Thanks to a decade of personal experience with hybrid training, Outside Run contributor Adam Meyer knows all about the challenges of lifting and running. To get the best advice on scheduling lifts around key runs, he interviewed Katie Cyrana Hillery, a physical therapist and RRCA-certified running coach, and Mike Thomson, a certified running coach and personal trainer. Every runner has heard by now that more time in the weight room can lead to better running performance.
It sounds counterintuitive, but I’m living proof that anyone can benefit from it. I’m 6’-5”, 215 pounds, and I’ve been lifting and running side by side for the last ten years. My current week includes four lifting days on an upper/lower split, a functional fitness session on Wednesdays, and a total of about 25 miles of running, plus the weekend active recovery days where I go hiking with my family, bike with my kids, or incorporate mobility work.
Research shows that strength training can improve running performance and help prevent injury. The challenging part, though, is knowing how much to do of each without one impacting the other. Where does leg day go when you have intervals on Tuesday and a long run on Saturday?
What happens to your squats when your mileage peaks? Put a heavy lift in the wrong spot, and your next workout will likely pay for it, along with your recovery. To sort it out, I spoke with Katie Cyrana Hillery, DPT, OCS, CSCS, clinical director at Evolve Physical Therapy and an RRCA-certified running coach, and Mike Thomson, a certified running coach and personal trainer at Life Time.
Here’s how these experts recommend you design your week that allows room for both. For years, my instinct was to spread out my intense training days throughout the week. These days, my Tuesday would include running intervals in the morning and a lower-body lift that afternoon, then nothing heavier than upper-body work until my long run on Saturday.
It took me longer than I’d like to admit to stop feeling guilty about “wasting” a rest day by not touching a heavy squat. However, both coaches recommend the opposite, and say you should stack the hard days together so your easy days can actually be easy. If you must, do your lifts right after the run.” The reason behind this is that lifting soon after a workout is better than lifting the next day when your legs feel heavy and compromise running performance.
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