Benefits of Strength Training For Runners

BENEFITS OF STRENGTH TRAINING FOR RUNNERS!

We have all heard that strength training is good for us runners, but WHY⁉️

Running is an aerobic sport, so many athletes and coaches tend to focus so much on the running portion of building the aerobic system that they neglect strength training. You may be wondering why strength training is important is running is an aerobic sport. We want to share with you the benefits of strength training for runners because running is more than RUNNING! You must train the entire system to work together.

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✅INJURY PREVENTION: Strength training strengthens connective tissue and muscles to prevent injury! It also corrects muscle imbalances in the body that can contribute to injury. Imbalances can mean either one leg or glute is stronger than the other OR an imposing muscle group is stronger (like your quads are stronger than your hamstrings). Your body begins to compensate and favor the stronger side, which can lead to injury. 🤕 If you keep getting injured in a specific area of your body, getting specific exercises for YOUR particular imbalances/weaknesses from a physical therapist is KEY! You’ll keep getting injured if you don’t address the ROOT CAUSE☝️

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✅IMPROVES RUNNING ECONOMY: When your muscles are STRONG, they don’t need to expend as much energy to hit faster paces. This leads to your form staying intact throughout the entirety of a race, thus being able to hold onto that faster pace instead of breaking & slowing down! SMALL improvements in your running economy lead to BIG differences, especially over the course of longer races like half and full marathons 💪

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✅IMPROVED NEUROMUSCULAR CONNECTIONS: Strength training improves your POWER⚡️🔋by strengthening the mind to body connection. This allows your body to recruit MORE muscle fibers more quickly, and do so much easier which makes you more EFFICIENT!

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✅IMPROVES BALANCE: When running, you are either airbound or on one leg. There is potential for landing wrong and hurting ourselves. Our legs have many small stabilizing muscles that can help us navigate uneven terrain when they are STRONG! 💪

How is 5k training different than marathon training

How is training for the 5k and a marathon any different besides running more miles? Did you know that elite 5k runners still train 70+ miles per week? That is still a whole lot of running! A lot of the training for the 5k and the marathon are very similar, but there are some differences we should address to make sure you are training correctly for your goals. We will also chat about why it is possible to also PR in the 5k while training for the marathon

Targeting your training to each energy system will allow you to attend to specific aspects of metabolism that can improve your running performance. 

 

• What percent of the aerobic system is used during a marathon? 100%
• What percent of the aerobic system is used during a 5k/10k 95-100%
• What are the key focuses for a marathon training plan? 

If you are training for a marathon, long, continuous runs are more important for their effects on glycogen storage and capillary and mitochondrial volumes. Intervals take on greater importance if you are training for a 5K and shorter distances, which are run at a pace closer to your VO2 max.

 

MARATHON

If you are training for a marathon, long, continuous runs are more important for their effects on glycogen storage and capillary and mitochondrial volumes. Intervals take on greater importance if you are training for a 5K and shorter distances, which are run at a pace closer to your VO2 max.

 

5k/10k training

Intervals on a track increase enzyme activity increase in your heart’s stroke volume (the amount of blood your heart pumps per beat) and cardiac output (the amount of blood your heart pumps per minute), which greatly increases the delivery of blood and oxygen to your muscles. Together, all of these training adaptations increase the often-mentioned VO2 max

 

While increasing your weekly mileage will initially increase your VO2 max, the most potent stimulus for its improvement is long intervals of 2 to 5 minutes at the speed that elicits VO2 max, with recovery periods that are equal to or slightly less than the time spent running (1:1 work-to-rest ratio). Jogging between intervals will keep oxygen consumption (VO2) elevated throughout the workout.

Marathon & Half Marathon Training Secrets

HALF MARATHON

✅FOCUS ON TEMPO WORK: A variety of tempo work should be the bulk of your workouts during half marathon training, from traditional tempo work (aerobic threshold) to half marathon pace tempo work. These workouts help you run faster for longer and get a “feel” for half marathon race pace!

