Building Leg Strength/Endurance for 10K

zillah73

I have been running for a while and have run a few 10ks and a few more 5ks. I can run a whole 5k no problem. When it comes to the 10k I am doing great with both my lungs and heart rate - feel like I could go on forever - but I lose my legs. I get some ankle fatigue, but the bulk of my troubles are in my quads, hamstrings and a bit in my hips. I try to push through it as long as I can but will slow to a walk when I start stumbling and fear I am at risk of falling.

My question is what kinds of exercises and activities could I do besides continued running (which I am doing anyway) that will help me build the strength and endurance to be able to run a 10k without losing my legs? I am open to any suggestions be it gym, biking, group classes, etc.

mousemom18

Squats (yuck), lunges (double yuck!), and deadlifts all spring to mind. I have Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 and the exercises in the strength portion of the workouts would all help you. If you're going to a gym, ask a trainer to show you some quad strengthening exercises you can do at home. And don't laugh but Yoga helps with that too.

trogalicious

My wife does spin and says she feels better running further because of it.
I do plenty of weight training, and it helps me. I started Stronglifts a while back and have been running faster/further since.

jamimari777

How long have you been running? The reason I ask is because the only thing that helped me with running was running - I'm not a runner but I'll run 5Ks, 10Ks and half marathons. If I bike instead of run then I lose some of my running ability.

i do, however, notice an improvement in stamina when I do high intensity training, so that might help you out - jump squats and lunges with body weight, etc. When I'm training for an event I don't worry about weights as much as high intensity for endurance. I'm not an expert, but this is what's worked for me. If you own an iPhone, I suggest downloading the Nike Training Club app. It's free and the workouts are fantastic - high intensity, and will strengthen ankles and legs (as well as upper body).

core training might help your running too - a strong core helps everything.

Good luck!

jsickman12

From a runner, look up some plyometric exercises on line, I find that they help build these muscles, here is a good 10 minute workout:
Warm up with 3 minutes of walking lunges, deep squats, and jumping jacks to prepare your legs for maximal-effort jumping.
Jump as high as you can off both feet. Repeat 20 times.
Rest one minute.
Assume a split stance (one foot a half-step ahead of the other), bend down, and jump as high as you can. In midair, reverse the positions of your legs and land in the new stance. Continue jumping and alternating your leg positions until you've competed 20 total jumps.
Rest one minute.
Stand on your right foot with your left knee bent and your left foot elevated. Bend down and jump as high as you can. Land on the same foot. Complete 10 total jumps and then do 10 more off the left foot.

Another one would be hill repeats, find a hill that isn't too steep or too long and run that sucker 8-15 times in the middle of a easy run.....this is one of my favorites.

zillah73

Thanks, everyone! I am going to explore all these options. I really appreciate the helpful feedback.