Doubts about the 3 hour LR

I doubt your commitment

Are 3 hour long runs every other week considered advisable? It's been hard enough to recover from them. Want to know if that's just training. Why the hate?

Three hour long runs aren't avisable for pros. Why do you think that you should be doing them?.

Your training will change over the years, you will alter things as you become more informed. As per your doubts - your first option is to go shorter on your LRs, going against coach. This decision will be unbacked by credible info(unless you decide that letsrun replies are a good source). Second option is to trust your coach and follow the plan. This decision is backed by credible info (coach who you trust). IMO much better to follow the path with a better information source, with the option to change things up if things don't work out. As opposed to you going the other route and risking regret if you mess up.

I tend to favour (and I've heard others do the same) only going the duration of the marathon race.

If that's 2:35-40, then a long run of 2 hours 40 minutes would be the longest I would go.

I also wouldn't be doing all of my long runs at an easy pace either though, but I don't know how the long run fits into the rest of your week.

I'm a big advocate of Canova's "Aerobic Fat Power" runs, where you do your long runs at about 90% of goal marathon pace. Obviously, you would have to treat this like a workout, and give yourself enough recovery either side of it.

There's good reason the best runners aren't doing 3 hour long runs. Risk vs reward ratio gets absurdly out of proportion past 2.5 hours.

How do you know they aren't?

Lots of Ethiopian training logs from back in the day, referred to a 3 hour long run in the forest.

3 hour long run is fine, but not at 80 mpw. That means more than a quarter of your mileage is the long run, that's too much. I wouldn't do any 3 hour long runs until you are at least at 100 a week.

Every other week for the most part of the last month and a half means doing this three times. Although still seems excessive. To be honest I’d be more concerned with an hour at marathon pace. That’s going to burn you out before you get to the starting line.

Yes they work very well.

I did them when i was following b.j. durdens marathon program. Preparing for a trail race. I had a very good race of them.

The program had 2x big workouts / races per week (10k & HM pace) and a 6 long runs of 2:0- 3h duration.

The Japanese runner who won Boston also does big 4 hour trails on the weekend, and i know two 2:20 -2:30 marathoners who use them (UTMB guys)

I think they are very good in Summer as i feel they really help heat resistance and a fast long run might ruin you for days...

Some pros still do over distance long runs when training for the marathon, they just don't generally take three hours to run 28+ miles. Even the women pros I've talked to do these longer distances, but with marathon pace work I'm not sure how much time on feet they are actually doing.

A 3 hour long run can be a good tool to build fortitude and mental toughness in runners who are weak-minded and lack drive and commitment.

It sounds like your coach is pretty smart and knows well what his athletes need.

What do you think you and they should do instead of the 3 hour long runs? You weren't specific about what you want instead.

Because they're not pros, malmo. Pros keep their long runs to 2.5 hours because they're fast and can cover 20+ miles in 2 or 2.5 hours. Most amateurs won't cover enough miles on a shorter long run to properly prepare their bodies to handle the marathon. Many of them have to run 3 hours or longer to give themselves the needed skeletal/muscular stimulus on their long run.

Which is it? Are you "building up to" a 3hr LR (nothing wrong with that) or doing them every other Sunday (not necessary)?

For experienced runners who are comfortably running 80mpw, a single 3hr long-long run during a buildup is just fine. But 18-20 most weekends is more than enough if done on a regular basis. So again, you need to describe exactly what your coach has you doing before most of us can offer any more specific critique or advice.

aerobic 3 hour long runs are a must brah...u gotta get used to the pounding brah

We've built up to a 3 hour long run. In this block, will likely be doing 6 of them, and then a handful of 18 mile LR workouts.

Train for a 1500/mile like a real man and you'll avoid all of this nonsense. You'll have more fun, you'll look better, you won't be shuffling for three fckin hours straight and you'll avoid the hordes of unwashed hobbyjoggers on race day.
3 hour long run? What are you, unemployed?

why is my post getting downvoted? its true if u wanna thon u gotta get used to that feeling that can only be felt after 3 hours of running (for the avg Joe jogger) its kind of like hitting a wall except its not its more like your leg muscles are slowly shredding off your bones. good times!