More Isn’t Always Better: Understanding Training Load for Runners Who Lift
If you're a motivated runner, chances are you’ve fallen into the classic "more is better" trap. More miles. More strength training. More speed work. More intensity. The logic seems sound—after all, hard work produces results, right?
The reality is more complicated. Your body doesn't operate like a machine that churns out performance improvements with every extra workout. Instead, it's a complex system with a limited capacity to handle stress, recover, and adapt. Ignore those limits, and progress stalls—or worse, injuries emerge.
This is especially true for runners trying to combine structured strength training alongside their running plan. When done strategically, strength work improves durability, running economy, and performance. But without proper planning, it simply adds to the pile of physical stress, pushing you toward burnout.
The key is understanding your total training load, periodizing your training, and learning when to push—and when to back off.
Total Training Load Defined: How Strength Work, Running Volume, and Life Stress Add Up
Training load isn't just your weekly mileage or the number of sets in the gym. It's the sum of all the stress your body accumulates, both physical and mental. For runners who lift, that includes:
Running mileage and intensity
Strength training sessions
Cross-training or other workouts
Life stressors like work, family, or poor sleep
It’s important to recognize that your body doesn't distinguish between a tough speed workout and a stressful work deadline—they both drain your resources. If your total load exceeds your ability to recover, performance declines, and injuries creep in.
Why Periodization Matters: Preventing Injury, Maximizing Adaptation
To manage training load effectively, you need to follow a periodized program—the practice of organizing your training into specific phases that prioritize different qualities at different times of the year.
Without periodization, many runners make the mistake of ramping up running mileage, pushing strength training hard, and chasing speed all at the same time. That approach might work for a few weeks, but eventually, the stress exceeds your capacity to recover, and setbacks follow.
With periodization, your training is structured to:
Build strength and movement efficiency during lower running phases
Emphasize aerobic development when mileage increases
Maintain key qualities without overloading your system during peak seasons
It’s the difference between long-term progress and constantly flirting with injury.
How to Structure the Year: Off-Season, Pre-Season, In-Season
A smart training calendar for runners who lift typically follows 3 to 5 broad phases:
Off-Season
Lower running volume provides the perfect opportunity to focus on building strength, improving movement quality, and addressing weaknesses. This is when you can lift heavier, work on stability, and create the foundation for injury-resistant performance.
Pre-Season (Base Building)
As running mileage gradually increases, strength work remains essential, but the emphasis shifts toward maintenance. You’ll lower lifting volume and intensity slightly to accommodate the rising demands of running.
In-Season (Race Preparation & Peak)
When races are on the calendar and running performance takes priority, strength work takes more of a back seat. The goal isn’t to build new strength but to maintain durability, joint health, and movement efficiency without compromising your key runs.
Strength in the Off-Season: Prioritizing Muscle and Movement Quality
During the off-season, when running demands are lower, your body is primed to handle more strength work. This is the ideal time to:
Build muscle and connective tissue resilience
Address imbalances or previous injuries
Improve mobility and movement mechanics
Lift heavier with progressive overload
Investing in strength during this phase creates a durable foundation that supports higher running volumes later in the year.
Strength During High-Run Volume Phases: Maintenance Mode, Not Building Mode
When your running mileage or intensity peaks, strength training shifts gears. The goal is no longer building new strength but maintaining what you've developed and keeping your body resilient.
This means:
Fewer lifting sessions (typically 1-2 per week)
Reduced training volume and intensity
Focusing on joint stability, core strength, and movement quality
Trying to chase PRs in the gym while pushing your hardest on the roads is a fast track to overtraining and injury.
The Timing Puzzle: When Strength Work Helps vs. When It Hurts
Strength training offers undeniable benefits for runners: improved economy, injury prevention, and muscular endurance. But timing matters.
Schedule your hardest strength sessions too close to key runs—like long runs or speed work—and you compromise recovery and performance. But pair strength with easy runs or place it on lower-demand days, and it enhances your overall program.
Strategic timing ensures your strength work complements, rather than competes with, your running goals.
How to Schedule Weekly Sessions: Running and Lifting Around Key Runs
The foundation of good scheduling is recognizing your priority workouts and building everything else around them. For most runners, that's the long run and speedwork.
A typical weekly structure might look like:
Monday: Easy run + strength training
Tuesday: Speed or tempo run
Wednesday: Rest or easy cross-training
Thursday: Easy run + light mobility or strength maintenance
Friday: Rest or active recovery
Saturday: Long run
Sunday: Optional mobility or low-intensity strength
By anchoring strength sessions to lower-demand running days, you reduce interference and improve recovery.
Signs You’re Doing Too Much: Fatigue, Soreness, Performance Decline
Despite the best plans, sometimes your body sends clear signals that you're pushing beyond your limits. Common signs include:
Lingering soreness that doesn't improve with rest
Constant fatigue, even after easy sessions
Declining running performance or gym strength
Trouble sleeping or increased irritability
Minor aches that could signal developing injuries
If these signs show up, it's a red flag to reassess your training load.
Tools to Track Load: RPE, Training Logs, Subjective Check-Ins
Managing training load starts with awareness. Tools like:
RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion): Simple 1-10 scale to monitor how hard sessions feel
Training Logs: Documenting mileage, lifting sessions, and overall workload
Subjective Check-Ins: Paying attention to energy levels, soreness, and mood
These tools help you track how your body responds—not just what your schedule says.
How to Adjust on the Fly: Listening to Your Body, Modifying Based on Life Demands
Even the best-written training plan needs flexibility. Life stress, poor sleep, or unexpected fatigue can increase your total load, even if your workouts don't change.
Learning to listen to your body is key:
Feeling flat or sore? Skip or reduce your strength session
Stressed and underslept? Swap a hard run for an easy recovery session
High energy and well-recovered? Stay the course
Flexibility prevents small problems from turning into bigger ones.
Recovery Optimization: Nutrition, Mobility, Sleep for Improved Adaptation
The final piece of the puzzle is recovery. Without it, even the smartest training plan falls short. Key recovery strategies include:
Nutrition: Fuel runs and lifts properly, emphasizing protein and carbohydrate intake
Mobility Work: Keep joints moving well with daily movement routines
Sleep: The ultimate recovery tool—prioritize consistent, quality sleep
Deload Weeks: Every 3-4 weeks, reduce overall training load to allow for recovery and adaptation
When you combine strategic training with proactive recovery, real progress follows.
Sustainable Performance Comes from Strategic Restraint
More isn’t always better. In fact, for runners balancing strength training and running, it's often the opposite. The best results come from knowing when to push, when to pull back, and how to structure your year to respect your body’s limits.
Through periodization, thoughtful scheduling, and prioritizing recovery, you can build strength, boost running performance, and stay injury-free for the long haul.
Train with purpose. Respect the process. And remember—sustainable progress always beats short-term burnout.
Need help designing a personalized, periodized training plan? Let’s connect and create a strategy that works with your body, not against it.