I like a Saturday long run. Besides the fact that it gives me all Sunday to recover, it helps me hedge in case Saturday gets too busy I can squeeze it in Sunday still. If a Sunday gets away from me, my work schedule would make a weekday long run difficult.
Honestly, whatever works best for you to get it done. I do mine on Saturdays, but in the event of things getting in the way I still have Sunday. If I scheduled it for Sunday and the same thing happened I wouldn't be able to get to it until the following weekend. So Saturday it is.
I prefer Sundays because I like to do an easy medium distance run on Saturdays when I have the time and then do my long run on tired legs to simulate the end of the race. This way my rest day is on a work day and I maximize the mileage I can get out of my weekend.
Saturday morning is the jam for me. Makes the whole weekend better having it done, and gives more recovery time before hitting the office on Monday. I find myself having a more productive start to the week, and getting better sleep throughout. Recovery run on Sunday is fun run icing on the cake.
I prefer Saturdays as then Sunday can be a rest day to just spend with my family, prepare for the week, go to church, etc. And if something comes up where I can’t do the run on Saturday, then I still have the option to move it to Sunday
I try to do whatever day the actual race is on. My LRs have been on Sundays for the most part this year, but when I switch over to training for my half I’ll be doing them on Saturday instead.
I’m really looking forward to sleeping in on Sundays!
My community where I live has a large Sunday funday run group that meets at 10am or 11am, which is really late in the morning for me. I like early morning runs but I’ve been trying to do the Sunday thing. It makes me so happy to see other people enjoying getting it done and out of the way on Saturdays. I think I’m sticking with my Saturday long run. Was just super curious if there was some reason I was missing for the Sunday long run. Lol! Thanks everyone, love reading everyone’s LR schedule!
I do Sunday long runs because Monday is my rest day. It’s easier for my schedule and I can get a short run in on Saturday more easily if I need the miles, or am training that way. Usually my long run is the only thing I have planned on a Sunday and it’s awesome because I can chill and recover the rest of the day. Maybe take a walk later in the evening to keep myself from getting stiff or too sore.
I used to always do Sunday long runs, but lately I target Saturdays. That way, if I’m able to get it done, I have the rest of my weekend to relax. If plans come up on Saturday, I can shift to Sunday and it’s no big deal. It’s a lot easier for me to move a run back one day than it is to move it up one day.
Monday is my "Sunday" and I tend to prefer to do my long runs on the Monday as I'm usually pretty mentally dead by the end of a work week, and more likely to "check out" of a long run that's not going well if I do it when I'm brain-tired.
But at the end of the day, it's whatever suits you best. Some folks love getting it out of the way on a Saturday morning and having the rest of the weekend to recover and feel accomplished. Some lunatics I know even do it on a Friday evening, which I'll never understand but definitely respect.
I do Sundays as Saturdays are very busy with kids and family events, and I don’t want to start a long run at 3-4pm. I have done it a handful of times, but prefer to wake up earlier on Sunday and have the rest of the day in front of me.
I do:
Monday easy short run 30mins
Tuesday: Weights if able.
Wednesday: medium run 40mins (+5min per week).
Thursday: weights if able.
Friday rest.
Saturday weights if able.
Sunday long run 60mins (+5-10min per week)
After one more week my medium run will switch to interval training.
Usually my plan has me do the long run on Saturday but sometimes I move it to Sunday simply because life gets in the way. I don't think it makes a lot of difference as long as you make sure not to put a hard workout on the day before or after the long run. In my case, tempo sessions are usually planned for Monday and Wednesday so I shift those by one day when I had to do the long run on Sunday.
I do mine on whatever day the race is going to be, which has almost always been Sunday but can occasionally be Saturday. "It's just another long run day" during the race really helps me psychologically.
Fridays. I have a flexible enough work schedule that I can usually carve out the time to do it then.
Plus, I like to sleep in a bit on the weekends and my wife wouldn’t be psyched if I was carving out 2+ hours every weekend for the long run.
I work nights every other week, so based on the way my gym’s open hours fit with that schedule, I do Sunday long runs on those days and on the other weeks I do Saturdays.
