Use this Tool to Unlock New Levels of Running

Imagine a lasagna made of just noodles...no sauce, no cheese, just noodles...layers and layers of noodles... 

This is kind of what running is like when you train for the same thing over and over again. 

Imagine what might happen if you filled in those periods of time between races with purposeful training. Training that helps you address areas of your running that could use a little work but get a little lost in the shuffle of needing to focus on certain things to be ready for a race.

Enter cycle stacking. 

Much like putting all the layers together in lasagna: noodles, sauce, cheese, meat/veggies. You end up with something so much better than if you just had a big pile of one ingredient.

Cycle stacking helps runners add variety to their training and avoid injury so they can stay consistent and improve their performance year round. It's an absolute game changer allowing them to start their race training with so much confidence. 

While this tool is helpful for all runners, it's even more invaluable for busy moms who may find training tends to slip a little when they don't have a race on the calendar. This was me for the longest time. I would run the same half marathon every year without much structure to my training the rest of the year and wonder why I never got any faster. Let’s say you train for a spring and fall half marathon using a 12 week plan for each. This only accounts for 24 weeks out of the 52 weeks in the year, leaving 28 weeks on the table to continue to make progress towards becoming the runner you want to be. 

Following a plan doesn’t mean you have to feel like you’re in the peak weeks of a race build year round but it does provide structure. Capitalizing on using cycle stacking to shift your focus during the year can help you build an even stronger foundation as a runner. It’s also super adaptable to what you have going on in other areas of your life. 

Here are the 4 types of training focus we use inside Run-Resilient.

Strength: A time to increase volume and maybe frequency of strength workouts.This cycle is great after a build for a longer race where maybe limited time caused a little slide in the strength training. Also a good focus when coming back from an injury.

Speed: Overall volume or number of miles may take a hit to allow for fresher legs to really pop during workouts. Wrapping this up with a 5k can be fun. This can also be a fun cycle to use during busier times of the year as total mileage can be a little lower.

Endurance or Mileage Building: A period of time focused on increasing volume or mileage, often with the majority of miles being at an easier effort. A solid choice to work in if you are looking to go up to a farther race distance. 

Race Specific: This is the 12-16 week period immediately before a race with training focused on getting ready for the demands of the race.  Includes a combination of strength, speed, and endurance work. 

Cycle stacking can help transform your running from the bland pile of noodles to something more magical and complete  like a lasagna. 

If you want to learn more about how cycle stacking could help you set your next PR, try a new race distance, or just become a stronger runner let’s set up a 15 minute strategy session and I’ll help you plan out your next year of running. 

Keep running yourself RESILIENT.

Katlyn