Show Notes
You’re training for 13.1 miles. But does that mean you actually need to run 13.1 miles before race day? And if you haven't… how can you possibly know you'll finish?
In Episode 9 of the SLAY Performance Series, Olympian, coach and SLAY founder Louise Hazel breaks down one of the most important - and misunderstood - sessions in half-marathon training: The long run. Because your long run isn't an exam. It’s a rehearsal. And its purpose isn't to prove that you can run a half marathon. It's to prepare your body to.
In this episode, you’ll learn: • Whether you need to run 13.1 miles before your race • How far your longest training run should be • Why time on your feet can matter as much as mileage • How fast your long runs should actually be • Whether walking during a long run “counts” • Why racing your long runs could sabotage the rest of your week • How to practice race-day fueling and hydration • What to do when a long run goes badly • Whether you should make up a missed long run • Why strength becomes increasingly important as fatigue sets in • How to recover after your longest sessions • The six-part SLAY Long Run Checklist
This week, Louise challenges you to stop simply completing your long run and start rehearsing race day. Practice your breakfast. Wear your race-day kit. Carry your fuel. Control your pace. Pay attention to what happens when you get tired.
Then ask: What worked? What didn’t? And what will I change next time? The goal isn’t to arrive at race day having proved you can survive 13.1 miles. It’s to arrive healthy, prepared and confident enough to execute them.
Subscribe to the SLAY Podcast and join us each week as we build stronger runners—physically, mentally and emotionally.
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More from SLAY
This is it. Twelve weeks of training. Long runs. Strength sessions. Early mornings. Fuel. Recovery. Self-doubt. Progress. And now there is only one thing left to do: Race.
You're TWO WEEKS away from your half marathon. And suddenly you're questioning everything. Did I train enough? Was my longest run long enough? Why do my legs feel terrible? Should I run this week? Should I carb load? How many gels do I need? Can I walk? What if I can't sleep? What if everyone starts faster than me? And the biggest question of all... What if I can't finish?
You've spent weeks training for your half marathon. And now that race day is getting closer... Your training plan is telling you to do less.
You’ve been training for weeks. You’re running further. You’re lifting weights. You’re fueling properly. You’re recovering better. So why aren’t you getting faster every week? And if your pace hasn’t changed… is your training actually working? In Episode 10 of the SLAY Stronger Runner Series, Olympian, coach and SLAY founder Louise Hazel explains why pace is only one measure of running progress, and why you could be becoming a significantly better runner without seeing a dramatic change on your watch.
You’ve done the training. Now you need to execute it. Because getting fit enough to run a half marathon and knowing how to race a half marathon are two completely different things. Go out too fast and you could pay for it at mile ten. Try something new on race morning and your stomach could have other plans. Panic when your watch shows the wrong pace and months of preparation can suddenly feel irrelevant. In Episode 8 of the SLAY Stronger Runner Series, Olympian, coach and SLAY founder Louise Hazel gives you the complete Race Day Blueprint: how to prepare, pace, fuel and mentally execute your half marathon from the night before to the finish line.