Runner's Dirty Words (S&C)

Lets face it most runners from beginners to old hands - just run & for some that works. But for most of us myself included, there is simply no way I could do the volume of running I do if I didn't pay serious attention to body strength.

I actually enjoy the strength workouts just as much as running - its good to feel fit & healthy and look strong.

Strength & conditioning has also kept me injury free, and helped massively with recovery between the longer endurance runs. I'm fairly old school in my own routine & as a coach - Kettlebells, Battle Ropes, Plyometrics , Medballs, Bosu & good old Body Strength features a lot - time wise I dedicate probably 2 /3 hours a week which is not a lot really that's made up of no more that 40 minutes on any one session.

Strength exercises are important to create good running form and avoid injury.

Running is often believed to be purely about endurance, or aerobic fitness, but muscular strength also plays a major role. Strength exercises are important to create good running form, avoid injury, and become a more balanced runner.

Why do strength training?

While runners often work mainly on their aerobic fitness, strength training is an important training tool. Just consider: when you run, two to three times per week, your body weight is borne by one leg at a time - that means you need considerable leg strength to achieve speed and mileage, a factor often seen in runners “pushing up distance” which results in shin splints (lower leg pain).

Regular strength training corrects imbalances that occur naturally in the body, such as left-right differences, unequal knee flexion and extension strength, and imbalances in overall muscular strength. Correcting these imbalances reduces the risk of injury.

Another reason to work on strength is that it improves your overall running form, making you a more efficient runner. This is especially important for long-distance runners who want to maintain their form throughout a race. When you're running a marathon, good running form may be easy at the start when you're full of energy, but it's towards the end when you're tired that it really counts!

When to do strength training?

To obtain the best results, perform strength exercises regularly, for instance two or three times a week. Do your exercises on lighter training days or on rest days. If you follow a training plan, it's best to build strength in the earlier phases and ease up on exercising as your endurance training increases. Short and middle distance runners can maintain strength training right through.

What to focus on?

As a runner you will of course want to work on your leg strength, but it's also important to develop your core muscles (chest, shoulders and back) and pelvic muscles. Training your foot and lower leg muscles (shins, calves and plantar muscles) helps to improve your push-off strength and also reduces the chance of injuries.

How to do it?

When you start doing strength exercises, pay close attention that you're performing the exercises correctly. Some tips for effective strength exercising:

1. Perform strength exercises two or three times a week.

2. Start with few repetitions and build up step by step.

3. Don't hold your breath while exercising. As a rule, breathe out while using strength.

4. When performed correctly, you should feel a burning sensation in the exercised muscles.

5. Once you are comfortable with the exercises and you have good form, you can add weights to create more resistance.