RUNNING TIME

MAXIM fitness guru, Alexa, gives you the lowdown on training for endurance and preparing your body to pound the pavement...

- ALEXA TOWERSEY

They say that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master a skill. If you want to be a good runner, then you need to run. Unfortunately, when it comes to training for endurance, it's very easy to get caught up in an endless cycle of "chronic repetitive motion" while neglecting all the other stuff that actually keeps your body road worthy. Strength training plays a vital role in preparing your body for running.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 

You can use weight training to address structural and strength imbalances and prevent injury, to improve power to weight ratio, to reinforce optimal posture and breathing and to develop athletic potential and speed.

INJURY PREVENTION

Addressing the most common structural and strength imbalances is key when it comes to bulletproofing the body against injury.

1 ANTERIOR vs POSTERIOR CHAIN 

If you've ever been injured and spent time at physio, you're probably familiar with the old chestnut that "your glutes just aren't firing". Whilst this is a super simplistic way of looking at things, there is in fact some truth to it. If you spend a bunch of time sitting down hunched over a desk, your hip flexors will get short, tight and weak, and your glutes will have a hard time switching on when it comes time to do the hard yards. Strengthening the lower links in your posterior chain your calves, hamstrings and glutes - will not only help support your ankles, knees, and lower back, but it will also give you the power to conquer heartbreak hill or win that 1-on-1 sprint to the finish.

TOP TIP

Hip flexors are important for improving stride length, and therefore speed, but they are often neglected in training in favour of booty building. An easy way to add in some direct work is by including seated straight leg lifts and banded mountain climber variations.