Background
About a year ago, elitefts was kind enough to publish my article, 5/3/1 and Run. I got a lot of great feedback on that piece, designed to be an “offseason” template for athletes or something that could be run year-round for folks not preparing to compete in anything. I had success with this model as an active-duty service member. It allowed me to perform the lifts I love while keeping my work capacity high enough to do well on Army fitness assessments and other highly physical work obligations.
After making decent progress in the gym while still getting miles in via my 5/3/1 and Run split, I was ready to shift gears and focus more on strength in preparation for my first powerlifting meet. Unfortunately, I suffered an umbilical hernia and was forced to take a step back.
In the fallout of my procedure and recovery, I set the goal of completing a 25K trail race through the mountains of South Carolina. I still wanted to compete in powerlifting, but I knew I could safely put more effort into running a race than I would into lifting maximal weights after this specific injury. At the same time, I wanted to ensure I was cultivating my strength in the gym, albeit conservatively. I knew that I would jump into powerlifter mode when my race was over. Once I was fully cleared for activity, I completed an eight-week “transition program” to get my legs and lungs ready to start training for the race while also working with my strength coach to get back under the bar and establish some light training maxes for the strength program I would execute during race season.
The Program
The model for my race training program is a 20-week template out of Training for the Uphill Athlete with a few minor tweaks based on my schedule and a greater focus on gym strength than the average mountain athlete or runner. Training for the Uphill Athlete goes into great detail about the difference between, and the importance, of both capacity training and utilization training. Author and coach Scott Johnston defines capacity training as “training that improves the long-term performance potential of the athlete” and utilization training as “training that improves the near-term performance results of the athlete.” While the majority of elitefts readers come from a background or interest in strength sports rather than endurance, capacity vs. utilization is by no means a new concept. Strongmen, powerlifters, and bodybuilders consider their “offseason” training as capacity training, while their “prep” is the utilization training. Jujimufu describes the difference between building skills versus expressing skills in his YouTube video below on life periodization.
YouTube
I will not harp anymore on the importance of capacity and utilization training, but I would still highly recommend Training for the Uphill Athlete book for any athlete or coach, regardless of sport, as it does a fantastic job of laying out the basics of aerobic and anaerobic conditioning, training principles, and periodization in a very user-friendly way.
The Two Phases
Below, I have described all of this to explain that I broke my training season down into two main phases:
- Early Base (or the Capacity Phase)
- Late Base (or the Utilization Phase)
I will get into the nitty gritty of each, but I will mention a few key differences first. Remember that the workout splits, mileages, and weekly plans below are based on my specific race. Races of different mileages or terrains would warrant their own unique approach, but the principles of capacity and utilization training remain the same.
- Capacity Phase
- Weeks 1-12
- Four runs and three lifts per week
- Deload after three training weeks
- Focus on building up mileage, aerobic capacity, and strength, and introduce intensity work at the very end.
- Utilization Phase
- Weeks 13-20
- Four to five runs and two lifts per week
- Deload after two training weeks
- Focus on specificity via long trail runs, speed intervals, and balancing recovery in order to be ready to race.
Capacity Phase
The capacity phase of my race prep consisted of three types of training weeks: base, recovery, and intensity. Base training, the bread and butter of any endurance athlete, focuses solely on building up the mileage and/or time you run. That is it. It is not about going fast or setting PRs. The goal for base weeks should be to increase mileage, time, or elevation gain (for trail/mountain runners) by ten percent or so. Recovery weeks are essentially a deload. Depending on your current training volume, you will want to cut your running time or mileage down to 50-70 percent of what you did in the most recent base week; it is also appropriate to deload your lifts during this week. The intensity weeks near the end of the capacity phase introduce the harder speed/intensity/interval workouts that you will be building on in the utilization phase of training.
Early Base/Capacity Phase Week Breakdown and Mileage for 25K Trail Race
- Week 1 - Base - 12.5
- Week 2 - Base - 14
- Week 3 - Base - 15.5
- Week 4 - Recovery - 8
- Week 5 - Base - 16.5
- Week 6 - Base - 18
- Week 7 - Base - 19
- Week 8 - Recovery - 11
- Week 9 - Base - 19
- Week 10 - Intensity - 22.5
- Week 11 - Intensity - 23.5
- Week 12 - Recover - 9.5
Sample Capacity Phase Week
Monday - Squat 5/3/1 + Lower Accessories
Tuesday - Easy Run
Wednesday - Hill Sprint or Interval Workout and Bench 5/3/1 + Upper Accessories
Thursday - Long Easy Run
Friday - Deadlift & Press 5/3/1 + Bodyweight Accessories
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Easy Run
The weekly template for base, recovery, and intensity weeks during this first phase of race training is mostly the same. One big exception would be Wednesday’s run workout; hill sprints introduce some speed work during the first couple of months of base and recovery weeks. However, the sprint repetitions (sandwiched between longer bouts of Z2 running, adding to one’s aerobic bank account during the base period) are to be done after complete rest/recovery and are only meant to be a means of training power output. These are NOT meant for racking up training miles/minutes in a higher intensity zone (i.e., Z3, Z4). During the intensity weeks towards the end of the base phase, or weeks 11 and 12 in my case, Z3 intervals are done to introduce those higher-intensity miles that will increase throughout the utilization phase.
Utilization Phase
In the utilization phase, the rubber meets the road, and training becomes much more involved than just logging mindless miles at low intensities. Types of training week during this phase include specificity, recovery, taper, and goal/race.