✅EASY RUNS SHOULD BE 80% OF YOUR MILEAGE: You should do easy runs in between your hard workouts during half marathon training and it should be the bulk of your training. Just like the marathon, this is an aerobic event which requires easy mileage to improve upon your aerobic fitness 📈

✅PRIORITIZE THE LONG RUN: While the long run is not the entire training plan, it IS an important part of any half marathon training plan. Make sure you are comfortable running long runs between 8-12 miles 💪

✅GET YOUR FUELING PLAN DOWN: Practice your fueling strategy during your long runs! Aim to take in 30-60 grams of carbs per every hour you are running, though you may find you need more 🍌

✅SIMULATE YOUR COURSE ON TRAINING RUNS: If your race is hilly, train on hills! 🗻 This is SO important to have a strong race 💪

MARATHON TRAINING TIPS

✅RECOVERY IS KEY: You NEED to match your recovery with the hard effort of marathon training so you can continue going week after week. Focus on getting enough sleep, proper nutrition & hydration, rest days, epsom salt baths, foam rolling, compression, and massage! 💆🛀🏻😴

✅GET YOUR FUELING PLAN DOWN: Practice your fueling strategy during your long runs! Aim to take in 30-60 grams of carbs per every hour you are running, though you may find you need more 🍌

✅INCORPORATE CUTBACK WEEKS: Cutback weeks should be incorporated into a marathon training plan every 2-4 weeks with a 20-30% reduction in mileage and a decrease in hard efforts. This will allow you to avoid injury and burnout! 🙅‍♂️

✅SLOW DOWN YOUR LONG RUNS: The goal of the long run is to build endurance through the growth of mitochondria and teaching your body to burn fat efficiently. This is accomplished at EASY pace. If you run too fast, you defeat the purpose. You also will require a lot more recovery time afterwards which won’t allow you to do a hard workout a few days later, thus setting you back. Your risk for injury and burnout increases as well

✅FOCUS ON TEMPO WORK: You only get so many workouts during a marathon training cycle. Do NOT waste them on 400m and 800m repeats. Focus on aerobic threshold and marathon pace work to reach your potential in the marathon! 💪

✅EASY RUNS SHOULD BE 80% OF YOUR MILEAGE: Improve your aerobic fitness by running 80% of your mileage at easy pace! The marathon is an aerobic event which requires easy mileage to improve upon your aerobic fitness 📈

5k/10k Training Tips

TOP TRAINING SECRETS: 🔥5k/10k🔥

5k TRAINING: WHY SPEEDWORK IS IMPORTANT 💯
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What can speed workouts do for YOUR training⁉️

 

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✅PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS: Increase enzyme activity, increase in your heart’s stroke volume (the amount of blood your heart pumps per beat), increase cardiac output (the amount of blood your heart pumps per minute). ♥️ Together, all of these training adaptations increase your VO2Max. While increasing your weekly mileage will initially increase your VO2Max, the most potent stimulus for its’ improvement is long intervals of 2 to 5 minutes at the speed that elicits VO2Max, with recovery periods that are equal to or slightly less than the time spent running (1:1 work-to-rest ratio)
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✅YOU WILL GET FASTER IN LONGER DISTANCES: The higher our VO2Max, the faster the potential for all of our other paces/race distances become. 💪 Taking a cycle to improve our vLT (velocity at lactic threshold) can help with our long-term goals. In other words, the higher our threshold, the faster our marathon pace. Now this does not mean we need to hammer track workouts and speed sessions while actively training for a marathon. It doesn’t matter how fast you can run a mile if you haven’t done the necessary aerobic work for the big 26.2. We can’t train like a 5k runner in the months leading up to a marathon and expect that it will translate evenly over an extra 23.1 miles. ⭐️ Rather, this suggests that varying your training emphasis from time to time can lead to success in future training cycles ⭐️
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✅MENTAL BREAK FROM THE MARATHON: Not only can emphasizing speed prep us physically for a better race, but it can serve as an excellent mental and physical break between marathon bouts. Getting ready for the full can sometimes be grueling, and focusing on the marathon year round is even more strenuous. Taking a step back on mileage and running a few shorter races can be a pleasant and exciting way to continue to improve fitness while allowing the body a chance to recover. Managing motivation is just as important as managing stress 🧠

 

1- DO INTERVAL WORKOUTS:

Interval training is your best friend during 5k/10k training! You should have a day per week dedicated to interval training in your 5k/10k training plan, such as 400m, 800m, and 1000m repeats. These workouts allow for perfecting form, learning mental toughness, gaining confidence at faster speeds, and understanding what 5k/10k pace should “feel” like