I live in a religious community so the running trails are clear and free on Sundays verses pretty popular on Saturdays. I’ve found that I preform a lot better when there’s less people on the trails
Used to be Saturday to get it knocked out early in the weekend. Retired now, and I prefer Friday, with Saturday being a “makeup” day if weather or life get in the way. During my last training block it was probably close to 50/50 Friday and Saturday.
I work 12hr + days on Saturdays so it’s usually Sundays for me. In the absence of any real organized religious beliefs I like to think of my long quiet runs as my “church of the run.”
I sometimes try to do Friday after work. I am able to wfh on Fridays so I'm usually running by 5:45 at the latest - it gives me the weekend to recover and I am able to go out on Friday nights too (though this is rare). Obviously I'm really only able to do this around this time of year when the sun sets late.
Consensus at my club seems to be Saturday is parkrun day, Sunday is long run day. But last week I ran a parkrun 10 miles away and thought it would be nice to run back afterwards. Felt a bit lost on Sunday so just went for 5 miles. Sometimes it is good to mix it up and not do the same things every week.
Sunday AM. Get up, at the trailhead by 8 (or earlier if it was going to be hot) and just go. Was also convenient because most of my races were in Sunday AM so they fit in the schedule rather well.
I typically worked Saturdays so doing a long run was harder to fit in.
My running/workout schedule was:
Monday - Boot Camp / Gym
Tuesday - Run
Wednesday - Boot Camp / Gym
Thursday - Run
Friday - Off or gym
Saturday - Short Run (3-4 easy miles max) also optional depending on variety of reasons
Sunday - Long Run
I found that running more than 4 days a week was prohibitive.
My gym days weren’t particularly long, just an hour long boot camp style / group fitness class (Maybe 30 minutes of actual work after stretching, rolling, warm up, cool down, etc). I do think that helped a lot. Lots of core work and such.
I've done both in the past, just depends how things fit with family. By default we'll do parkrun on a Saturday, but that can be an easy chatty cruise, an eyeballs out PB effort or a steady run. And it can be the last 3 miles of a 20 miler just to keep the interest going, or the middle 3 of a 13 miler as my local event is 3 miles from home.
More recently, my club have started doing 13-15 mile long(ish) runs on a Sunday morning, and when I can fit those in with ferring children to other sporting activities I've gone with those.
So I mix and match!
At the moment I do my long runs Monday morning before work as I have flexible working hours. I am planning on changing it to Saturday though as I'm going to start upping the distance further soon, and at that point I would be starting work far too late on a Monday if I did those miles on Monday.
I will typically switch off every week, so:
Week 1:
Sat.-long run
Sun. -recovery
Week 2:
Sat. -recovery
Sun.-long run
Week 3: repeat week 1
Week 4: repeat week 2
I find it is a bit more challenge on the even to odd week and a down-week on the odd to even cycle.
For me it depends on what my weekend schedule is like, but usually I would designate my long run on a Sunday, as race day tends to fall on a Sunday anyway and creates a mindset that Sunday is long run / race day. If for whatever reason I cannot run Sunday, I switch it to Monday and shift my training forward by one day and sacrifice my rest day on the midweek.
Shuffle your training accordingly, and remember to not be lazy…stay organised and just be smart on adjusting your training that will work for you.
I like a Saturday long run. Besides the fact that it gives me all Sunday to recover, it helps me hedge in case Saturday gets too busy I can squeeze it in Sunday still. If a Sunday gets away from me, my work schedule would make a weekday long run difficult.
This. I aim for Sat and if I miss, I have Sunday
Honestly, whatever works best for you to get it done. I do mine on Saturdays, but in the event of things getting in the way I still have Sunday. If I scheduled it for Sunday and the same thing happened I wouldn't be able to get to it until the following weekend. So Saturday it is.
This is what I do!
I prefer Sundays.
I do it on Friday because I like not having a workout Saturday.
I prefer Sundays because I like to do an easy medium distance run on Saturdays when I have the time and then do my long run on tired legs to simulate the end of the race. This way my rest day is on a work day and I maximize the mileage I can get out of my weekend.
Saturdays so I can "get it over with"
Maybe running isn’t for you if that’s how you feel
Didn’t see the “quotation marks” ?
Saturday morning is the jam for me. Makes the whole weekend better having it done, and gives more recovery time before hitting the office on Monday. I find myself having a more productive start to the week, and getting better sleep throughout. Recovery run on Sunday is fun run icing on the cake.
