By RunDoyen.
Featuring coaching insights from Mark Hadley and Lindsay Flanagan.
Adapted from a RunDoyen coach conversation and edited for clarity.
TL;DR
- Easy days are not “wasted.” They are what make hard days effective.
- Yasso 800s can be a useful workout, but they are a shaky marathon predictor for many runners.
- Fueling and hydration should be practiced in training, not debuted on race day.
- More long runs and more marathon-pace running is not automatically better.
- Shoes and body type are not one-size-fits-all. Consistency is the real advantage.
If you want a coach to help you sort the “good advice” from the training noise, get paired with someone who fits your goals and schedule through Get Matched.
Table of contents
- Why running myths stick around
- Myth-busting cheat sheet
- Myth 1: If I’m not running hard, it doesn’t count
- Myth 2: Yasso 800s predict my marathon time
- Myth 3: I’ll fuel on race day, not in training
- Myth 4: Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate means “as much as possible”
- Myth 5: Running ruins your knees
- Myth 6: Any shoe is fine, and the newest one must be best
- Myth 7: Barefoot is the secret to fewer injuries
- Myth 8: You have to look like a “runner” to run well
- Myth 9: Missed workouts must be made up
- Myth 10: More 20+ mile long runs always equals a better marathon
- Myth 11: Marathon pace should show up on most runs
- Myth 12: Start fast to have a good race
- Common mistakes
- Safety and when to get help
Why running myths stick around
Most running misconceptions have a kernel of truth. They are often based on a real training principle, then overapplied until it becomes counterproductive.
Two examples:
- “Hard work matters” turns into “every run should feel hard.”
- “Fueling helps performance” turns into “I’ll think about it on race day.”
Training gets simpler when you return to a few basics: stress, recover, repeat. Progress is not about heroic single runs. It is about stacking weeks you can actually sustain.
If you want a deeper guide for building a marathon build that fits your life and ability level, the Marathon Training Guide is a solid place to start.
Myth-busting cheat sheet
| Misconception | What’s actually true | What to do instead |
| “Every run should be hard.” | Easy days enable adaptation and better workouts. | Protect recovery pace and keep hard days hard. |
| “Yasso 800s predict my marathon.” | They test aerobic power more than marathon endurance. | Use them as one workout tool, not a prophecy. |
| “Fueling is for race day only.” | The gut is trainable and practice prevents surprises. | Practice carbs and fluids on long runs. |
| “More water is always better.” | Overhydrating can dilute electrolytes and cause GI distress. | Drink consistently in the days before, sip to thirst. |
| “Running ruins knees.” | Many knee problems come from other factors, not running itself. | Build gradually, strength train, manage surfaces and load. |
| “The newest shoe fixes everything.” | Comfort and fit matter more than hype. | Get fitted, change models carefully and gradually. |
| “Barefoot is the cure.” | Big changes create big stress. | If you try it, do tiny doses on soft ground as drills. |
| “I missed a day, so I’ll add miles tomorrow.” | The body responds to stress and recovery, not weekly math. | Resume the plan. Do not turn easy days into extra stress. |
| “Start fast to race well.” | Even pacing is usually better than blowing up early. | Start controlled and finish strong. |
Myth 1: If I’m not running hard, it doesn’t count
This is one of the most common traps for motivated runners. You want to feel like you “earned” the run, so every day turns into a moderate-to-hard effort.
Lindsay described living this mistake earlier in her career, believing that if she wasn’t under a certain pace, the run “might as well not even count.” The fix was not more grit. It was learning to recover. Using a heart-rate cap forced truly easy days, even when that felt uncomfortably slow at first. The result was better workouts and lower race times.
A useful reframe: easy runs are not about proving fitness. They are about enabling it.
For a dedicated breakdown of what “easy” should feel like and why it matters, see Easy Run Pace and Recovery Days.
A practical application
Pick one or two “non-negotiable easy days” each week. On those runs:
- Keep effort conversational.
- Let pace be whatever it is that day.
- Treat the run like moving blood and building durability, not chasing a number.
Myth 2: Yasso 800s predict my marathon time
Yasso 800s are typically described as 8–10 repeats of 800m with easy recovery in between, with the idea that your average 800 time “predicts” your marathon finish time.
