Some runners don’t understand the tremendous benefits of the weekly long run. Interval training and fartleks may seem to be more useful for training your body to run fast, but the long run is absolutely critical if you want to reach your full potential. Dr. Pribut has an awesome article on the benefits of the long run. The article includes a summary of the benefits of a weekly long run:
- Strengthens the heart
- Strengthens the leg muscles
- Mental toughness and coping skills are developed.
- Develops fat burning capacity
- Increases number and size of mitochondria
- Increases capillary growth into muscle fibers.
- Increases myoglobin concentration in muscle fibers.
- Increases aerobic efficiency.
- Increase in Maximum VO2.
