Marathon & Relay Training Plan: Injury Resilience with Sustained Holds

As the running season approaches, it’s time to lace up those shoes and prepare for the big events like the Cascade Lakes Relay, Hood to Coast Relay, or the other various amazing marathons across Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. But where do you begin, and how can you avoid injuries while aiming for that personal record (PR)? Nothing is more disheartening than training hard only to be sidelined by an injury right before race day or during the race itself.

While there are countless training plans out there, our initial focus at Performx Physical Therapy is on bulletproofing your body. We want to equip you with the tools to stay injury-free and cross that finish line feeling strong. Let’s kick off this running-ready training plan series with 3 exercises to start incorporating into your training plan today that focus on sustained holds.

The Challenge of Sustained Positions

When you tackle long-distance runs, your body spends extended periods in specific positions. What used to be a posture you held only 5% of the time now dominates a whopping 85% of your running experience. This shift presents a significant challenge to our bodies.

At Performx Physical Therapy as the Cascade Lakes Relay and Hood to Coast Relay draw near, the number of athletes coming in with calf injuries sky rockets. Simply put, these injuries occur because your leg isn't extending back far enough behind your while running. This triggers a series of compensations, ultimately leading to an injury. 

To prepare for those upcoming long-haul runs, it’s crucial to incorporate these sustained positions that simultaneously open up your gate into your workouts. By doing so, you’ll strengthen the necessary muscles, improve your overall resilience and hopefully cross that finish line with a new PR in the books.

3 Exercises for your Relay Training Plan

Each of these holds targets the muscles you should be working the most, and in all reality right now you are probably working the least. In your first month of training for your relay or marathon, add these 3 runners exercises to your training plan. Do a minute of each one, on each leg every time you workout. 

Running Man Heel Raise Pulses - Exercise 1

Deep Lunge Hold - Exercise 2

Banded Hip Extension Isometric - Exercise 3

Starting here, with these sustained holds, is how we've helped countless athletes in Salem and the Willamette Valley get back to running and pushing themselves in relay races and marathons. 

As the weather keeps getting nicer and race day draws closer, we're going to continue sharing our marathon & relay race training plan to keep you injury free. Join here to make sure you don't miss it!

A Tailored Relay Training Plan

If you're eager for a bit more, be sure to reach out! At Performx we offer free in-person discovery visits at our Physical Therapy Clinics in Independence and Salem, Oregon as well as free phone consultations no matter where you are.

Whether you're already injured or just keen to hit your running goals this year injury-free, we can help. Our only aim is to do whatever it takes to help you reach your goals.