staStability Training for Runners

Jennifer Heiner has served as the retail director of a running company in New Jersey since 2019. Active within the New York City running community, Jennifer Heiner has helped organize a number of training runs for the New York City Marathon, including the 20-mile Three Bridges Run, where she was also a pace group leader.

Training for a 26.2-mile marathon requires organization, persistence, and discipline. The first training element is base mileage, which requires running three to five times per week and gradually increasing weekly mileage. Over the course of 10 to 20 weeks of training, runners should plan to build their mileage up to around 50 miles per week. Avoid increasing mileage by more than 10 percent per week.

Every 7 to 10 days, runners should plan on a long run to help the body adjust to long distances. This distance should increase over time, then drop back down in order to let the body recover. These long runs should be taken at a slower pace in order to help the body adjust and learn to utilize fat for fuel. A peak run, such as the 20-mile Three Bridges Run, ensures the runner is prepared for marathon day. A marathon training schedule should also include rest days, which are essential for muscle recovery and injury prevention.

Another way to prevent injury is to incorporate strength training and stability training into your daily workout routine.

Did you know? Runners need strength training too! As a runner, strength training helps your body better deal with the stresses of running. Your muscles will be able to perform longer before getting fatigued, which means you can go for more miles. All it takes is two or three 15- to 20-minute strength-training sessions a week to build more muscle mass as well as other benefits, including::

Helping muscles become strong and less prone to injuries.

Building muscle coordination and balance.

Building bone strength.

Building endurance and form.

Building neuromuscular coordination and power.

Increasing running efficiency.

Helping prevent muscle loss and osteoporosis.

Aiding in posterior and kinetic chain development.

Don’t hesitate to connect with a trainer or coach for more strength training tips for runners, or work with a PT if you have some nagging issues that you want to strengthen and correct before race day.

As for stability work — this makes sense, right? When running, you are only using one leg at a time, you need to be symmetric and balanced. Single leg exercises will make a runner stronger, more balanced, and better equipped to perform at their peak.

The Six Minute Mile blog recently discussed the importance of stability training to its readers.

When you run, your body goes through a complex series of movements. With each step, your body weight is momentarily balanced on a single leg, and your core muscles work tirelessly to maintain stability. This single-leg balance is an important aspect of running, and it’s often underestimated.

You can work on your balance as part of your running routine and it’s as easy as doing single-leg exercises on Spacer Mobility’s Rock Mat XL or Stability Trainer Pro for more of a challenge. Adding toe spacers to any single-leg balance exercises can splay the toes which covers greater surface area and makes staying upright much easier.

Balance training is an ongoing process. Consistency is key, and as you progress, you’ll likely notice improvements in your running form, endurance, and overall performance.