Marathon Training Series - Cross Training

Runderwear Marathon Training Series

Each week in the lead up to The London Marathon we'll be focusing on a different topic relevant to marathon training, from training plans to nutrition and running in the heat. So you'll have all the marathon insider knowledge in one place - your go to training hub!

Here’s a link to previous blogs you may have missed:

1. Introduction – meet the runners
2. Marathon training plans
3. Running in the heat
4. Routine
5. Nutrition

Cross training

Cross training is great for three key reasons (among many others!):

1. Injury prevention

Running is an extremely high impact sport, which means over time it can take a toll on your muscles and joints. By cross training, you’re able to strengthen your muscles and connective tissues so that they’re better prepared for the high-impact nature of running. This also gives your joints a rest, while still allowing you to build endurance and fitness.

2. Improve performance

Although it might feel counter intuitive at first, swapping out a run for a cross training session will likely improve your running performance. Specifically when it comes to weight training and targeting legs, as stronger legs will improve running efficiency, form and power. So while times aren’t everything, if you’re going for a new PB it’s a good idea to incorporate some strength work into your training plan.

3. Keeps things interesting

Finally, cross training acts as a great motivator to keep things interesting. No matter how much we love running, if it’s the only thing we do then the likelihood is that our enthusiasm will waver. Especially with marathon training, where running can seem to take over your life, switching things up and introducing other activities can be a great way to maintain enthusiasm and enjoyment.

How to incorporate cross training into your plan:

Marathon training is already extremely taxing on your time and routine, so the idea of adding in more activities might feel overwhelming – but it doesn’t have to. Incorporating cross training could mean cycling your commute a couple of times a week, a Sunday swim to unwind, or committing to 20 minutes of Pilates during your lunch break.

We’ve previously partnered with Pilates instructor Kate Cadbury, who has shared some amazing Pilates content with us that’s specifically designed with runners in mind. Head to the runderwear YouTube channel to watch this and start your cross training.