How many long runs do you really need

This morning, I was reading an article in Trail Running magazine which talked about the number of long runs needed during non peak season. Having done more than few long runs during what I will consider the down portion of my year, this article caught my attention. 

Further peaking my interest, the author shared a story about one of his athletes running 100 miler on only 5 runs of 20+ with nothing longer than a 50k. The author, however, never went on to give any context around his runner's abilities or history. 

So taking this on the surface, arriving at the starting line for a 100 miler with fresh, rested legs is important. Arriving at the starting line at bit under trained, as posed to being over trained and tired is equally important. 

Lastly, I guess arriving with a realistic time goal equal to one's training is also important. 

When I ran my first 100 miler, I don't think that I was over trained. I had done well more than 5+ runs  of 20+ miles. I even did both a 50k and a 50 miler in the months leading up to the race. 

From my experience running a 100 miler can be as much or ;more mental than physical. What I mean by this is at some point around 60 to 80 miles in to a 100 miles, my body is going be ready to quit. Yes, mileage may vary depending on the runner. LOL. Mentally, I have to be strong enough to continue pushing myself down the course. This becomes harder with each passing mile because my body is going to get tired. If I am limited myself to just 20ish mile runs, I never really get to that overwhelming fatigue point. Mentally, I don't get a chance to learn how to deal with it and push through. Those are both important aspect to consider. 

So while I will never say that this 5 x 20 will not work. There are always outliers and exceptions to every rule. I would be interested to know how they felt about it afterwards. I wonder if they would continue with the same training plan. 

Personally, my training plans are built around preparation. I do as much as I can to emulate the coming conditions. I want to give myself every opportunity to succeed. 

This leaves me wonder if I am an outlier while everyone else is following the norm. 

Thoughts from the Cool Down Runner