Mark’s coaching take: the workout itself is not automatically bad, but it is commonly misunderstood. It is primarily an aerobic power stimulus, closer to a VO2 max style effort than a marathon endurance builder. Many runners do not fail the marathon because they lack speed for a few 800s. They fail because they run out of endurance, stamina, or efficiency late in the race.
So if you love the workout, fine. Just do not turn it into a promise your body did not actually train for.
Better question to ask
Instead of “What do my Yasso 800s say?” ask:
- “What is my limiter for the marathon?”
- “Do my long runs and steady efforts show I can hold pace late?”
If your limiter is endurance, it is often more productive to prioritize tempo work and long-run structure than to chase a single predictor workout. (General guidance.)
Myth 3: I’ll fuel on race day, not in training
Lindsay regularly asks athletes what fueling looks like before a marathon build even starts. The common answer is basically: “Maybe a sip at a water fountain.”
The problem is not moral failure. It is that fueling is a skill. You need practice, just like pacing or cornering or running tangents.
Two transcript-supported points that matter:
- A realistic starting target mentioned was around 40 grams of carbs per hour (individual tolerance varies).
- Your stomach is trainable. Long runs are where you learn what works before race day.
For more on building a practical routine around hydration, fueling, and recovery, see Nutrition for Runners: Hydration, Fueling, Recovery.
What “practice fueling” can look like
On long runs, decide your plan ahead of time:
- What carbs you’ll take
- Roughly how often you’ll take them
- What fluids you’ll pair them with
Then debrief afterward: what sat well, what did not, what you would change next time.
Myth 4: Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate means “as much as possible”
Hydration advice is often repeated without context, which is how runners end up chugging water right before a start and wondering why their stomach feels awful.
Two coaching realities to hold at once:
- Hydration is built in the days before, not “fixed” the morning of a race.
- More is not automatically better. Overhydrating can create its own issues, especially if it dilutes electrolytes.
A simple anchor for many runners: aim for steady, consistent drinking in the 24–48 hours before key efforts, then sip sensibly close to the start. (General guidance.)
Myth 5: Running ruins your knees
This is one of the most persistent myths, and it scares people away from running entirely.
Mark’s experience-based point was straightforward: decades of running without knee trouble, and many “runner knee” stories trace back to a separate injury or a different activity that then gets irritated by running. Lindsay echoed that pattern with an example of a knee issue triggered by a lateral sport (volleyball), not by running itself.
A more useful lens:
- Rapid changes in load, intensity, or surfaces are common culprits.
- Consistent training with smart recovery is usually more joint-friendly than sporadic spikes.
Myth 6: Any shoe is fine, and the newest one must be best
New runners often buy what is on sale. Experienced runners sometimes buy what is trendy.
Both can go wrong.
Lindsay’s practical advice: get assessed at a running specialty store and learn what works for your stride and comfort. Mark’s coaching caution: if you have a shoe model that has worked for years, be careful about switching just because something new is popular.
Shoes are not a magic upgrade. They are an interface between your body and the ground. Fit and comfort matter.
(General guidance: if you change shoe models, do it gradually, and do not debut a new shoe on your longest or hardest day.)
Myth 7: Barefoot is the secret to fewer injuries
Barefoot running became popular partly because it sounds “natural.” But modern running is not happening on grass savannah paths with a lifetime of barefoot adaptation. It is often happening on pavement, after years of sitting at desks, with tissues that are not conditioned for a sudden overhaul.
Mark’s key point: big changes add big stress. If you want to experiment, a safer approach is tiny doses on soft ground as a strength and form supplement, not a full replacement overnight.
Myth 8: You have to look like a “runner” to run well
Lindsay’s lived reality from the competitive side of the sport: you can line up with athletes who look similar to you and completely different from you and still finish close together.
The danger here is not only performance anxiety. It can push runners toward unhealthy attempts to force their body into an imagined “ideal” shape.
A healthier truth: your best performance usually comes from consistent training, adequate recovery, and fueling well enough to support the work. (General guidance.)
Myth 9: Missed workouts must be made up
This misconception is a stress-recovery problem in disguise.
