Explaining: Cross Training for Runners

Most runners are leaving progress on the table without realizing it by underutilizing cross-training. If you’re constantly dealing with injuries, struggling to increase your mileage, or feeling stuck despite consistent effort, it’s likely not your effort that’s the issue; it’s how you’re structuring your training load.There’s been a lot of noise lately around cross-training (and a lot of it coming from people chasing clicks and conversions in their Shopify store more than results and athlete safety), so I wanted to break this down properly. In this video, I explain how cross-training can dramatically increase your aerobic development without the added mechanical stress of running, how I used it to run 2:46 in the Mississauga Marathon in 2022 while hitting lifetime bests across multiple distances, and why this approach is becoming more common at both the elite and age group level.I also walk through how to actually implement cross-training into your week—whether you’re injury-prone, trying to safely increase volume, or coming back from time off. We’ll cover why low-intensity cross-training is often more valuable than high-intensity, how to stack training hours without breaking down, and why this might be one of the most underused tools for long-term endurance development.⸻Relevant Links🚨 FREE TOOLS I CREATED RUNNERS 🚨 https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools⚠️ TAKE THE MARATHON READINESS QUIZ NOW ⚠️ https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.comGet coached by Brant Stachelhttps://teamrunrun.com/coach/brant-stachel-kingston-ontario-running-coach/Mental Performance Coaching with Brant Stachel: https://calendly.com/cepadminteam/15-minute-intake-call-clone?month=2026-01Get my Book, "Fast and Free":https://a.co/d/00twBZ6dLearn More about Team RunRun: https://teamrunrun.com/Fuel Your Training (Affiliate Link): https://fuelgoods.com/?ref=Brant⸻Follow Brant Stachel Fast & Free Performance Coachinghttps://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQhttps://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoachinghttps://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachelhttps://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637Visit Our Website: http://runfastandfree.com