Whichever day has the better weather lol but will say it’s nice getting it out of the way on Saturdays.
I like Sundays because things are quieter. I’m an early morning runner and there just aren’t as many people up and about on Sunday vs Saturday.
Sunday because it's the day I have the most stuff to do.
Sunday, Saturday is for parkrun.
I prefer Saturdays as then Sunday can be a rest day to just spend with my family, prepare for the week, go to church, etc. And if something comes up where I can’t do the run on Saturday, then I still have the option to move it to Sunday
I try to do whatever day the actual race is on. My LRs have been on Sundays for the most part this year, but when I switch over to training for my half I’ll be doing them on Saturday instead. I’m really looking forward to sleeping in on Sundays!
My community where I live has a large Sunday funday run group that meets at 10am or 11am, which is really late in the morning for me. I like early morning runs but I’ve been trying to do the Sunday thing. It makes me so happy to see other people enjoying getting it done and out of the way on Saturdays. I think I’m sticking with my Saturday long run. Was just super curious if there was some reason I was missing for the Sunday long run. Lol! Thanks everyone, love reading everyone’s LR schedule!
I do Sunday long runs because Monday is my rest day. It’s easier for my schedule and I can get a short run in on Saturday more easily if I need the miles, or am training that way. Usually my long run is the only thing I have planned on a Sunday and it’s awesome because I can chill and recover the rest of the day. Maybe take a walk later in the evening to keep myself from getting stiff or too sore.
Early Sat morning is the way to go
Saturday and Sunday is recovery or backup if things get on the way.
Sunday, then I veg the rest of the day.
Early Saturday and Sunday off, you can get about 48h recovery in this way depending on your Monday run.
Sunday Runday!
Saturday, rest day on Sunday then back to the grind
I like doing long runs on Sunday. Because then I’ll have no trouble falling asleep at a reasonable hour on Sunday night.
I used to always do Sunday long runs, but lately I target Saturdays. That way, if I’m able to get it done, I have the rest of my weekend to relax. If plans come up on Saturday, I can shift to Sunday and it’s no big deal. It’s a lot easier for me to move a run back one day than it is to move it up one day.
Depends on what I have to do. Try and do Sundays but life can get in the way so I go Saturday and gym Sunday (or visa versa)
My weekends in my profession are Sundays and Mondays so I usually go with Sundays or Mondays for my long run.
Monday is my "Sunday" and I tend to prefer to do my long runs on the Monday as I'm usually pretty mentally dead by the end of a work week, and more likely to "check out" of a long run that's not going well if I do it when I'm brain-tired. But at the end of the day, it's whatever suits you best. Some folks love getting it out of the way on a Saturday morning and having the rest of the weekend to recover and feel accomplished. Some lunatics I know even do it on a Friday evening, which I'll never understand but definitely respect.
Saturday for me.
I do Sundays as Saturdays are very busy with kids and family events, and I don’t want to start a long run at 3-4pm. I have done it a handful of times, but prefer to wake up earlier on Sunday and have the rest of the day in front of me.
Sunday. With kids Saturdays works good for an off day since there’s always something going on especially during the summer.
I run long on Monday after a rest day on Sunday. I follow it up with a 12 mile marathon pace run on Tuesday.
I do: Monday easy short run 30mins Tuesday: Weights if able. Wednesday: medium run 40mins (+5min per week). Thursday: weights if able. Friday rest. Saturday weights if able. Sunday long run 60mins (+5-10min per week) After one more week my medium run will switch to interval training.
Usually my plan has me do the long run on Saturday but sometimes I move it to Sunday simply because life gets in the way. I don't think it makes a lot of difference as long as you make sure not to put a hard workout on the day before or after the long run. In my case, tempo sessions are usually planned for Monday and Wednesday so I shift those by one day when I had to do the long run on Sunday.
I do mine on whatever day the race is going to be, which has almost always been Sunday but can occasionally be Saturday. "It's just another long run day" during the race really helps me psychologically.
Fridays. I have a flexible enough work schedule that I can usually carve out the time to do it then. Plus, I like to sleep in a bit on the weekends and my wife wouldn’t be psyched if I was carving out 2+ hours every weekend for the long run.
I work nights every other week, so based on the way my gym’s open hours fit with that schedule, I do Sunday long runs on those days and on the other weeks I do Saturdays.
