Negative split long

Endurance + control

Time~56m

Distance9.0 km

DifficultyModerate

Route: Hills are welcome here, but CHECK THE DESCENT PROFILE before setting off, not just distance and pace. The week-2 long run carried 21.6 m/km — double what was prescribed — and put its steepest descent (~11%) at 8.9 km, which is where the lateral knee pain started. Steep downhill at the end of a long run is the single worst placement for it. Otherwise judge effort by grade-adjusted pace, not raw pace: on your usual terrain that is 10-15 s/km.

Calibrated by your 5K best effort (23:55 on 08-27, measured by Strava): easy 6:12–6:52 · long 6:02–6:37 /km — trust these over the printed bands.

Ground you knowwithin reach of 9.0 km

9.3 km · hilly, 22 m/km

steepest descent −42 m in km 9 · run once · best 5:57/km

9.4 km · steep, 28 m/km

steepest descent −23 m in km 7 · run once · best 6:02/km

8.0 km · rolling, 12 m/km

steepest descent −10 m in km 1 · run once · best 5:46/km

11.5 km · rolling, 10 m/km

steepest descent −26 m in km 10 · run once · best 5:30/km

Instructions

Run

16 km easy6:05–6:35 /km

Steady

22 km steady5:35–5:50 /km

Cooldown

31 km easy6:15–6:50 /km

This week's long slot is already done (w2_long_classic on 2026-08-23) — marking this one replaces it.