As summer comes to an end and the fall running season begins, many athletes target a marathon as their yearly goal. Due to the extended nature of the event, it’s important to train your body to be able to handle several hours of exertion. However, a mistake that runners often make is to place too much emphasis on the long run. Research has consistently shown that a long run of greater than 30% of your weekly mileage is a risk factor for injury.

Instead of placing such an emphasis on one stressful weekly long run, spread out your overall weekly mileage and substitute with other training instead. Cycling is a great activity to teach your body to resist the fatigue of a long race and doesn’t place as much stress on your musculoskeletal system that may take a long time to recover. In developing your weekly schedule, keep your long run proportioned to your overall mileage and add in some cross training to help build fitness.

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