Long runs can feel intimidating—but they don’t have to crush you every single time.
In a recent article published by Runner’s World, experts reveal exactly how runners unknowingly sabotage their long-distance workouts before they even lace up their shoes.
From nutrition missteps to mental game errors, these common habits could be the reason your long runs feel harder than they should.
The good news? Every single mistake is fixable—and the solutions are simpler than you think.
Jump to:
- Why Long Runs Matter More Than You Think
- Mistake #1: Ignoring What You Do All Week
- Mistake #2: Experimenting With Food at the Wrong Time
- Mistake #3: Running on Empty
- Mistake #4: Forgetting Mid-Run Fuel
- Mistake #5: Sacrificing Sleep
- Mistake #6: Drinking Alcohol the Night Before
- Mistake #7: Winging Your Route
- Mistake #8: Running Too Fast
- Mistake #9: Always Running Solo
- The Bottom Line
Why Long Runs Matter More Than You Think
Long runs aren’t just about logging miles. They’re physiological game-changers that build endurance, mental toughness, and race-day readiness.
This is the time when you’re building endurance and improving your aerobic capacity.
That’s according to Kaitlin Goodman, former professional runner and head coach of Running Joyfully.
Laura Norris, an RRCA-certified running coach and exercise scientist, explains that slow, steady long runs trigger critical adaptations: increased bloodflow, more aerobic enzymes, and boosted mitochondria production. All of these changes deliver more oxygen to working muscles, which translates to better endurance and stronger performances.
But to unlock those benefits, runners need to show up prepared—not sabotaged by avoidable mistakes.
Mistake #1: Ignoring What You Do All Week
Thinking your long run starts on Sunday morning? Think again.
Your long run performance is a reflection of your habits across the whole week, not just what you do that morning or the night before.
Ellen Landes, RDN, registered dietitian and certified personal trainer, says stress, inconsistent sleep, and poor nutrition from days earlier can all show up during those miles.
Her advice? Start prepping two days out. If Sunday is your long run day, prioritize consistent meals and solid sleep starting Friday night.
Mistake #2: Experimenting With Food at the Wrong Time
Saturday night is not the time to try that new Thai restaurant.
The same way that you would not necessarily try a brand-new restaurant the night before your half marathon or marathon, it’s probably not the night of the week to do that before your long run.
Goodman recommends sticking with familiar dishes that digest well. Her personal go-to? Pasta with marinara sauce.
More importantly, carbohydrate intake matters. Landes explains that if meals are too low in carbs, muscles won’t store enough glycogen to fuel long efforts. Runners may feel fine at the start, but they’ll crash midrun.
For runs lasting one to two hours, stack half your plate with carbs the night before. For efforts longer than two hours, do a mini carb-load by making every meal carb-focused throughout the day.
Aim for 3.5 to 5.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound of bodyweight spread across meals and snacks. A 150-pound runner should consume between 525 and 825 grams of carbs.
Avoid greasy, spicy, and high-fiber foods both the day before and morning of your run to prevent GI distress.
Mistake #3: Running on Empty
Skipping breakfast before a long run is a recipe for sluggishness.
Without fuel, running is going to feel harder and you’re more likely to feel sluggish and maybe even hit the wall.
If you have three to four hours before running, Landes suggests a high-carb meal like oatmeal with peanut butter and banana. With only an hour or less? Go for easy carb-based snacks like graham crackers, dried fruit, applesauce, or a sports drink.
Hydration is equally critical. Even slight dehydration affects energy levels, body temperature, and recovery. Start drinking fluids early and often the day before, then have a glass when you wake up.
Light-yellow urine signals proper hydration. Dark urine means you need more fluids. Add electrolytes for longer runs or hot weather conditions.
Mistake #4: Forgetting Mid-Run Fuel
Starting well-nourished isn’t enough. Runs lasting more than an hour require refueling and rehydration during the effort.
Even if you start out well-nourished, you will need to consume carbohydrates and replace fluids on long runs.
Norris warns that failing to refuel can cause performance declines, overheating, and GI upset because glycogen stores deplete and fluids are lost through sweat.
Dietitians recommend consuming at least 30 grams of carbohydrates every hour when exercising beyond an hour. Drink 24 to 32 ounces of water per hour, adjusted for individual sweat rate.
Mistake #5: Sacrificing Sleep
Late Friday or Saturday nights may sound appealing, but waking up sleep-deprived for Sunday’s long run can tank performance.
Research published in Physiology & Behavior examined 20 runners who completed a 12-minute exercise test after sleep deprivation. Results showed runners reported higher perceived effort, ran slower, and covered less distance compared with normal sleep conditions.
Experts recommend seven to nine hours of sleep to promote recovery. Goodman emphasizes this is especially crucial before long runs.
Think of it in terms of risk versus reward: you may be able to pull off that long run, but it could come at a cost.
That cost? Increased risk of injury or illness.
Mistake #6: Drinking Alcohol the Night Before
Research shows alcohol suppresses REM sleep, a more restorative phase. As the body metabolizes alcohol throughout the night, sleep becomes fragmented and less restful.
Norris recommends avoiding alcohol within four hours of bedtime—or skipping it altogether the day before long runs—to ensure optimal sleep quality.
Mistake #7: Winging Your Route
Long runs double as race-day rehearsals, which makes route planning essential.
Running straight out the door with no set route could sabotage the workout. Constantly crossing intersections disrupts steady rhythm, and random hills make maintaining easy effort difficult.
Goodman suggests taking an extra 15 minutes to drive to an ideal location like a bike path where traffic and stoplights won’t interrupt flow. This helps minimize unnecessary stops and keeps effort low throughout the entire run.
Mistake #8: Running Too Fast
Goal finish times can make pace obsession tempting. But running race pace during every long run is counterproductive.
Running long runs too fast will make them feel more difficult—and sometimes difficult to finish.
Norris explains that pushing too hard too often creates excessive fatigue, which leads to poor recovery, worse midweek workouts, and ultimately diminished race-day results.
Beginners should focus on maintaining an easy, conversational pace. More experienced runners should do the same most weeks, but incorporate a structured long run with race-pace miles every two to three weeks.
For marathoners, this might look like two to three easy miles, followed by three to five miles at marathon pace, one easy recovery mile, then repeating. Half-marathoners could try two easy miles, followed by four to six rounds of one mile at half marathon pace with four to five minutes of easy running between.
Mistake #9: Always Running Solo
Running is an individual sport, and solo long runs build mental toughness. But that doesn’t mean every long run needs to be a lonely grind.
Goodman recommends occasionally running with a friend who can provide accountability and make miles more enjoyable. Chatting naturally keeps pace conversational and effort easy—exactly where long runs should be.
The Bottom Line
Long runs don’t have to feel impossible. Small adjustments—better sleep, smarter nutrition, planned routes, controlled pacing—can transform these workouts from dreaded slogs into powerful training tools.
Start implementing these fixes two days before your next long run. Your body—and your race-day performance—will thank you.
