  • HIIT workout
  • hiking
  • hiking
  • Hip Strength
  • Hoka One One
  • Holistic Health
  • Hormones
  • hydration
  • Iceland
  • injury
  • inspiration
  • instagram
  • Ireland
  • IT Band
  • IT Band Recovery
  • Jerusalem
  • key west
  • knee injury
  • Kona
  • Love
  • low heart rate training
  • Maffetone
  • main dish
  • Marathon
  • marathon training
  • marriage
  • meal planning
  • Meditation
  • Memphis
  • mental marathon training
  • Mexico
  • Miami
  • Motivation
  • New York City
  • New York City Marathon
  • New York City Marathon Training
  • NYC marathon
  • Oregon
  • Orlando
  • Palm Beach
  • Philadelphia Marathon
  • physical therapy
  • podcasts
  • Prague
  • Product Review
  • Race
  • race costume
  • race medal
  • race photo
  • race report
  • Ragnar
  • Recipe
  • recovery
  • recovery meal
  • relaxation
  • relay race
  • resolution run
  • review
  • Rock N Roll
  • run club
  • Runner's World
  • running accessories
  • running books
  • running coach
  • running form
  • running fuel
  • running gear
  • Running Group
  • running motivation
  • running music
  • Running Shoes
  • safety
  • salads
  • san diego
  • Saucony
  • Seattle
  • skin care
  • Soup
  • South Beach
  • South Carolina
  • South Florida
  • speed work
  • sports nutrition
  • Stand Up Paddle Boarding
  • Steamboat Springs
  • Strength Training
  • stretching
  • sugar reduction
  • Thanksgiving
  • trail running
  • Training Group
  • training plan
  • travel
  • travel running
  • treadmill
  • treadmill workout
  • triathlon
  • ultrarunning
  • vegan
  • Vegas
  • vegatarian
  • vegetable
  • virtual run
  • wedding
  • weight loss
  • winter
  • women's running
  • workout
  • workout motivation
  • workout schedule
  • Yoga

5 Secrets to Improve Your RUn

Start Making Quick Progress on Your Goals (I swear it's easy) no matter your current fitness level. The tips I share with the runners I coach.

Recent Posts

  • What to Eat Before a Run | Best Pre Workout Snacks
  • Budget Friendly Workout Gear |That Fits and Works
  • Running Twice a Day | Pros and Cons
  • 30 Day Core Challenge | Abs, Glutes and Hips
  • Running Gait Analysis | Is it Valuable and How to Use it?

Must Have Gear

Comparing GPS Watches

Best HR Monitor for Running

Best Foam Rollers

Best Running Books

Running Jackets for Every Condition

fitness partners

Please note that affiliate links {such as Amazon} may pop up on RTTF from time to time. They do not cost you anything to use, but are a huge help to support the ongoing content creation process. Click here to do your shopping!

Welcome!!

Hello runners! I’m Amanda Brooks, a certified personal trainer and running coach. I’ve been coaching over a decade and distance running since 2002. My philosophy is that running isn’t about your pace or the distance or your body. It’s about showing up for yourself, loving the process and doing it injury free!

 

online running coach

Footer

Get the Free 5 Day Better Runner Challenge

Start Making Quick Progress on Your Goals (I swear it's easy)

About Amanda Brooks

Amanda Brooks is a Certified Running Coach, Certified Personal Trainer and long time distance runner with a passion for every facet of running, which leads her to do more reading, research and running than necessary. Find all the tips, tricks and tools you need from this running coach for your best injury free running. Read More…

Popular Posts on RunToTheFinish

  • Piriformis Syndrome Exercises: Alleviating a Pain in the Butt
  • 17 Funniest Running Memes – Which One’s Do You Relate To?
  • Why Your Workout is Causing Weight Gain
  • Best Virtual Races and 11 Reasons You Need to Do One
  • T25, P90X3, PiYo – Can it Improve Your Running? Complete Comparison

runtothefinish

Amanda Brooks : Run Coach
SHARE THE ONE that resonates most with you. 🏃‍♀️🏃🏾🏃🏽‍♂️
 
It’s true, I’ll never stop talking about the warm up 😂. But right now the idea that running is HOPEFUL really strikes a chord.💜
 
We show up mile after mile always looking to what’s ahead and what’s possible.
 
