How to make long slow runs more interesting

Running with a friend or group definitely helps. Between having to be more aware of your surroundings and conversations going on it can take your mind off the sometimes-monotonous pace you’re running at for 2-3 hours.

Listening to music is another easy choice if you can’t run at the same time as your friends or just prefer to train alone most of the time.

Vary your running routes. Most of us tend to stick to where we know in a lot of our training runs, but when you have to cover 15-20 miles or more, we can afford to be a bit more adventurous. I often try to explore little pathways and roads I don’t know in the middle of long runs as a great way to distract myself if I start to get bored, and as a way to find new areas to run without the pressure of running it fast in an interval or speed session.

I’m a big fan and advocate of varying your pace in long runs and making them quite challenging.

Unless the marathon or ultra you’re training for is completely flat then you need to get some hills on your runs for starters. I’ve seen plenty of people fall into the trap of running 20 miles in the suggested 45-60 seconds per mile slower than target pace, but running it on virtually all flat areas, totally 200ft or less of incline. It’ll still be a good training run of course, but less interesting and less useful than adding in a few short sharp climbs or long drags uphill.

Pace variation or progression can be another handy tool both in the fight against boredom and getting your times down. If you alter pace every couple of miles you have something to think about and focus on, and it shifts you through the energy systems if you’re working at the necessary exertion levels. Pace progression can help to keep you engaged in the last few miles of a solo run in particular, when you’re potentially close to home and it’s easy to consider cutting your run a little short.

Last but not least think about your technique. Each half mile to a mile focus on one element. Arm movement, posture, hip drive or heel lift. Not only will your become a technically better runner, you’ll be mentally stimulated the whole way round.