Why I’m Building My Long Runs by Time, Not Distance

 When I first started running regularly, my goal was simple: run for 30 minutes without stopping.

Once I got comfortable doing that, I started thinking more about distance. First 3K, then 5K, 8K, and eventually 10K.

At the time, that felt like a natural way to improve. If I could run farther, I must be getting better.

As I started setting distance goals, I also started paying more attention to my pace.

Distance Made Me Think About Pace

Once I had a distance in mind, I wanted to see how fast I could finish it. Even on my regular runs, my heart rate was often high, and I finished many of them feeling exhausted.

I was running more, but I didn’t feel like running was getting easier the way I expected.

Eventually, I started reading more about training and decided to try something different. Instead of deciding how far I would run, I started deciding how long I would run.

On weekdays, a 5K run became a 45-minute run. On Saturdays, I usually ran for an hour to an hour and a half.

That small change made a bigger difference than I expected.

Running by Time Changed What I Paid Attention To

When I stopped focusing so much on distance, I felt less pressure to run at a certain pace.

I started paying more attention to how I was running instead. I became more aware of my form and tried to make small adjustments while I ran.

Running also became more enjoyable. I wasn’t constantly thinking about whether I should be running faster.

After a while, I noticed that I could sometimes run at a familiar pace with a lower heart rate, or cover a little more distance in the same amount of time.

I still look at my pace and distance. They just aren’t the main goal of every run anymore.

Now I’m Training for More Time on My Feet

Recently, I’ve started doing occasional two-hour long runs as I prepare for my first half marathon.

The first time I ran that long, it wasn’t as difficult as I expected. It gave me some confidence that I could keep running longer.

Right now, I’m more interested in building the endurance to run for around two and a half hours than hitting a particular distance in training. My goal is to know that, even if my half marathon takes longer than expected, I can keep going all the way to the finish line.

I still think about distance. Sometimes when my planned time ends, I want to keep running just to reach the next round number. In the past, I probably would have. Now, I usually finish within a few minutes of the time I planned.

If I could start over, I think I would build most of my regular training around time and use races along the way for my distance goals.

For me, I’m starting to believe that if I keep building the time I can run comfortably, the distance will eventually take care of itself.

My first half marathon is now about a month away. I don’t know how it will go, and the heel stiffness kept me from building as much endurance as I had hoped. But I still have a few weeks left to prepare. Whatever pace I end up running, I really want to make it to the finish line.