If you are a runner or cyclist who has been struggling with recurring injuries, a solid strength program could possibly be one of the things that helps get you back on track. But it is important to first look at your endurance training and the rest of your life in general and figure out why you injured in the first place.

Dan Cleather starts off “The Little Black Book of Training Wisdom” with what he considers the cardinal rule of training: “Above all else, be consistent". And it’s corollary: “Don’t do things that might negatively affect your consistency.” Of all the books I’ve read and courses I’ve done related to strength and endurance training, this is probably the simplest but most profound idea I’ve taken from any of them. 

The winter months are typically when athletes start to put together their racing calendar for the year and dream about the goals they want to achieve at those events. Setting goals is very useful for guiding training and providing direction, focus, and motivation. I find it helpful to think of three different kind of goals: Outcome, performance, and process.

Some thoughts on what to do during these cold, dark winter months to put yourself in a good position in 2025.

Some people have trouble trying to schedule strength and endurance training concurrently. Should you do them on the same day? One immediately before the other? Which one should go first? While there are trade offs and benefits to different approaches, the most important thing getting them both done consistently. Here are a couple suggestions for fitting strength and endurance in the week.

Cyclocross is a unique discipline of cycling that requires a unique combination of skills and abilities beyond just being able to pedal a bike. There are few sports that require as much intensity, skill, versatility, tactical decision making, and adaptability as a ‘cross race. Here is a short list of the qualities needed to excel at ‘cross from my limited experience.

If you like doing athletic things on your feet, whether that is running, hiking, team sports, or trying to chase your nephew and niece around the yard (which I experienced this weekend) then make sure to include some heavy direct calf work in your strength training. 

I’ve been writing more off season strength programs for endurance athletes lately, and an exercise that often shows up in the first few weeks of any program (both for beginners and advanced lifters) is the goblet squat. While this exercise might seem very basic to some people, there is nothing wrong with starting here, especially when you are first starting out or returning to strength training after a busy summer. 

Hill climbs are an interesting discipline in cycling. It's a fight against time and gravity. The miles go slow but the time goes fast. What the other riders are doing is irrelevant. It's just you and your bike, and finding a way to get to the top as fast as possible. 

Lifting straps can be a handy thing to have in your gym bag, especially you feel like your grip is limiting the amount of weight you can use on certain exercises.

Like many out there, I usually feel a lot of nerves and anxiety the morning of a race. Here are two lists that help make race morning as easy and as stress-free as possible so I can focus on preparing myself mentally for the effort that is about to happen. 

A runner I am working with is preparing for an ultra event at the end of this year, and we got talking about the mileage and training requirements to prepare the body for the demands of a long day out on your feet. Here are some general mileage targets I recommend runners and cyclists shoot for in preparation for an ultra distance running or cycling events.

Many people make the mistake of just going trough the motions with their warm up sets. Lifting with intent and trying to accelerate the weight as fast as possible—whether it is the empty bar or your top set of the day—is a simple way to take your strength work to the next level and make the most of your limited training time.

If you told me I would “run” a vertical kilometer mountain race 4 weeks after fracturing my arm, I wouldn’t have believed you. Although I went into this event without much expectation, I was surprised to see that I can still move uphill (and most important for this event, suffer) pretty well.

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is muscle soreness that occurs 1-3 days after an intense training session or unaccustomed activity. It’s one of the main reasons why endurance athletes are hesitant to start strength training. Here are some tips to reduce the likelihood of DOMS after your strength sessions.

I had just been thinking about how well my training had been going lately. The last 6 months are probably the most consistent and dialed-in I’ve ever been with both my strength and endurance work. I was feeling the strongest I’ve ever felt on a bike and had some high hopes for the rest of the year. All it took was coming into a slick patch of pavement a little too fast to change all that.

There seems to be a lot of confusion around what to do in the weight room in the last week or two before a goal race or event. Here are some tips for how to manage your strength training during the “taper” period to help make sure you arrive on the start line feeling strong and ready to go.

“If you want to do something you’ve never done before, you have to do things you’ve never done before.” Don’t play it safe. If you know you’ve done the work, and believe what you want is within the realm of possibility, then you should bet on yourself and take your shot.

During a recent bike workout I did a few all-out 1-minute efforts up a steep hill. As expected, it was a profoundly unpleasant session that left my legs and lungs screaming from the first rep. But what surprised me most was how taxed my entire upper body felt afterwards, and how long it took for my arms to stop shaking and feeling like jelly. This got me thinking about how important upper body training is, even for lower-body dominant sports like running and cycling.

Last week I rode the Rasputitsa spring classic, which is always one of the first cycling races on the calendar in New England and makes a great spring “rust-buster” to kick off the riding season. Along with resting my body, I spent the last week or so writing and reflecting on my experience. A post-race evaluation or reflection is something I recommend everyone do after their “A” events or races to help them become a better athlete.