Joe writes a great post on this. Key takeaways:

Running long provides a lot of great benefits:
# Strengthens the heart – larger stroke volume.
# Strengthens the leg muscles – endurance is developed.
# Mind Work – mental toughness and coping skills are developed.
# Develops fat burning capacity
# Increases number and size of mitochondria
# Increases capillary growth into muscle fibers.
# Increases aerobic efficiency.
# Increase in Maximum VO2.

I can’t wait to get my knee sorted and get back to these. I’d add:

• The LSR helps you develop an enjoyment for running. The LSR is more leisurely, so you can watch the world go by.
• If you do it on a Sunday, you sleep well and are better braced for the week ahead…
• It shifts your frame of reference for distance running. I don’t think of a 10k as a particularly long run anymore, which is pretty amazing given that 3 months ago I’d never run more than 5…

Do you do/enjoy a weekend LSR? Why?

Oh: Juneathon day 28 – 5.5k cycles x2 (35mins), 100 sit-ups.