Which one hits home for you?
.
.
.
#runningmotivation #runninginspiration #medalmonday #fitnessmemes #runningmemes #runningquotes #runnerslife #runnerlife
AVOID HITTING THE WALL (save this and review befor AVOID HITTING THE WALL (save this and review before races) -AKA  Bonking. UK friends giggle at that, but it’s a term just like fartlek.
.
It’s that painful moment when your mind tells your legs to stop and it feels like there’s nothing you can do to turn the tides. It leaves emotional scars!🥵
 
WHAT TO DO!
1️⃣Train differently - seems obvious, but consistent training that follows a plan which progressively and smartly builds your miles and strength and speed...ya it works.
 
2️⃣Fuel, fuel, fuel - force yourself to eat before races and long runs even if not hungry.
.
Starting fueling sooner than you think you need to and keep doing it. During races your body is running on more carbs and needs that steady flow of energy. 
.
🧠 Your brain functions on CARBS, stop depriving it or it will tell you to stop running. If food while running is an issue for you, checkout something like @genucan.
 
3️⃣Pacing - Stop going out too fast because you’re excited, it absolutely catches up to you. Ideal is even pacing start to finish.
 
4️⃣Pay attention to your brain. @fitzgerald.matt in How Bad Do You Want it does a great job of showing how the brain can limit performance if you don’t know what’s happening up there.
 
5️⃣Recover better - Stop over training and give your body tools to help it destress from all the work...the best one is SLEEP. I also love @resiliencecbd to help with nerves prior to a race and quality sleep during training.
 
❓❓Helpful?? Have more race day questions?? Or an epic story of hitting the wall?? I wanna know.❓❓
.
.
.
Thanks to @moxie82co for capturing this weird moment, it worked great for this post.
HIT THOSE HIPS!!! I’ve given you a couple hip mo HIT THOSE HIPS!!! I’ve given you a couple hip mobility workouts, now we add strength!
//
🥳For the next 30 days in the Virtual Run Club we’ll be going hard on all the pre-hab work for hips, glutes and abs. Because running isn’t just about the miles.
//
That’s one of the reasons I’ve been consistently doing @insidetracker bloodwork since 2015.
.
It’s helped me identify low Vitamin D causing fatigue or catch my wayyy high cortisol to embrace easy runs as key part of the process.
📌 (Save this post because the last screen has a 25% off discount code and you can get free access to the 30 Day March Challenge.)
👉LINK IN BIO FOR BOTH
✅✅✅✅
3 CORE MOVES
|||
You can use these as a progression or do all three, they’ll target the hips, glutes and core in different ways with each variation.
 
Aim for 15 reps prior to a run or do multiple rounds as part of a workout!
 
1️⃣Side Plank Kneeling Hip Raise - Really focus on your core engaging to raise up and keeping your elbow under your shoulder.
 
2️⃣Side Plank Kneeling Leg Raise - Again core should be tight to keep hips lifted, not sagging towards the ground. Then focus on your hip and glute to raise the top leg.
 
3️⃣Straight Leg Side Plank Leg Raise - Engage the core to keep hips high and press the bottom foot in to the ground to really engage your glutes. Slow and steady to remain stable while raising and lowering top leg.
❓❓❓❓
Talk to me!!!
Who’s in for 10 min a day in March?
Who’s gotten blood work to improve their health?
Who’s excited it’s almost spring?
👉👉Me to all 3! And more info in stories!
 
 
 
#runtothefinish #insidetrackerpartner
RUN DAYS ARE THE BEST DAYS😊 I had training tips RUN DAYS ARE THE BEST DAYS😊 I had training tips planned to share today, but really just wanted to say I hope you get in some miles today and they make you smile.
 
Let go of the pace.
Let go of the distance.
Let go of HR for a day.
Just run.
We GET to.
 
Where in the world are you running today?
.
I’ll be embracing one warm day before snow here in Boulder, CO.
EMOJI POLL: Round or no? ⏰ give me whole numbers EMOJI POLL: Round or no?
⏰ give me whole numbers
👍wherever I stop, it stops
🙃I don’t use no stinking watch
||
THAT’S A LIE 😂. I can’t do it. I need the round number and when I get that close to a whole number...I need it!
Follow on Instagram
Website written, managed and maintained by Amanda Brooks, a certified running coach and personal trainer. Any advice should be taken as general information and not a personalized plan. All opinions, tips and reviews are based upon her personal life experience and the experiences of those she has coached. View our full privacy and review policy.

Copyright © 2021 RunToTheFinish

Copyright © 2021 · RunToTheFinish V2 on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in