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that comes with long-distance running, and prepares you mentally for the 26.2- or 13.1-mile course.
    It seems obvious, but in order to complete a distance event like the marathon, you have to, eventually, be able to walk/run the distance. Don’t be overly concerned. You will increase the distance of your long run gradually as you progress through your training program. If you turn to the section of this book that outlines your training program, you will notice that we have suggested running times as well as specific distances. Take a drive and measure the various running routes using your car’s odometer. It is important to gradually build your mental and physical strength. By measuring the distance of your training runs, you avoid overtraining (running farther than necessary).
    The once-a-week long run is done at a slower pace than your other sessions, so that you finish your runs feeling strong and as though you could do more. For example, if you are a 10-minute miler, you slow your long-run pace to 11 or 12 minutes per mile or even slower. The regular runner will be aware of his or her pace; if you don’t know what your pace is, go to a measured track and time yourself, or measure a mile or kilometer when you are out researching your various running routes for your long run.
    The pace for your first-time experience is irrelevant. It’s all about respecting and preparing for the distance. Each session will bring you closer to covering the half-or full-marathon distance. On race day, you will then have the knowledge, confidence, and peace of mind that you need to complete the race.
    It’s important to think ahead and properly prepare yourself for your weekly long run. The shorter sessions may seem a breeze, but once you start increasing the distance of your long runs, you will soon find out that covering 16 miles is significantly more demanding mentally and physically. You can be out on your long runs for 3, 4, and sometimes 5 hours, which leaves even the fittest person fatigued. For some, the fatigue can be the result of inadequate carbohydrate stores, and for others it can be the result of dehydration. The point is that your experience is unique and might be significantly different from your training partner’s. Each runner needs to assess his or her own preparation in the areas that are controllable. For example, you can certainly regulate your fluid and food intake prior to and during your sessions, and you can work to use the psychological tools you have learned.
    If you’re unsure whether you’re going too fast on your long runs, try using distance-running guru and author Jeff Galloway’s checklist. If any of the following describe you, you need to slow down:
    • Following your long run, all you want to do is lie on the couch for a few hours.
    • Your legs are tired and/or your muscles are sore for a few days following the long run, making it uncomfortable to run.
    • You experience aches and/or pains for several days afterward.
    • You are so winded during the final few miles of your long run that you cannot speak more than a few consecutive sentences.
    • You feel nauseated and/or irritated at the end of the run.
    A final word of caution regarding the long run: it is inevitable that for the duration of your marathon training you will have at least one extremely difficult or bad long run. This happens to everyone, even the elite. What’s important is that you learn from this experience. You may be unable to pinpoint the exact cause, but the following are common factors that contribute to making a long run more painful that it needs to be:
    • Dehydration
    • Hunger from insufficient fueling, either before or during your run
    • Walk breaks that were too short and/or too fast
    • General fatigue due to the demands of work and family, or because your weekly runs were too close to your long run, giving you insufficient recovery time
    • Pace that was overly aggressive
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