Strength Training for Runners

Build a body that can handle the miles you want to run.

Running asks a lot of your body. And if you love to run, the answer probably isn’t to run less. It’s to make sure your body has the strength and capacity to support what you’re asking it to do.

Whether you’re training for a race, trying to build mileage, returning after an injury, or simply hoping to keep running for decades to come, strength training can help you build a body that’s better prepared for the demands of the sport.

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Running Is Training. But It Isn’t Strength Training.

Running is great for you. It also involves thousands of repetitions of essentially the same movement.

Strength training gives us an opportunity to develop qualities that running alone doesn’t train particularly well: greater force production, stronger muscles and connective tissue, better single-leg strength, and the ability to tolerate higher loads.

For runners in midlife, it becomes even more important. Maintaining muscle, strength, power, and bone density requires a training stimulus beyond what we get from running alone.

Strength Training That Supports Your Running

A strength program for a runner shouldn’t just be a generic workout added on top of everything else you’re already doing.

Your running matters.

Your mileage matters. Your race schedule matters. Your injury history matters. So does how well you’re recovering and what happens to your body as your training volume increases.

I build your strength training around all of that.

Depending on what you need, we might work on heavy lower-body strength, single-leg strength, calf capacity, power, trunk strength, or areas that aren’t currently tolerating the demands of your running particularly well.

The goal isn’t to make you good at gym exercises.

The goal is to build more capacity for the things you want your body to do.

What If I have knee, hip or back pain?

You don’t necessarily need to be completely pain-free before you can train.

Pain can make exercise complicated, particularly when you’ve been dealing with the same problem for months or years. Maybe your knee starts bothering you every time your mileage gets above a certain point. Maybe your back has made you afraid to lift heavy things. Maybe you’ve been told there are exercises or activities you should simply avoid.

That’s where we start with what your body can do now.

My Active Life training gives me additional tools for working with people when pain, injury, or physical limitations have made exercise more complicated. We can adjust load, range of motion, exercise selection, running volume, and other variables while progressively building strength and capacity.

I don’t diagnose or treat injuries, and there are times when a physical therapist or other healthcare professional is the right person to see. I’m also happy to collaborate with your healthcare team when that makes sense.

But pain doesn’t automatically mean you’re fragile, and it doesn’t automatically mean giving up the activities you care about.

Finished Physical Therapy, But Not Back to Running?

There can be a pretty big gap between finishing physical therapy and getting back to the amount of running you actually want to do.

Maybe you’ve been cleared to run, but every time you start increasing mileage, symptoms return. Maybe you can run a few miles but don’t trust your body enough to train for the half marathon you want to do. Or maybe PT solved the immediate problem, but you know you need to get stronger if you want to stay healthy and keep running.

This is work I especially enjoy.

We can take the capacity you have now and progressively build from there, with your actual running goals in mind.

Running Through Midlife

A lot changes in midlife. That doesn’t mean we need to stop expecting our bodies to be strong and capable.

For women in particular, the hormonal changes around perimenopause and menopause make preserving muscle, bone density, strength, and power increasingly important.

Running has plenty of health benefits, but running alone isn’t enough to maximize those qualities.

Progressive strength training gives your body a reason to maintain and build muscle and bone. It can also help preserve the strength and power that matter not just for running performance, but for staying athletic as you get older.

You can absolutely keep chasing running goals in your 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond.

Let’s make sure your training supports that.

I Get Why Running Matters

I’ve been a serious runner for decades , and for a long time I made the same mistake a lot of runners make: I ran a lot and didn’t take strength training nearly seriously enough.

I also understand that for people who love running, it isn’t interchangeable with another form of exercise.

If running matters to you, I’m not interested in immediately telling you to stop running every time something hurts. I want to understand what’s happening, what your body can currently tolerate, and what we can build so that you can keep doing more of what matters to you.

What Working Together Looks Like

Everything starts with a comprehensive assessment.

We’ll talk about your running history, current training, injuries or symptoms you’re dealing with, and what you want to be able to do. I’ll also assess your strength, mobility, balance, and other factors that may be relevant to your goals.

From there, I’ll recommend a plan based on what you actually need.

Coaching may include in-person strength training at my Essex Junction studio along with individualized home workouts, programming through my coaching app, feedback, education, and ongoing adjustments as your running and strength training progress.

Run Stronger. Keep Running.

Whether you want to get through your first 5K, return to running after an injury, train for another marathon, or still be running decades from now, we can build the strength and capacity to support it.