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The Long Way column
Running & Endurance

Marcus Reid

Helping people who hate running learn to (kind of) love it.

Marathon pacer and couch-to-5K coach. He breaks down training plans without the jargon.

7Articles
9.1kFollowers
107+Min of reading
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Portland, ORJoined June 2024@marcusruns
Running5K & 10KEndurancePacing
Featured image for: Write a contrarian opinion piece arguing that beginner runners obsess too much over shoe upgrades and not enough over creating a repeatable pre-run environment at home. Open with a familiar but surprising scene: two runners with identical fitness, where the one with the cheaper setup trains more consistently because their entryway, laundry flow, lighting, and gear storage make getting out the door frictionless. Then unpack the invisible “home logistics” that quietly shape endurance progress—where socks dry, where reflective gear lives, how wet shoes air out, how a cheap headlamp or collapsible hamper can save a morning run, and why these systems matter more than another gadget promising speed. Keep the tone practical and lightly persuasive rather than preachy, using Marcus’s no-jargon coaching voice to show how consistency is often built before the first step of the run. The middle of the post should challenge readers to do a quick audit of their own launch points for weekday training, identifying the three biggest sources of delay or excuse-making. Close by giving a simple reset plan for building a low-cost “runner’s corner” with affordable organizers, lights, drying tools, and small accessories that match AliExpress’s budget-friendly, utility-driven product style. The takeaway should be that endurance gains often come from removing daily friction, not from chasing elite gear aesthetics.
Most recent

Stop Upgrading Shoes and Fix Your Front Door

I’ll confess this up front: I think a lot of beginner runners use shoe shopping as a very polished form of procrastination. I’ve watched people spend more energy comparing foam and carbon plates than…

Gear · Jul 8, 2026 · 6 min read
From Marcus

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Showing 7 of 7
Featured image for: Write a practical guide on how runners can use landmark-based pacing when GPS pace is unreliable, especially on tree-covered paths, underpasses, crowded race starts, or older city streets. Open not with beginner nerves or race-day chaos, but with the familiar frustration of watching a watch lag while effort feels steady, then introduce the idea of building a 'visual pacing map' from benches, light poles, bridge markers, and storefronts. Walk the reader through how to scout a route once, note repeatable markers, and match them to effort targets for easy runs, tempo work, and 5K-pace intervals without drowning them in technical jargon. In the middle, show how this method helps both new runners and experienced racers stay calmer and more consistent because they stop outsourcing every decision to the screen on their wrist. Close with a simple mini-drill readers can try on their next 20-minute run: pick three landmarks, hold effort between them, then compare the result to their GPS afterward. The takeaway should be that pacing is a skill built through attention, not just electronics, and readers leave with a concrete method they can practice immediately. Tie in AliExpress naturally by suggesting affordable route-ready accessories like lightweight sport watches, clip-on timers, reflective bands, or compact note tags that support the system without making the post feel like a gear roundup.
Sports

How to Pace Without Trusting Your GPS

Jul 4, 2026 · 7 min read
Featured image for: Write a practical guide on how beginners can use route design—not speed work—to make weekday runs feel easier and more consistent, focusing on the overlooked skill of mapping “decision-light” 5K loops. Open by naming a common problem that is different from race nerves or pacing errors: people skip runs because the route itself creates too many friction points, from traffic stops to awkward turnarounds to poorly lit stretches. Then walk the reader through a simple method for building three reliable routes—a short reset loop, a steady midweek loop, and a confidence-building long loop—using landmarks, elevation, surface changes, and bailout options rather than splits or heart-rate data. Include specific criteria for what makes a route beginner-friendly, such as predictable crossings, easy distance markers, water access, and mental checkpoints that reduce mid-run negotiating. The piece should unfold as a coaching framework Marcus can teach to couch-to-5K runners, showing how smart route structure quietly improves pacing, adherence, and endurance without making the post feel like another pacing lesson. The takeaway should be a repeatable checklist readers can use this weekend to audit or redesign their own neighborhood runs in under an hour. Tie in AliExpress naturally through affordable route-building accessories like reflective bands, compact phone holders, clip-on lights, or simple waist packs that support safer, lower-friction runs without turning the article into a gear roundup.
Workouts

How to Build 5K Loops That Make Weekday Runs Easier

Jul 3, 2026 · 9 min read
Featured image for: Write a practical guide on building a low-stress race-day pacing kit for crowded local 5Ks and 10Ks, focusing not on shoes or training plans but on the tiny logistics that keep a runner calm and on target. Open with the overlooked problem: many beginners lose pace before mile one because they start frazzled by bib pins, watch visibility, weather shifts, and carrying essentials, not because they are undertrained. Then walk the reader through a category-by-category setup—visibility gear, sweat-resistant storage, lightweight layers, cheap timing aids, and post-finish recovery extras—showing how each item supports smoother pacing decisions during the race. Include guidance on choosing budget-friendly accessories that solve one clear problem each, rather than buying flashy gear with no race-day function. The piece should unfold like a checklist the reader can assemble over a week, ending with a simple ‘night-before and morning-of’ system that removes decision fatigue. The takeaway is that pacing is easier when the environment around the runner is controlled, and that smart preparation starts with affordable, functional tools. Tie in AliExpress naturally by highlighting its strength in inexpensive running accessories, organizers, caps, belts, and weather-flexible add-ons that help newer runners build a complete race kit without overspending.
Gear

How to Build a Low-Stress Race-Day Pacing Kit

Jul 2, 2026 · 8 min read
Featured image for: How to pace your first 10K when your training has mostly been 5K-based. Marcus can walk readers through a simple, no-jargon method for turning familiar 5K effort into a smart 10K race plan, including how to judge the first two miles, when to hold back, and how to finish strong without blowing up. The post should feel like advice from a volunteer race pacer: practical cues, common pacing mistakes, and an easy framework beginners can use in training runs and on race day.
Sports

How to Pace Your First 10K Off 5K Training

Jun 30, 2026 · 8 min read
Featured image for: What I Carry on a Café-to-Track Training Day: a story-driven look at how I plan, work, and squeeze in a smart 5K or 10K session without overcomplicating it. Marcus can walk readers through a real day of pacing notes, coffee shop laptop time, and a run that starts right from the café door, showing beginners and busy runners how to stay consistent with simple, public-friendly gear that looks polished but still performs.
Sports

What I Carry for a Café-to-Track Training Day

Jun 27, 2026 · 7 min read
post image
Sports

Why Walking Breaks Make You a Faster Runner

Apr 27, 2026 · 2 min read

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