In this video, Peak Run Performance coach Eric Reyes demonstrates one of the many variations of the Squires Long Run. The goal of the Squires Long Run is to prepare your body and mind for the demands of running goal race pace (or faster) on tired legs.
The Squires Long Run is named after the legendary coach of the Greater Boston Track Club, Bill Squires. Squires coached the likes of marathon champions Bill Rodgers, Alberto Salazar, and Dick Beardsley as well as countless others.
INTENSITY: 9/10 RPE / VO2 Max
In this particular video, Coach Eric Reyes demonstrate the Squires Long Run that includes surges at 5K effort or 9 out of 10 on the RPE scale.
DURATION: 90 to 120 minutes
This run can range between one and half and two hours depending on where you’re at in your training block and how long your long runs have been.
NUTS & BOLTS
You’ll start with an easy, aerobic effort at 4 to 5 out of 10 as a warm up.
After 15 to 30 minutes of warming up you’ll begin inserting 2 minute surges at 5K effort or 9/10 RPE followed by 8 minutes recovery jogs at 4 or 5 out of 10 RPE.
So every 10 minutes you’ll start with a 2 minute harder effort followed by an 8 minute recovery jog.
After 6 to 8 of these 2 minute intense intervals followed by 8 minute recovery intervals, you’ll follow it up with a 15 to 30 minute cool down at 4 out of 10 RPE.
WHEN TO ADD THEM
Additionally, you’ll want to have done some higher intensity efforts and cut down or progressive long runs in the weeks leading up to your first Squires Long Run so that it isn’t such a shock to the system. Remember, we want to avoid injury so that we can train and build consistently and incrementally.
To learn more about the workouts that we recommend for our Peak Run Performance athletes, please subscribe to the Peak Run Performance YouTube channel by clicking the subscribe button on the bottom right and follow us on social media at the various channels above.
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