LONG RUN: THE MARATHON TRAINING BACKBONE! Sage Canaday Running - Vo2maxProductions

Aug 13, 2025

Intro: This is a quick summary of LONG RUN: THE MARATHON TRAINING BACKBONE! from Vo2maxProductions. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points:

Long runs are the marathon backbone: they build mileage, teach steady‑state pacing, and condition muscles for late‑race fatigue.
Sage runs 22.5 mi (36 km) with a negative‑split approach—starting a bit slower, then gradually nudging the pace up for the final 10 mi.
He emphasizes steady effort, occasional marathon‑pace miles, and keeping the run under‑trained (about 10 % below his max) to avoid injury.
Post‑run focus shifts to turnover, speed, and glute/hamstring activation during taper weeks.
Practical tips: fuel with gels, stay warm‑up, listen to your body when sick, and use hill‑repeats or 1‑km fast intervals to keep legs sharp.

Workout Example:

Warm‑up: 2 mi easy + 1 mi at comfortably hard (≈ sub‑6 min/mi if you’re a 6‑min miler).
Main set – 22.5 mi (36 km) long run
- First 2 mi easy to settle in.
- Negative‑split: run the next 10 mi at a relaxed pace, then gradually increase speed for the final 10 mi, aiming for marathon‑pace (e.g., 8 min/mi for a 3:30 marathon) on the last segment.
- Keep effort steady; if terrain gets muddy or hilly, let the pace drift a bit but stay below your max effort.
Cool‑down: 2 mi easy, hydrate with a gel or electrolyte drink.

Closing Note: Give this long‑run a try, tweak the distances and paces to match your own training plan, and track it in the Pacing app. You’ll feel stronger, more confident, and ready for race day—so lace up and hit the trail! 🚀