One Year to 26.2: One Year to 26.2: Race Day (PART 4 – Lindsey Clark)
February 21, 2026
If you’ve ever trained for a race, you know there comes a point in the training cycle where everything starts to feel… like a lot. Mileage climbs. Long runs stretch out. Workouts get more specific. Recovery suddenly matters more than ever.
And what’s usually the first thing to disappear? Strength training.
It makes sense. When time and energy feel limited, lifting can start to feel optional. Running feels urgent. Strength feels extra.
Believe it or not, though: during heavy run blocks, strength training shouldn’t be eliminated, just scaled.
Because the time you’re putting the most stress on your body is the exact time your body needs support.
Why Strength Still Matters
As mileage increases, so does repetitive stress. Every foot strike adds up. Fatigue accumulates. Form can start to slip late in long runs. Small imbalances get magnified.
Strength training during this phase isn’t about getting stronger in the traditional sense. It’s about maintaining strength, reinforcing good mechanics, and protecting joints under higher loads.
Think of it like maintenance work.
You’re not trying to build a new engine in the middle of a race build. You’re making sure the one you have stays durable.
This is also a good time to find any imbalances and work on them before race day. Think places that tend to become tight as mileage increases (left hip or right knee). If it’s on only one side, you can probably strengthen to relieve that.
What Changes During a Heavy Block?
Early in a training cycle, strength work can be progressive. You can push load. Add reps. Build capacity.
But once run intensity and volume increase, your strength training should shift in three key ways: lower the volume, keep moderate intensity, and focus on maintenance.
- Lower Volume
You don’t need long gym sessions.
Two short sessions per week is plenty.
Think 20–30 minutes. Focused. Intentional.
- Moderate Intensity
This is not the season for maxing out deadlifts.
Lift heavy enough to stimulate muscle and connective tissue — but stop 2–3 reps shy of failure. You should leave the gym feeling worked, not wrecked.
- Maintain, Don’t Chase PRs
If your squat isn’t increasing during peak mileage, that’s okay. The goal is retention, not records.
You’re asking your body to adapt to high run stress. Let that be the priority.
What Should You Actually Do?
The basics. They work.
A simple heavy-block template might look like:
- A single-leg squat variation (split squat, step-up)
- A hinge (Romanian Deadlift or hip thrust)
- A calf raise
- A plank or anti-rotation core movement
- A row or upper-back exercise
That’s it.
You don’t need 40 movements or a long routine. You need consistency.
And yes — lateral work still matters. A few sets of lateral lunges or band walks can go a long way in keeping hips stable when fatigue hits in the later miles.
Where to Place It in Your Week
Ideally, after an easy run or later in the day following a quality workout
Avoid placing heavy strength work immediately before key run sessions or long runs. Your legs need freshness for the work that drives race performance.
Stacking stress on hard days and keeping easy days easy tends to work better than spreading fatigue across the whole week.
Signs You Need to Scale Further
If you notice:
- Lingering soreness beyond 48 hours
- Quality workouts suffering
- A heavy, flat feeling in your legs
Reduce volume. Drop a set. Lighten the load.
Scaling is not quitting. It’s adjusting to the season you’re in.
The Big Picture
When runners drop strength work completely during peak training, they often notice small aches creeping in. Knees feel less stable. Hips tighten up. Calves get cranky.
That’s not a coincidence.
Heavy run blocks demand durability. Strength training—even scaled down—is one of the most effective ways to maintain it.
The goal isn’t to win in the weight room. The goal is to show up to your long runs feeling supported. To hit race day strong and stable. To finish your training block healthy enough to actually enjoy the race you worked so hard for.
So if your schedule feels full right now, don’t quit lifting. Scale it. Simplify it. Maintain it.
Happy lifting, everyone!
—bk
