“The wind is your friend. When it’s with you, it makes you faster.
When it’s against you, it makes you stronger.”
Traditionally strength work is thought of as lifting weights in the gym.
More recently, it has evolved to performing functional workouts named “Fran” and “Barbara”, or simply dynamic full body workouts like hitting a huge tire with a sledge hammer.
Yet the easiest and most sport specific method for runners to perform strength work, is still to run!
There are multiple methods of improving upon your run specific strength while out on the trail or road. Whether you decide to incorporate them into your workouts or have them forced upon you by a coach, the terrain, or mother nature, recognize their benefit and enjoy them!
All the below types of running stresses your muscles in ways that simply running forward at constant and easy/moderate efforts do not. This happens either by fighting resistance such as wind or gravity, moving laterally while on a trail, or neurologically via speed work on the track. Everything from you arms through your core and all the way down to the muscles that stabilize your ankles will benefit from these workouts.
At least once a week, try to add some type of spice to your workouts!
Speed Work
Carrying Heavy Stuff
Hills
Wind
Trails