As the new year approaches, many of us reflect on the year we had and look toward setting goals for the next one. For me as a triathlete, 2025 took on a different focus after training for triathlons and endurance running for over 15 years. This was the first year I purposely stepped back from endurance events like triathlons, half marathons, and marathons—other than the years I was pregnant.
The Breaking Point
In 2024, I started Ironman Lake Placid and didn’t finish. I maintained IM training and completed Ironman Maryland in September. After a little downtime, I jumped into half marathon training for the Disneyland Half in January.
That’s when I realized I was completely burnt out from endurance training, and my body was starting to feel it too. I haven’t felt good in a race in a long time, or felt like it was “fun.” Most of the time during my long races, I was miserable and asking myself why I was even bothering. Not to mention my hips started hurting and continued to give me issues for another month or so until I decided I needed to have them assessed. Twelve years ago, I was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and some arthritis. I knew it was possible that it had finally been catching up to me. I found out that the arthritis hadn’t progressed too much, but now I have a superior labral tear and arthritis on my pubic bone as well. This explained some of the pain I was having while training for the Ironman as well as discomfort during running.
Making a Change
In February, I told my coach that I was going to focus on shorter distance triathlons when I felt up to it, working toward an Olympic distance at some point. I made a decision: I wanted to focus on increasing my strength and power, which I needed to keep my hips healthy and to address the changes I was going through with perimenopause. I had strength trained in the past but didn’t prioritize it.
I made a conscious effort to attend Burn Boot Camp, where I’m a member. These workouts focus on either strength, power, or high-intensity work—a perfect refocus for my brain instead of long hours on my bike or running. If I couldn’t make it to the studio, I utilized their on-demand workouts, especially the “quickie camps” that could give me the same strength benefits in 20 minutes.
I also decided to focus more on my ballroom dancing, which I usually have limited time and energy for when training for longer distance events. Instead of scheduling a race-cation around a triathlon, this time I did it around a dance competition, attending one of the bigger competitions in Orlando.
The Results
So, what happened? Why am I sharing?
Taking this new focus in 2025 allowed me to improve my performance and motivation all around! I saw increased improvements in strength and power throughout the year. I found myself performing exercises without modifications I once needed. I was once scared to do a 20-inch box jump, and by the end of the year I was able to do a few at 24 inches.
For my long-distance fun this year, I did two weekends of double triathlon races: an Olympic distance on Saturday and a sprint on Sunday. And for the first time in years, I felt good during BOTH races. I managed to PR one of the courses and saw some of my fastest bike times. I was able to make the podium in multiple races. My run times are back to some of the ones I saw pre-pregnancies.
Adding in the strength training also allowed me to maintain my swim without needing to be in the pool for hours. I also know I am preventing further damage to my hip and hopefully pushing off surgery for a long time. Not to mention my dancing became easier too—I was able to more easily perform some challenging movements and steps without as much effort, and I had less pain in my knees and hips.
Application for All
I am an exercise scientist, a teacher, and a coach. I read the research, and I tell others what to do and how to do it. It was time I tried it myself and became my own case study.
Understanding Perimenopause
After my DNF at Ironman Lake Placid and struggles through training, I started looking into the effects of perimenopause on exercise. Once I read up on the science, so many things made sense to me—why I was struggling with training that I’d done before with no issues, why sport nutrition that had always worked for me was no longer working. I kept hearing that as you transition into perimenopause and menopause, the focus needs to shift to strength training and HIIT. After completing Ironman Maryland, I decided I needed to prioritize this and see what happened.
Benefits of Strength Training for Endurance Athletes
There has been a lot of misinformation about strength training and endurance performance. For a long time, it was thought that endurance athletes should not strength train because it would add weight or take away from prioritizing endurance training workouts. Over the past few years, more research has been done to explore the benefits of strength training in endurance athletes. Here are some of the benefits found from those research studies:
- Improved movement patterns and power output: Stronger muscles allow for better movement patterns over longer periods. Increased power output can improve running economy, cycling power, and swim propulsion.
- Injury prevention: Strength training prevents injury by strengthening connective tissues, correcting muscle imbalances, improving joint stability, and activating stabilizing muscles.
- Better running economy: Strength training can improve running economy, which is the energy cost of running. Strong muscles allow for less energy needed to produce the same amount of force—important over long events.
- Enhanced anaerobic capacity: This improves short bursts of high-intensity effort such as running or cycling up hills, passing, or pushing toward the finish.
- Delayed muscle fatigue: It allows muscles to fatigue more slowly, allowing form and performance to be maintained during those last miles of a long race.
- Bone health: It helps create healthy bones, which is crucial since endurance athletes put repetitive stress on the skeletal system.
With proper balance in a training program, strength training should not be seen as a detriment to endurance performance but another tool to improve it.
How to Fit It In
I know this is easier said than done. I haven’t been perfect every week, but I try my best to be as consistent as possible.
I found that replacing a 30–45-minute run with a HIIT or plyometric workout was beneficial. You’re getting the same benefits physiologically, and sometimes you may be getting more benefits with less exercise time needed.
Another way I fit it in both, is by doing an easy 20–30-minute run prior to a strength training class, so I’m getting in both my cardiovascular and strength training.
Since I was doing shorter distance triathlons, I found that swimming once a week was enough to maintain my endurance in the pool. My speed and strength in the water didn’t change due to the work I was putting in with strength training and upper body plyometrics/HIIT workouts.
As you can see, it’s about moving some things around and prioritizing 1-2 strength and power days over slower, steady-state cardiovascular training. Much of the research points toward shorter high-intensity work being just as effective at increasing VO2max, lactate threshold, and endurance capacity as long slow distance.
Also, strength workouts don’t need to be 45-60 minutes long to get benefits, and you don’t have to do full body all in one day. You can split up the muscle groups, making shorter sessions. You can do a 20-minute session with a variety of exercises. What’s important is to make sure you have 48 hours of recovery between muscle groups. For example, if you do chest and biceps on one day, you should not do those again for 48 hours. It’s also important not to do two hard workouts in a row. If you do a HIIT/plyometric workout, then take the next day as an easier day—not one focused on performance. For example, don’t do a HIIT workout and then a challenging power-focused bike ride.
Everyone has individual differences in how they respond to training. However, the research shows that strength, power, and HIIT training is beneficial for all types of athletes in improving performance, preventing injury, and decreasing issues with overtraining and burnout. If you’re training for a long-distance event, then yes, you will still do long, slow distance during your training cycles. Much of it comes down to periodization during the week and training plan, allowing you to prioritize strength and power training to optimize your training. Talk with a coach to determine what might work best for you.
Looking Toward 2026
After having better racing experiences in late 2025, I caught the racing bug again. I’ve signed up for Eagleman 70.3 in June, and I plan to continue to be my own case study. I will work with my coach to prioritize strength and power through the training cycle, mixed with the workouts I’ll need to build my endurance to perform over a long distance. I’m confident that this will allow me to perform well during the race and, even more importantly, feel good throughout the day.
If you’re looking for tips or more information on strength training for endurance athletes, reach out to the Sonic Endurance team!
