Long Run: 90-Minute Easy Effort

Session Overview

This 90-minute easy long run builds aerobic base and muscular endurance for athletes targeting IRONMAN, 70.3, or Olympic distance events. Keeping the effort genuinely easy is the key — this is not the session to prove fitness, but to build it sustainably.

What You’ll Need

• Running shoes (your regular training pair)
• GPS watch
• Water bottle or hydration vest for warm days
• Energy gel for runs over 75 minutes (optional)

Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Walk briskly for 3 minutes, then jog at very easy pace for 7 minutes. There’s no formal warm-up structure needed — the first 15 minutes of this run serve as a gradual build-up.

Main Set

Run continuously for 90 minutes at a conversational pace:

• Minutes 0-30: Run at RPE 4-5 (Zone 1-2). You should be able to hold a full conversation.
• Minutes 30-75: Maintain the same easy effort. Resist the urge to push harder as you warm up.
• Minutes 75-90: Final 15 minutes at RPE 4 — start winding down, not picking up the pace.

Cool-Down (10 minutes)

Walk for 5 minutes after finishing, then stretch your quads, hamstrings, and calves for 5 minutes. If you feel tightness in your IT band or hip flexors after long rides in your training block, prioritise those areas.

Coaching Notes

• The “easy is too easy” trap: most athletes run long runs 30-40 seconds per km too fast — use heart rate to stay honest
• Aim for 65-72% of max HR throughout — if it creeps above 75%, slow down
• Scale down: if 90 minutes is too much, do 60 minutes easy with a 5-minute walk break at 30 minutes
• Consume a gel or snack at around the 60-minute mark on runs over 75 minutes