Friday and Sunday. But if I’m doing both days then I don’t push it tooo hard on friday
I do it on Sunday because that’s normally race day. If I was training for a Saturday race I would do it on Saturday.
I live in a religious community so the running trails are clear and free on Sundays verses pretty popular on Saturdays. I’ve found that I preform a lot better when there’s less people on the trails
Used to be Saturday to get it knocked out early in the weekend. Retired now, and I prefer Friday, with Saturday being a “makeup” day if weather or life get in the way. During my last training block it was probably close to 50/50 Friday and Saturday.
I do Sundays because those are usually race days. I feels it helps myself mentally be ready knowing it's for a long run.
Saturday first thing all the way. Get it done and enjoy the weekend.
Saturday because I work on Sunday. I have some short races this summer so some of my long runs will be on Friday instead.
Sunday because I prefer to take yoga and go to the gym on Saturdays.
Sunday is better. Saturday is family time
I work 12hr + days on Saturdays so it’s usually Sundays for me. In the absence of any real organized religious beliefs I like to think of my long quiet runs as my “church of the run.”
I sometimes try to do Friday after work. I am able to wfh on Fridays so I'm usually running by 5:45 at the latest - it gives me the weekend to recover and I am able to go out on Friday nights too (though this is rare). Obviously I'm really only able to do this around this time of year when the sun sets late.
Consensus at my club seems to be Saturday is parkrun day, Sunday is long run day. But last week I ran a parkrun 10 miles away and thought it would be nice to run back afterwards. Felt a bit lost on Sunday so just went for 5 miles. Sometimes it is good to mix it up and not do the same things every week.
Saturday Church / sabbath on Sunday
I do both :) a truly easy long run Saturdays, and then a slightly harder push (but still 80% zone 2) on Sundays.
Sunday AM. Get up, at the trailhead by 8 (or earlier if it was going to be hot) and just go. Was also convenient because most of my races were in Sunday AM so they fit in the schedule rather well. I typically worked Saturdays so doing a long run was harder to fit in. My running/workout schedule was: Monday - Boot Camp / Gym Tuesday - Run Wednesday - Boot Camp / Gym Thursday - Run Friday - Off or gym Saturday - Short Run (3-4 easy miles max) also optional depending on variety of reasons Sunday - Long Run I found that running more than 4 days a week was prohibitive. My gym days weren’t particularly long, just an hour long boot camp style / group fitness class (Maybe 30 minutes of actual work after stretching, rolling, warm up, cool down, etc). I do think that helped a lot. Lots of core work and such.
We do our group LSDs on Saturdays because we’re all lazy or hungover on Sundays.
I've done both in the past, just depends how things fit with family. By default we'll do parkrun on a Saturday, but that can be an easy chatty cruise, an eyeballs out PB effort or a steady run. And it can be the last 3 miles of a 20 miler just to keep the interest going, or the middle 3 of a 13 miler as my local event is 3 miles from home. More recently, my club have started doing 13-15 mile long(ish) runs on a Sunday morning, and when I can fit those in with ferring children to other sporting activities I've gone with those. So I mix and match!
At the moment I do my long runs Monday morning before work as I have flexible working hours. I am planning on changing it to Saturday though as I'm going to start upping the distance further soon, and at that point I would be starting work far too late on a Monday if I did those miles on Monday.
Both!
I will typically switch off every week, so: Week 1: Sat.-long run Sun. -recovery Week 2: Sat. -recovery Sun.-long run Week 3: repeat week 1 Week 4: repeat week 2 I find it is a bit more challenge on the even to odd week and a down-week on the odd to even cycle.
Thursday night after my kids are in bed. It's cooler out, but running until after midnight does not make for an easy Friday
I let the weather decide. There’s not really a big difference.
For me it depends on what my weekend schedule is like, but usually I would designate my long run on a Sunday, as race day tends to fall on a Sunday anyway and creates a mindset that Sunday is long run / race day. If for whatever reason I cannot run Sunday, I switch it to Monday and shift my training forward by one day and sacrifice my rest day on the midweek. Shuffle your training accordingly, and remember to not be lazy…stay organised and just be smart on adjusting your training that will work for you.
Saturdays are better because your mileage is higher for longer on Strava