Strength Training during Marathon Training

jennalink807

Hello all,

I started training for a Tough Mudder in January, that I just completed last Saturday. Now, I've got a few weeks time before I start ramping up my mileage to train for my first marathon this fall (Chicago). During my tough mudder training, I did a lot of lifting and strength training, because of the nature of the event. At my peak, I was lifting 3-4 x per week alongside following a training plan for a half marathon. My strength training routine is pretty basic (deadlift, squat, bench press, pull-ups, push-ups, lunges).

My question is, how much strength training is enough / too much during marathon training? Once a week? Twice a week? I'm mostly interested in avoiding injury and maintaining muscle mass. I eat at maintenance and eat back my exercise calories, so I'm not looking to 'burn extra calories' or lose any weight. I've read several books on marathon training, but none of them had any strength training plans in them. The only advice I got about lifting weights was to use lighter weights and higher reps (which I don't plan to do- unless its necessary. I like lifting heavy).

For my marathon training I'm following Hal Higdon's Intermediate 1 plan, so I'll be running 5x a week with 1 rest day and 1 cross day. I've read that cross training should be cardio, but should I just do strength training then? Or should I lift on my lighter mileage days? I'm not doing any speed-work.

Thanks for any input/ insight you all have!

CarsonRuns

You won't lose any muscle mass if you do zero strength training during marathon training as long as you are eating. That being said, listen to your body. It will tell you when you need to back off.

WhaddoWino

We I ran my first marathon a couple of years ago, I did NOT strength train but followed a plan similar to what you mentioned. Now, I am both running and strength training and I find that my new found strength is really help me with my run! You may want to stay away from "leg days" with the training as you want to be really careful about overuse. However, I will do 20-40 minutes of abs, back, arms, shoulders, chest, etc. and still have plenty of energy for a 5-10K later in the day.

Like the other poster said, listen to your body and only do what makes sense. Just know that strengthening-- especially core strengthening-- will benefit your run.

KelliW_runner

I run 4 days/week and strength 2 days per week. one session is upper body only with some yoga stretches for legs. The day before my rest day I do full body strength (deadlifts, squats, etc.)

I am training for my first 50K in December, so I will probably add a 5th day of running and remove one of the strength days (or perhaps do some pushups or light upper body work on an easy run day).

Tough balance. I find the strength training helps with injury prevention. Plus, as a female, my upper body is much weaker than my core and legs. So I need all the help I can get!

fjrandol

If you look at some of HH's other training guides, he mentions continuing strength training (if it's something you're already doing) on Tuesdays and Thursdays after your runs. I wouldn't expect to be seeing any massive gains while training for a marathon though!

Destanie_Robyn

When I met with a trainer to go over my goals and balancing strength with running. At the time (beg of this year) I was trying to increase my 5k speed and I told him at the mid point of the year I would be switching gears over to start training for my marathon. He said that for my 5k I should be doing 2-3 days max strength days and then when I switch over - he recommending doing only 1 day a week strength training during marathon training.

fjrandol

Here's a link to a discussion on the Runner's World boards about this very subject:

http://community.runnersworld.com/topic/marathon-running-and-weight-training?cm_mmc=NL-TrainingExtra-_-1380722-_-07302013-_-How-can-I-combine-marathon-training-and-lifting?

Hope people find it helpful!

thepetiterunner

I do what a couple of other people have said - strength train 2/week and run 4-5 days a week. It can be too much for me otherwise - I'm too tired to run with heavy legs.

I do think it's an important component though and it definitely helps you build your endurance during your runs. Just listen to your body and ease up if you need to.

FoxyMcDeadlift

I ran a marathon and ran HH Advanced 2 alongside Wendlers 5/3/1 programme. I chose 5/3/1 because its easily modifiable, simple and is a slow paced strength training plan. I ran triumvirate which is 4x a week with a core lift and 2 assistances in the 3x10 rep range. I always made sure that my recovery run day was squat day and that i did deads on a friday which is your rest day for running. Towards the last month of training i pretty much dropped speedwork as the weights were too taxing. I ran a 3:46 and three weeks after the marathon i had put 15kg on my DL and 10kg on my Squat.

In terms of eating, i ate a little over maintenance plus my exercise calories. I made sure to have a extensive stretching and foam rolling routine, i did yoga once a week and hit the sauna regularly. If i didnt feel like running or had a tweak i laid off whatever was aggravating that (extra deloads, go slow days, dropping speedwork etc)

Jims also written a good programme for athletes that i think would apply well to runners, if/when i do another marathon i would probably try this programme out http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most.../531_and_athletes

I don't think strength training is incompatible with marathons so long as your planning is progressive and intelligent, you listen to your body, get adequate recovery and eat the moon.

buchy2009

I am doing HH Intermediate 1 now for my second marathon. I've incorporated the p90x strength training days with my training and it has worked well so far. I incorporate it like this:

Monday: cross (or sometimes 3-6 recovery miles)/ p90x chest and back or p90x back and biceps/ ab workout
Tuesday: 3-5 miles/ p90x shoulders and arms or p90x chest, shoulders, and tris
Wednesday: 5-8 miles
Thursdays: 3-5 miles/ p90x legs and back/ ab workout
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 5-8 miles (usually pace runs)
Sunday: long run

Sometimes I will go lift at the gym but I like the p90x strength resistance with the marathon training because it is a lot body weight exercises so I don't bulk up as fast as if I just went to the gym. I do the legs before the rest day so sore legs don't mess up any of my runs.

MinimalistShoeAddict

If you look at some of HH's other training guides, he mentions continuing strength training (if it's something you're already doing) on Tuesdays and Thursdays after your runs. I wouldn't expect to be seeing any massive gains while training for a marathon though!

This is exactly the schedule I followed (I modified the Stronglifts 5x5 schedule down to 2 days a week from 3) during my HH marathon training program. I stopped lifting last week as my marathon is coming up this Sunday!

My strength progress started to stall a few months ago as my running mileage increased, but I have not lost any strength either which I consider a positive. Good luck!

davemunger

Alex Hutchinson of Runner's World is an exercise physiologist and he recommends continuing with strength training during marathon training. Whether the strength training "takes" or not depends on whether you run first or lift first on a given day -- the workout you do first takes precedence. That said, I lift after easy runs 3 days a week and have been noticing gradual improvement in strength and significant improvement in speed.

Run-specific strength work is particularly important during training -- to strengthen the core, glutes, and calves as well as injury-prone areas such as the IT band / knee.