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2- EASY RUNS SHOULD BE 80% OF YOUR MILEAGE:

You should do easy runs in between your hard workouts during 5k/10k training and it should still be the bulk of your training. Even though the 5k is shorter, it is still very much an aerobic event rather than an anaerobic event. Easy running will still help you improve in these shorter endurance races! 💪

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3- INCLUDE TEMPO RUNS:

Tempo runs should be incorporated into your training. We want to work on improving your aerobic threshold so you can hold faster paces for longer! 🏃‍♀️

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4- INCORPORATE STRIDES:

Strides are short surges of fast running followed by a full recovery, usually between 20-30 seconds with 60 seconds+ of recovery afterwards. These are a great primer for more advanced speedwork! They should be done after an easy run or right before a harder workout

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5- USE THE ROADS, NOT THE TRACK:

It may be tempting to use the track for your speed workouts, but force yourself to use the roads as often as you can! Chances are, you are not training for a track 5k or 10k so train on the terrain you are going to race on 🛣

Postpartum & Nursing Running

The journey of returning to running postpartum varies widely among women and can be an extremely humbling process. During this process, patience is KEY as well as understanding the ways in which you can make this journey more manageable

Understand the risks of running postpartum: Pregnancy and the hormones released from pregnancy cause a ton of changes in your body including: Lax joints and ligaments, a shift in your center of gravity, and a weak core to name a few. All of these changes put you at a higher risk for injury!

Start working with a physical therapist and/or pelvic floor specialists ASAP to start the strengthening process

Be aware of issues that should be fixed prior to running: Larger than 2 finger diastasis recti, a major prolapse from a collapsed pelvic floor, and sciatic pain are a few things that must be addressed before you begin running again. These conditions CAN be fixed with time and professional help, but running with them can only cause further damage that is difficult to come back from

Know the typical timeline, but listen to YOUR body: Many women receive clearance to run from their doctor around 4-6 weeks postpartum, though plenty of women do not feel ready until 12 weeks after. Just because you receive clearance from your doctor does NOT mean you should start running immediately. Make sure you feel ready to get back out there!

Begin running again with a Couch to 5k plan: These programs generally start with 3 run/walks per week and increase from there by 10% each week. It is incredibly humbling to go from running marathons to using a Couch to 5k program, but your body will thank you for easing back into running slowly

IF YOU ARE BREASTFEEDING

Pump/breastfeed before you run: Try to get your breasts as empty as possible before heading out to prevent an uncomfortable run and possible leakage

Eat enough & drink enough fluids: If you had a healthy pregnancy and gained the suggested amount of weight, then you should eat around 500 more calories per day than your normal non-pregnancy/postpartum calorie intake if you are breastfeeding. You may need more if you are training for a longer endurance race. Just like it takes more calories to produce milk, it takes extra fluids as well! You might find that you need to take fluids with you on even short runs during your postpartum journey

Get some new sports bras: Getting more supportive sports bras will help you feel more comfortable on the run!

Fueling for Distance Runners

HOW TO MAKE FUELING EASIER! 

Eating well and eating enough to fuel our running is incredibly important and is one of the 🔥hottest🔥 topics in the running industry right now. It can feel very overwhelming trying to eat well during busy weeks and it can feel easier to just grab the quick option that might not make us feel as great throughout the day and on the run

1- Set aside 2-3 hours during the week to plan & prep:

In just a few hours, you can bake and cut up loads of vegetables to eat as snacks and serve at meal times. At the same time, you can have a soup cooking in the crockpot. 🍜 This can feel overwhelming right away, so start small with prepping just your lunches for the week and going from there!

2- Don’t buy foods you know you don’t like:

Just because it’s “healthy” doesn’t mean you should buy it! If you don’t actually like the food, it will sit in your fridge, spoil, and then you’ll feel guilty about the food waste. Buy fueling options you know you like and WILL eat! ☺️

3- Don’t force yourself to eat foods you don’t like:

This could make you throw in the towel all together if you force yourself to eat “healthy” foods you don’t like. Food fuels our running, but it should also be enjoyed. ♥️ Stick with the fueling options that you like and will nourish your body!

