21 Miles and I still wasn't tired!!

Let’s talk about why, after a 21-mile run, I really wasn’t tired. (Well, I’ve got to be totally honest, I was a little tired, but I was not falling apart at the seams like you might expect from someone who had just finished running what many would consider a good distance for a lengthy bike ride.) My secret? Core strength.

When I got into running, I did one type of workout for almost a year and a half: run. Run 3 miles, 5 miles, 7 miles… Run for 30 minutes, 45 minutes, an hour… Sounds like it makes sense if all you want to do is improve your running speed and endurance, but I got news, there is a better way! Two or three times per week, include 20-30 minutes of body weight exercises like squats, pull-ups, push-ups, crunches and planks. This will increase your muscular endurance in your hip flexors, glutes, lower back, deep abs and the entire core.

After running for an hour, hour and a half, or even two hours, your body begins to “slump” as your hips rotate forward, your torso bends and your shoulders sag; your core is what will help you maintain good running form and keep you going tall and strong until you cross the finish line! When you’re coming into the final mile or two of a race and others around you start to crash, you’ll be thanking you’re lucky stars that you invested as little as 60 minutes a week into your core as you fly by ‘em!