Long run or Intervals

Depends on what race distance you're training for and what intervals (200s? 1600s? Pyramids/ladders? etc.) you're talking about. Are you doing a shorter race or a long distance one?

celherer wrote:

What’s more important...Long run or interval session?

I don't think it works this way. Both are required for races over 1500m to reach peak potential. If you had to abandon one or the other I think you would perform better with intervals and no long run in any track race. But adding an extra interval session in lui of a long run is not a good supplement.

celherer wrote:

What’s more important...Long run or interval session?

Intervals. 6x5k with 1k rest gives you all the benefits of a long run in an interval session......

celherer wrote:

What’s more important...Long run or interval session?

I think I speak for everyone when I say,

GTFO.

If you can't even tell us what event you're training for then this question is worthless.

GTFO and come back when you have a real question.

Primo Numero Uno wrote:

celherer wrote:

What’s more important...Long run or interval session?

I don't think it works this way. Both are required for races over 1500m to reach peak potential. If you had to abandon one or the other I think you would perform better with intervals and no long run in any track race. But adding an extra interval session in lui of a long run is not a good supplement.

This^. But one threshold session and one Vo2 Max could be enough if you just hate LRs, or don't want to go over 60min. But for 5-10K training, the LR does not need to be over 90 mins, IMO.

For anything shorter than the marathon, intervals are far more important, but the distance and target pace of those intervals vary

I suspect there's a clear answer, and that interval sessions are always more important, no matter the race distance, including the marathon.

Consider 2 athletes running 50 miles per week of easy jogging. Do you get a bigger bang for your buck from adding one interval session, or one long run? I'd take the intervals. 400s for a miler, long tempo pace intervals for a marathoner.

Do you get a bigger bang for your buck from adding a second, complementary interval session, or a long run? Again, I'd take the intervals. Hitting 5K pace and tempo pace in a week does more for nearly any athlete, including marathoners, than having only one or the other, and a long run.

It's only when we think of adding a third quality day that I'd say the long run is a better option than a third interval workout.

sorry for the overreaction wrote:

celherer wrote:

What’s more important...Long run or interval session?

I think I speak for everyone when I say,

GTFO.

If you can't even tell us what event you're training for then this question is worthless.

GTFO and come back when you have a real question.

the real answer is both: 5x18

sdfkjbndsbvksndfklvnskdfvkj;sdfnvdfslvbn wrote:

sorry for the overreaction wrote:

I think I speak for everyone when I say,

GTFO.

If you can't even tell us what event you're training for then this question is worthless.

GTFO and come back when you have a real question.

the real answer is both: 5x18

What's 5x18?

You need both!

It's not an either/or question though people insist on making it one. But there are alternatives to doing traditional interval sessions, fast steady runs and using races in their place worked well for guys like Ron Clarke and his training partners. There are not really alternatives to a long run.

Aerobic runs.

tempo runs are more important

Intervals will get you fit fast for a middle distance race or two but if you want to last for the racing session where you will be doing multiple races the long runs are vital

celherer wrote:

What’s more important...Long run or interval session?

This thread is similar to another recent discussion.

It all depends on your individual characteristics, your weaknesses and strengths.

A naturally 'fast' individual will become more economical and quicker over longer distances by gradually increasing volume and long runs, provided the pace is always at the comfortable, upper limit of 'easy.'

The person who can run long and comfortably without too much training will often find big improvements in races with faster training on the track and roads.

Tempo runs includingmarathon pace have worked for most runners that I have known, sort of an in between approach like Tinman's critical velocity pace.