So here’s the dealio….going all in on this Crossfit thing. Starting to ramp up my Crossfit workouts and got a Crossfit Endurance Coach to prepare for the HAT 50k run(ZOINKS SCOOBY! What have I done!!??). I am really enjoying both and as my Coach Jen says, I’ve learned to run SLOW and it’s time to step it up. I am a tad bit concerned and lack a little faith in dropping the long run…but we’ll see how it goes. Stay tuned….
Sunami's Way 
Why would you drop your long run? From everything I’ve heard and read, the long run is the most important part of training for an ultramarathon. Am I missing something?
Hey Thomas, I am following the Crossfit Endurance Plan had here is their take on the ‘Long Run’:
Power and speed are critical components to success in the endurance world. With careful planning, our strength and conditioning plan increases these two mainstays of performance while decreasing recovery time, reducing injury, promoting preservation of lean tissue and creating a more sustainable performance curve. We focus on eliminating unnecessary volume of training while increasing intensity. Our programming is structured, sport-specific and seamlessly integrated with Olympic lifts, powerlifting, gymnastics movements, explosive activity and mobility-based support. Everything we do focuses on midline stabilization and working from inside to out. Our strength and conditioning approach for endurance athletes is unparalleled. We incorporate the CrossFit fundamentals of being constantly varied. Repetition is the enemy and results in a decreased ability to build fitness. Make no doubt. Our program is not easy. But we believe the journey is part of making the results more rewarding. Our design is to maximize you as an athlete and to elevate your fitness. Our commitment to you is that we will coach, inspire, lead and educate with care, sincerity and a relentless motivation to finally get you where you want to go!
I have completed two marathons, 2 1/2 marathons doing the long run philosophy and I am nervously giving this philosophy a shot. I told my coach though that I did want to do a long run every two weeks just to a) Get a feel for the being on my feet for a 50k b) mentally get prepared and c) sometimes it is actually about the journey. I ENJOY running and don’t want to just train for the destination!
I actually just started adding Crossfit workouts to my
lifting routine, the Curtis P session is absolutely brutal. I don’t
see why dropping the long run is such a necessity though! At least
for me, a long run is about 13-14 miles (90min) and so isn’t too
much of a burden on the rest of my week. While I think dropping the
usual 18+ miler would be smart, a longer run maybe every two weeks
is really helpful-it stimulates production of mitochondria in the
cells and promotes the development of new capillaries in your
muscles.
Cole…I think the only thing that makes me a little nervous about not having the long run is that it is mental preparation AND the long training run is nutrition and hydration testing time, to see what works when. I think it is also good preparation to understand what it feels like to be on your feet that long – the mental game. So that is the one thing that has me concerned.
Definitely the mental part is a factor…but I suppose that knowing a very long, difficult CrossFit workout awaits you could be have the same mentally strengthening effect.