Do you want to build your endurance? Once you’re able to run 30 minutes without walk breaks, you’re ready to reach for your next goal: a one-hour run.

(Not ready yet? Check out our Start Walking, Start Running, or Run Nonstop plans. Or if you’re looking to add speed, go to our Run Faster plan.)

Before heading out on any run that nears an hour, make sure youre hydrated and well fueled.

Take it easy. As you’re training your body to go longer, it’s important to run relaxed. Don’t worry about your pace; you should be running at a pace that feels comfortable, conversational— like you could maintain it forever if you had to. Just focus on covering the distance for the day feeling strong, exhilarated, with enough energy and desire that you’re psyched about getting out for your next workout. Lots of people make the mistake of going out too fast; that’s a surefire recipe for injury and burnout. And what’s more, if you finish your workout feeling demolished and demoralized, it’s going to be that much more difficult to get out for your next run.

Fill up your tank. Before heading out on any run that nears an hour, make sure you’re hydrated and well fueled. Published: Apr 01, 2013 12:00 AM EDT. Aim to consume at least half the amount of fluids of your body weight, in ounces. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you’d try to consume 75 ounces of water per day. If you weigh 200 pounds, you’d aim for 100 ounces. Stick with water or other calorie-free drinks; you don’t need sports drinks unless you’re going for longer.

These 7 Things Are Sabotaging Your Morning Workout. Stick with a snack or meal that’s low in fat and fiber, and will provide you with carbs you need for fast energy. Have a piece of fruit and pair it with cottage cheese. Other options: fig cookies; half a bagel with nut butter and jam; or a cereal with less than two grams of fiber per serving with one cup of skim milk.

Before heading out on any run that nears an hour, make sure youre hydrated and well fueled. Many people are surprised to find that when they start exercising, the pounds don’t just magically and immediately melt off. And that can be frustrating. Indeed, whether you’re ravenous when you return from your run, or you just feel entitled to treats, it’s easy to go overboard. It’s easy to eat back your calories after pushing your body and your mind farther than you’ve taken them before. To avoid that, track your calorie intake with one of the many web sites or apps; it will force you to pause and think before you taste, and exercise portion control. Also, schedule a nonfood rewards when you reach certain milestones; some new running duds, a new book or some new music, a day at the spa or a night out with friends.

We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Create a prerun routine to cue your body and mind that it’s time to run, and repeat it every time you go. Always go at the same time of day. Put your workout clothes next to your bed. Put on your same workout music before you go out. “In order to make something like running into a habit, you have to have cues to trigger you, and they have to be consistent,” says Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit. “You’re creating neural pathways that make the activity into a habit,” he adds.

How to Fall in Love With Running. No matter how good your intentions are, inevitably, you’re going to get busy, Stay on high alert, or get caught up in something that gets in the way of your running routine. And it may feel tough to start over. Don’t get stuck. Just get going.

Press the reset button, says running coach Jeff Gaudette, founder of Runnersconnect, an online training service. “Let go of the past, and focus on what you can control today,” he says. “Ask yourself, ‘Can I run today?’” Your fitness will return. “People are always so surprised at how quickly they can get back on track,” says Susan Paul, of Track Shack in Orlando. “Even if they took two weeks off they haven’t lost as much fitness as they think.”

Stay on high alert. Watch out for any aches or pains that persist or worsen as you run or prompt you to change your gait. Each person has his or her own unique orthopedic threshold for how many miles they can log and how fast they can go before getting injured. That’s determined by a person’s unique genetics, anatomy, biomechanics, history of injury.

DAA Industry Opt Out. At this stage, it may start to take more discipline to hold back than to push harder. If you push beyond what the Run Longer plan calls for, you risk getting hurt or tiring out before your time for the day is finished. “People get too excited and push it without thinking about accumulation of fatigue,” says Gaudette.

Get your Run Longer plan here. Shoes & Gear. Stay well hydrated throughout the day.