Back-to-back long trail run days and longer and more intense speed interval workouts were integrated to prepare my body to handle the demands of the long trail race–for shorter races. Back-to-back long run days might not be necessary, and more speed work may be appropriate. Lifting drops from three sessions a week to just two, and mileage deloads need to occur more often due to the heightened volume and intensity of run workouts. This phase is also a great time to run one or two shorter “B-goal” races to help you prepare mentally and strategically for your “A-goal” race at the end of the program. For example, I ran an eight-mile race four weeks before my A-goal 25K (~15 miles) race. It was helpful to get a race day experience under my belt to help with nerves and logistical planning (i.e., what I will have to carry to consume before and during my longer race).
One of the most important pieces of this phase is the mileage taper before the race itself. Similar to a powerlifter who might take his last heavy squat, deadlift, and bench three, two, and one week out from the meet, respectively, it is important to reduce training mileage going into the race to allow super-compensation to occur. How dramatic the taper should be will depend largely on race distance and the athlete’s ability to recover, but at a minimum, all runners should be taking it easy during the week of their A-goal race.
Late Base/Utilization Phase Week Breakdown and Mileage for 25K Trail Race
- Week 13 - Specificity - 25
- Week 14 - Specificity - 28
- Week 15 - Recovery - 14
- Week 16 - Specificity - 30
- Week 17 - Specificity - 27
- Week 18 - Taper - 21
- Week 19 - Taper - 16
- Week 20 - Goal - 21
Sample Utilization Phase Week
Monday - Squat and Bench 5/3/1 + Accessories
Tuesday - Interval/Speed Workout
Wednesday - Easy Run
Thursday - Deadlift and Press 5/3/1 + Accessories
Friday - Long Trail Run
Saturday - Long Trail Run
Sunday - Easy Run
There is definitely a reason why it is recommended to deload every third week during this phase rather than every fourth week–these weeks can be brutal. As you can see, I did not take devoted rest days during my specificity weeks. The long trail runs and speed work are enjoyable, but the mileage takes a toll. Lifting was still going well at this point, even with collapsing from three lifts per week to two. To manage fatigue, Sunday’s easy runs were very short and slow, and accessory lift volume was reduced in the gym. I did take rest days during the recovery and taper weeks of this phase.
Lifting
Unlike in my original 5/3/1 and Run program, which places balanced emphasis and importance on both running and lifting, when preparing for a race, lifting has to take a back seat. That does not mean that the runner will not see progress in the gym–I certainly did while executing this plan. I have a few recommendations for anyone looking to run something like this while training for an endurance event.
- Load management is your friend. I highly recommend lining up your lifting deloads with your mileage deloads to facilitate recovery. If you feel saucy, you can use one of Wendler’s other “7th week protocols,” such as training max tests or rep PR tests on upper body lifts only. Similarly, I would only do the base 5/3/1 sets for squat and deadlift, but I would not advise against doing supplemental work such as Boring But Big, Boring But Strong, or First Set Last on bench and overhead press.
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- Regarding accessory work, try the minimum effective dose approach–especially for the lower body. Even if you have to use heavier weights, you will probably get more bang for your buck with rep schemes such as 2x12 or 3x10 than 5x10. I recommend making your lower body accessories single-leg movements to address imbalances that may hurt your running efficiency. Do not forget about your core; rotate in carries, isometrics, rotations, anti-rotations, and direct ab work.
- With my combined squat/bench and deadlift/press days, I would execute the lower body lift first. I wanted to ensure that it got the most attention and energy so that I did not do something stupid and injure myself in a way that would affect running. The other side of this coin is that you probably can make more gains in your upper body lifts while running a lot of miles, so you could take advantage and prioritize your presses. This is entirely based on personal preference.
Summary
You can find a more detailed review of how my race went on my Substack page, but I will say that I am pretty pleased with the results of this training program. Coming off of a hernia surgery recovery, I managed to perform pretty well, finishing 24th of 79 males and 27th of 124 overall. This was my longest and steepest trail run or race to date, as well as my first long race in over three years. Additionally, I only saw increases in my barbell lifts. I feel prepared to take on my first powerlifting meet just five months after the race.
Training strength and endurance concurrently is not always black and white, and no specific week was fully planned out farther in advance than the Sunday evening prior; I made constant adjustments based on weather, travel, work, fatigue, and getting sick at one point. No plan is ever perfect, and a successful coach or athlete can adjust on the fly within the parameters of their principles.
While the programming might look different, the principles of Training for the Uphill Athlete’s race preparation, combined with Wendler’s common-sense lifting principles, can work for beginners or elite runners and 5K races up to 250-milers.
References
- Jornet, Kilian, et al. Training for the Uphill Athlete: A Manual for Mountain Runners and Ski Mountaineers. Patagonia, 2019.
- Jujimufu. “Your New Life Plan | Life Periodization.” YouTube, 23 Jan. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN67mFS_4A0.
- Richardson, Hunter. “Conquering the Rock Pt. 2.” Squatter’s Rites, 15 Mar. 2023, squattersrites.substack.com/p/conquering-the-rock-pt-2.
- Wendler, Jim. 5/3/1 Forever: Simple and Effective Programming for Size, Speed, and Strength. Jim Wendler LLC, 2017.
- Wendler, Jim. 5/3/1: The Simplest and Most Effective Training System For Raw Strength. 1st ed., Jim Wendler LLC, 2009.
Hunter Richardson serves as an infantry officer in the United States Army. He trains in a variety of ways and loves his garage gym dearly. Hunter volunteers as an assistant strength coach for local middle and high school athletes. You can find Hunter's training on Instagram @squatters_rites.
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