4- Look into meal or snack delivery:

There are a variety of companies out there that deliver pre-portioned meals you cook and meals you heat up. It may seem “unhealthy” to eat frozen meals, but companies like Daily Harvest have genuinely healthy soups, rice bowls, smoothies, and oatmeal that can be ready within minutes 🍛

5- Make small changes over time:

It’s unrealistic to completely change your diet in a day. Start small. Start by adding vegetables to 1️⃣ meal a day. Start by eating or drinking that post-workout recovery food or drink within 20-30 minutes. Find a couple things to work on, turn them into habits, and go from there! 💪

How to Stay Motivated to Run?

Motivation can be so low this time of year if you live in the north. We are on month 4 of snow here in Minnesota, and there are no signs of letting up soon! Motivation isn’t always weather related of course. Sometimes we just plain don’t feel like running or have the same motivation/inspiration we once had. 

Have you ever looked at someone and thought:

“How do they have so much ‘motivation’ to run”⁉️HOW do they do it⁉️

The Reality is: Motivation is a CHOICE everyday. Those “motivated” runners don’t just jump out of bed motivated & excited to run everyday. There are deliberate decisions and thoughts that you can CHOOSE each day to make your run happen If you wait for motivation to get you off the couch and go run, you’ll be waiting a LONG time… 🕑

Tips To Stay Dedicated

1- ASSESS YOUR CURRENT DAY TO DAY & MAKE A PLAN:

Make a pie chart of how you spend your time. Do you sit on social media for an hour a day❓Did you say yes (again) to that extra work project or dinner when you wanted to say NO❓Take responsibility for your day and make a plan to give you the BEST shot at getting your run in (lay your clothes out the night before, prep your food for the week on Sunday, don’t plan to run 6 days a week when only 4 is realistic, etc.)

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2- MAKE PROCESS GOALS INSTEAD OF OUTCOME GOALS:

Focusing on PROCESS goals allows you to celebrate the small victories along the way to keep you engaged. Focusing too much on the OUTCOME/race day goal can lead to devastating disappointment because there are factors out of your control that can impact that outcome (poor weather, unexpected stomach issues, etc.) 👎

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3- SWITCH THINGS UP:

Run with friends, join a local racing team, discover somewhere new to run, find a new podcast to listen to, run without a watch. The sport of running is inherently monotonous. ✨Find ways to spark joy again if you find yourself in a rut!✨

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4- HAVE AN OFF SEASON:

It’s not realistic or recommended to be in “peak fitness” all year long. This leads to low motivation and eventually burnout. After your goal race, take a week or two off of running COMPLETELY. Ease back in with just easy mileage for a few more weeks. Your mind and body will thank you for powering down! 🎚

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5- REWARD YOURSELF:

Running a lot of miles requires a lot of recovery! Take that epsom salt bath, get that massage, and put your legs up after a long run– you NEED that recovery to keep coming back week after week! 🛀🏻💆

 

More Tips to Try From Coach Victoria (13x Boston Qualifier)

• Make workouts more attainable to increase confidence and generate momentum
• Slow down on easy days
• Sign up for a race, set a realistic but challenging goal
• Find a friend or group to run with
• Plan new routes
• Follow a plan (I found that when I’m not motivated it’s because I lacked accountability.)
• Try not to think about the past

 

 

Legal Doping: Run Your Fastest Times With These Legal Tips (not training specific)

🔥LEGAL DOPING: Run Your Fastest Times With These LEGAL Tips🔥

We talk a lot about the things you can do from a training perspective to get faster, but what about the other details? Is there anything you can do outside of training and recovery to run your fastest times? Today we are sharing the secret tips that will give you an extra edge on race day to run your fastest times.

THE EXPERT TIPS:

 

1- Wear racing shoes

The Nike 4% and Next% shoes are controversial to say the least. For a majority of athletes, these shoes DO make you faster. There is a reason that every broken record is done in these shoes and why you see a sea of neon shoes in every race. We would say they make you about 10-15 seconds PER MILE faster than other shoes. There ARE other carbon plated shoes that are meant to be racing shoes too! Shop around, see what works for YOU. Bottom line: Wear shoes that you feel FAST in. Whether it’s a placebo effect or not for you, if you feel fast then go with it!

