How strength training can improve your marathon preparation

It is well known running offers many great health benefits, such as increasing strength and fitness, however like most sporting activities it can also pose risks.

As the marathon season gets into full flow, we are see more and more people increase their weekly training. We have many clients come to see us, normally following an increase in training volume. This happens most frequently when they are increasing their mileage to between 15 and 20 miles. Or have started to vary their running patterns, such as increased tempo runs. A variety of different running related injuries present themselves, with the two most common we see being anterior knee pain and achilles tendinopathies.

There is more incentive nowadays for people to get active. The internet provides a whole host of information regarding marathon training plans. These online plans normally involve a gradual increase in mileage over several weeks, however very few of them include any strength and conditioning elements. Increasing the load we put through our tendons and muscles, whether this is increase in mileage or increase in frequency of sessions throughout the week, can cause an overload. This results in tissue breakdown which then exceeds the rate at which tissue building occurs, leading to injury as the tissue becomes less efficient at dealing with the increase in load.