Mark’s coaching explanation is a useful anchor: the body does not reward you for “weekly mileage math.” It adapts to stress followed by recovery. If you miss a day and then stack extra miles onto the next two days, you may destroy the purpose of those days, especially if one of them was meant to be easy.
A practical rule: when you miss something, resume the plan. If missed days become frequent, that is when you adjust the plan itself rather than trying to cram.
Myth 10: More 20+ mile long runs always equals a better marathon
Long runs matter, but they are not the only pillar, and more is not always better.
Lindsay’s coaching preference was clear: many athletes do not need to run 20 miles every weekend. In fact, she often caps the longest long run at around 20 miles and uses it strategically, rather than treating it like a weekly test.
Why? Because the recovery cost is real. If the long run repeatedly wrecks the rest of the week, you are paying too much for one session.
Myth 11: Marathon pace should show up on most runs
A close cousin of “every run should be hard” is “every run should be specific.”
Mark’s lens is helpful: train physiological systems and the purpose of the day, not a constant obsession with one pace. Marathon pace practice has a place, especially as you get closer to race day. But trying to run marathon effort too often can flatten your training and leave you stale.
If you want a structured way to build marathon specificity without turning every day into a grind, the Calculated Marathon Training Plans can be a useful reference point.
Myth 12: Start fast to race well
Going out hard can feel like confidence. It is often just adrenaline.
Both coaches emphasized a calmer approach: start controlled, settle in, and become the runner doing the passing late, not the runner getting passed. Mark also pointed out a pattern many runners learn the hard way: even pacing and finishing strong tends to outperform early surges followed by survival mode.
A simple execution cue: the first mile should feel almost too easy, especially in longer races. (General guidance.)
Common mistakes
- Turning recovery runs into “medium-hard” runs because the pace looks better on a watch
- Using a single workout (like Yasso 800s) as a promise of race-day performance
- Waiting until race day to test gels, drink mixes, or caffeine
- Trying to “make up” missed workouts and accidentally eliminating recovery
- Adding long run distance while ignoring the rest of the week’s structure
- Buying shoes based on hype instead of comfort and fit
- Changing race-day routine dramatically because it feels like a “special day”
Safety and when to get help
Running advice should never override common sense or medical guidance.
Stop and get qualified help if you experience:
- Chest pain, fainting, or severe dizziness during or after running
- Signs of heat illness (confusion, chills, stopped sweating, vomiting)
- Persistent or worsening pain that changes your stride
- Ongoing GI distress or repeated inability to keep fluids down during long efforts
- Concerns about fueling, hydration, or restrictive eating patterns
If you are unsure, consult a licensed healthcare professional. For training decisions after setbacks, use a conservative approach rather than “pushing through.” (General guidance.)
Closing: turn principles into a plan you can repeat
Most “running misconceptions” are just misapplied motivation. The fix is not doing less. It is doing the right work at the right time, then recovering so you can do it again next week.
If you’d like to compare coaching styles and find someone who matches your goals, you can browse the roster on Browse Coaches.
FAQ
1) How easy should my easy runs be?
Easy runs should feel genuinely comfortable and leave you fresher, not drained. If easy runs regularly compromise workouts, they are not easy enough. (General guidance.)
2) Are Yasso 800s worth doing?
They can be a solid aerobic power workout. The misconception is treating them as a reliable marathon time predictor for everyone.
3) What’s a realistic fueling target for marathon training runs?
One practical benchmark mentioned was working toward around 40g of carbs per hour if tolerated, but individual needs vary. Practice during long runs and adjust based on what you can handle.
4) Should I drink a lot right before the race starts?
Hydration is built over the prior day or two, not fixed at the start line. Overdoing fluids right before the gun can backfire. (General guidance.)
5) Do runners really get bad knees?
Many knee issues come from sudden load spikes, other sports, or existing problems that running irritates. Gradual progression and smart recovery are key. (General guidance.)
6) Do I need to run 26 miles in training to finish a marathon?
No. Many runners succeed without running the full distance beforehand. Overreaching in training can cost more recovery than it is worth. (General guidance.)
7) How can an online running coach help with misconceptions?
An online running coach can spot patterns like running too hard on easy days, overdoing long runs, or experimenting on race week, and then adjust training so the whole plan works together.