2- Have a race day outfit:

Run in what you feel FAST in! Having your own version of a “race day uniform” will help you get into the mindset that it’s race day 😏

3- Choose downhill/flat courses:

It’s common sense, but running on a flat or downhill course WILL be faster than a course with hills. Downhill courses like the Revel races are becoming very popular. These races have thousands of feet of elevation loss, and they ARE Boston Qualifiers! If you are quad-dominant and run just fine on downhills, these types of races WILL allow you to run faster. Flat courses like Chicago and Indianapolis are great options too 👍

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4- Run races with competition:

You’re not going to run to your full potential when you’re alone on a course. Having other people around helps you stay committed to the pace and present in the race 💪

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5- Plan accordingly:

Plan out your entire year of racing! This can help shape your goals for the year. For example, if you have three 5ks in the next six months, you should plan to have goals for each one and ideally your last 5k would be your fastest because you’re getting more fit as the year progresses 📆

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6- Remove the weather variable:

If you want to have the BEST chances for perfect race day weather, don’t run a longer race in June/July/August/September ANYWHERE in the U.S! You are risking 🥵 weather on race day. Floridians might fare well in 60-70 degree weather, but colder climate dwellers will not perform as well in warmer temps 🌡

 

Race Day Rules & Tips

Race day can bring up a lot of emotions for athletes. All the training we put in took a lot of hard work and sacrifices. We pour our heart and soul into our training. It is no wonder that race day nerves can set in. We want to give some tips to help you run your best possible race performance.

 

Following these rules can unsure you run to your very best potential on race day AND have fun along the way.

OUR RACE DAY RULES:

1- Don’t go out too fast:

The first mile of any run feels easy, ESPECIALLY the first mile of a race! Don’t let the adrenaline get the best of you. Be SMART and be loyal to your pacing plan

2- Don’t try anything new on race day:

This goes for shoes, fuel, outfit, hydration, etc. If you didn’t try it in training, ❌DON’T❌ try it on race day!

3-  Trust your training:

The work is done. The hay is in the barn. Run the race you know you are capable of and when things get tough, don’t even entertain the idea that you’re not ready for this. YOU ARE! 💪

4- Check in with yourself at halfway:

At the halfway point of any race, you should always do a full check in with yourself to assess how you’re feeling. Can you keep your current pace up for the rest of the race? If not, SLOW down! ✋

5- HAVE FUN!

Don’t forget why you do this in the first place. You LOVE this sport! Turn the race day nerves into race day EXCITEMENT and have FUN 🤗

Should you run with a GPS watch?

GPS WATCHES & APPS 📱⌚️

For the last several years, the trend in the running industry has been all about recording and tracking data to improve. Heart rate, pace, elevation, sleep, training status, cadence, etc. You name the metric, these watches and apps have found a way to track it. But what are the pros👍 and cons👎 of tracking all of this data?

👍Tracking Run Data Pros:

✅Gain more insight into how workouts and mileage are affecting you and your training

✅Ability to reflect weekly or monthly on on very accurate training to see where improvements can be made

✅Ability to create workouts before you run so while you’re doing the workout, you just need to wait for the beep or buzz to tell you to start or end a segment of the workout

Tracking Run Data 👎CONS:

✅A lot of data “noise” can be distracting and anxiety-provoking if you look too deeply into the numbers or if you just like to keep running simple

✅Your data can be broadcast to a larger audience on apps like Strava which can lead to anxiety, overtraining, and fear of judgment about your training approach and race results

✅It can lead to an overemphasis on what the data is telling you and an underemphasis on how you are FEELING throughout training

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❗️THE BOTTOM LINE❗️

❇️You do NOT need a fancy watch to improve as a runner. If the data sends you into a negative headspace, then it might be better for you to stick with a simpler watch. If data makes you feel more comfortable and helps you stay on track, then you should take advantage of it! There is no right and wrong here 🙌

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👇That being said, here are some of our favorite watches and apps:👇

What type of watch should you run with?

Check out our article here

💚Garmin: 35, 45, 235, 245, Vivoactive, Fenix models are all at different price points and are great for running

💚Garmin Connect: App that syncs with your Garmin watch and allows you to view more detailed data from your run

💚Coros: Another GPS watch brand that has been gaining popularity in recent years

💚Strava: Social media for runners! Connect with other runners on this app that syncs with your GPS watch and allows you to track runs without a watch

💚Zwift: App that turns running and cycling training into a competitive game! Pair a Zwift-supported device to the app to use this virtual trainer