By Terrence Mahon

The most frequently asked questions in regard to marathon training are about the last 3 weeks before the race. How much is too much training? How much is not enough training? When and how do I start to taper? And the most often asked question – When do I do my last long run? The answer to this question is it depends…. Mostly I mean it depends on what you call a “long run”.

At the Mammoth Track Club we have athletes run some sort of long run on the Saturday or Sunday before the race – depending on race day, travel, weather, etc. This is not a long run in the normal marathon training sense of the word, but for these pro athletes it will still be a 14-15 mile easy run at a low intensity. It is a final dress rehearsal and it is a great time to test out shoes, apparel, gels and sports drinks. It is enough to keep them from detraining, but not so long that it taps them out of their glycogen reserves. This run is as much a mental exercise to keep a runner ready to go the distance as it is a physiological one needed for training purposes.

To be more definitive on a proper answer to this question, I should first define the different forms of long runs we do in Mammoth.