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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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It takes long periods of time to build up endurance, and I believe that many training plans are not sufficiently long. A good training plan should be long enough to build up gradually to the point of running several runs longer than 20 miles. The right length of training plan will depend on the individual concerned. Someone who can run a sub-90 minute half marathon will need less training time than someone who has never run more than 5 miles. Likewise an experienced marathoner should not need as much time to build up their long runs, compared to a first-time marathon runner. I would generally recommend six-month training plans for first-time marathon runners over shorter plans. However, this is not a firm rule, but depends on the level of initial fitness. The key will be to have a training plan long enough that your long run can reach over 20 miles with a slow enough ramp-up to avoid injury or overtraining.
==Training Mistake 2 - Insufficient long runs ==
Many marathon runners have 20 miles as their longest training run, and often at a much slower pace than they intend to race at. A long run of 20 miles at \~30% slower (\~2:00 min/mile) than marathon pace is about half the difficulty of the race itself. My [[VDOT Calculator]] has a chart of the relative difficulty of long runs of different lengths and paces. I have seen a strong correlation between the success of a marathon runner and the length/pace of their long training runs. This is backed up by statistical analysis that shows that not training past 20 miles is a risk factor for 'hitting the wall'. Based on the relative difficulty of long runs from [[VDOT Calculator]] I would suggest that new marathoners aim for longer runs of at around 60%. That 60% equates to around 16 miles at marathon pace, 24 miles at \~30% slower (\~2:00 min/mile) than marathon pace, or something in between. More established marathon runners could aim for 70% or more, but care must be taken to avoid injury or overtraining. (A long run that leaves you noticeably sore or hobbling is probably too long, and it is best to reduce the training load until your body has adapted.) A good training plan should provide a mixture of the shorter, faster long runs and the further, slower long runs. Some training plans, such as [[Jack Daniels Running Formula]], mix up different paces within the same runs, such as a 22 mile run with 8 miles at tempo pace. These tougher long runs should be 4 weeks or more before the race. Many coaches don't recommend 20+ mile long runs because of the risk of injury, but the injury risk is related to the length of the training plan, as noted in mistake \#1 above.
==Training Mistake 3 - Breaks in long runs==
The relative difficulty of long training runs is different between runs that are continuous and runs where there are breaks. Even relatively short [[Walking Breaks]] will allow for a surprising level of recovery, which is why ultramarathoners can cover such long distances. Unfortunately, many marathoners intended to race without any walking breaks, but do not train that way. I believe that walking breaks can be used as part of marathon training to extend the distance that can be covered on the longer long runs. However, allowances should be made when evaluating your training. A long run with plenty of breaks should not be equated to the same distance and pace run continuously. Also, some of the long runs should be is continuous as possible. Often it is impractical to avoid stopping completely; you will need to refuel, cross roads, or change clothes. With some planning, it should be possible to minimize these interruptions and to keep the run is continuous as possible (see race simulation below). When doing [[Race Simulation]] it is important not to pause your watch on any breaks that are taken, so you have a good evaluation of the training impact.
