BUILDING DURABILITY FOR THE LONG RUN

Here’s a question I ask most of my athletes over 40: What actually ends most endurance careers?

It’s usually not one major injury or simply “slowing down.” It’s the accumulation of missed weeks. A cranky Achilles. A hip that flares up every spring. Three weeks off, two weeks rebuilding, then repeat. Over a decade, that lost training time becomes a bigger threat to performance than age itself.

After almost 20 years of coaching endurance athletes, the best investment I’ve seen for staying in the game is strength training. Not for bigger biceps, but for durability: the ability to absorb what training and life throw at you without breaking down.

WHAT CHANGES AS YOU AGE

Your muscles and connective tissue remodel a little slower than they used to. Tendons take longer to adapt, and bones need more stimulus to maintain density. It’s not something to panic about; your body simply needs a different kind of input than it did at 25.

The good news is that muscle, tendon, and bone respond extremely well to loading. Research continues to show that many age-related declines are less inevitable than once thought. “Use it or lose it” has never been more relevant.

WHY LIFTING BUILDS DURABILITY

Think of your muscles and tendons like a climbing rope. A rope that isn’t regularly loaded can become stiff and brittle. One that’s consistently put under tension remains better prepared to handle repeated stress.

Strength training, particularly the lowering or eccentric portion of a lift, does something similar for your body. A slow calf raise or controlled squat doesn’t just build muscle; it trains connective tissue to tolerate stress.

That matters because your tendons and joints help determine how much running, riding, or swimming your body can absorb. Strength training raises that ceiling. Athletes who lift consistently tend to tolerate bigger training blocks, recover better, and miss fewer workouts. And consistent training beats perfect training every time.

THE MINIMUM EFFECTIVE DOSE

You don’t need to become a powerlifter. Even two strength sessions a week can make a difference. Focus on compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, and step-ups, along with targeted exercises for your sport’s weak links.

Ideally, we aim for two 45- to 60-minute sessions per week during the season and sometimes three in the off-season. But anything done consistently, with gradual increases in resistance, helps.

WHERE TO FOCUS

RUNNERS: Calves, Achilles, hip stability, and single-leg strength. Your ankles and hips absorb tremendous stress with every stride.

CYCLISTS: Glutes, hamstrings, core, and single-leg strength. Hours in the saddle don’t necessarily build these areas adequately.

TRIATHLETES AND SWIMMERS: Shoulder and scapular stability. Thousands of repetitive strokes, especially with poor form, can quickly expose weaknesses.

WHAT I’VE SEEN IN 20 YEARS OF COACHING

The athletes who consistently strength train are often the ones still racing and performing well into their 50s and 60s. It’s not necessarily because they’re genetically gifted. They’ve stayed durable enough to keep training while others lose weeks or months to recurring injuries.

WHERE TO START

Start with two exercises: a squat variation and one targeted movement for your sport, such as eccentric calf raises, Nordic curls, or monster walks. Do them twice this week. Then gradually add exercises as your time allows.

Your training plan already asks a lot of your body. Strength training helps make sure your body can cash the checks your training plan is writing, week after week and year after year.

 

 

Dale Sanford is the co-founder of BPC Performance, Inc. and has been coaching individuals and athletes all over the world since 2009. You can catch up with Dale @bpcperformance on IG, or listen to the Coaches on Couches Podcast. If you’d like to start your health or sports performance journey with BPC, visit Buildpeakcompete.com

By Dale Sanford, Performance Coach