Episode 36 - How Strength Training for Runners Powers Performance at Every Training Phase

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Women's Running Lab podcast, host Alison Marie dives deep into the role of strength training for runners across different race distances. She explains why strength training is essential not just for performance, but also for long-term health, especially for female athletes. Alison shares how to adjust your strength training strategy based on your race goals and training season, and introduces her Women's Running Academy program designed to help women build and maintain strength consistently alongside their running. Enrollment for the Academy opens May 21st!

Key Takeaways:

• Strength training is essential for all runners — regardless of race distance — because it improves running economy, power, neuromuscular coordination, injury resilience, and supports long-term bone, tendon, and metabolic health, especially for women.
  
  
• The type of strength training focus shifts with race distance and training season, emphasizing heavier lifting and neuromuscular coordination for shorter races, and prioritizing volume management and tissue health maintenance during longer race builds like half and full marathons.
  
  
• During high running volume phases, strength training should continue but with adjusted variables: lower total sets and reps, faster movement tempos, and a shift toward lower time-under-tension strategies to avoid overloading the body.
  
  
• Different training seasons call for different strategies, not "all-or-nothing" strength training; maintaining some strength work even during peak race preparation helps runners stay healthier and more resilient over time.

Time Stamps:

[00:00] - Introduction

[04:30] - Why Strength Training is Essential for All Runners

[11:30] - How Strength Training Focus Shifts by Race Distance

[18:30] - Adjusting Strength Training During High-Volume Running Phases

[32:00] - Practical Strength Training Strategies and Women's Running Academy Overview

[42:00] - Wrap-Up & Closing Thoughts

Resources Mentioned:

• Women’s Running Academy Membership: Smart, female centered, run supportive strength training month after month. With the Women’s Running Academy Membership you can successfully continue to strength train year round in a way that is supportive of your running and long term health. (Enrollment opened May 21 - May 30th)
  
  
  

Quotes:

•  "Strength training primes the body to handle and use the ground reaction forces in running, leading to better running economy, more power, and greater injury resilience."
•  "Instead of hitting it hard in the offseason and dropping it when mileage builds, what if you could maintain both running and strength training consistently in a way that feels good in your body and supports your long-term health?"
  
  
  

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