Listeners know I'm a relentless advocate of strength training, whether you're doing bodyweight exercises at home or lifting heavy in the gym.

But some runners take strength training to a level above and beyond the rest of us - and find great success along the way.

Elizabeth Corkum is a fellow running coach and one of my former private coaching clients. Elizabeth - who goes by the nickname Corky - is a 2:58 marathoner and 5-day per week weightlifter.

Coach Corky has multiple coaching certifications, including USA Track and Field, Road Runners Club of America, and the Lydiard Foundation. She is also a certified personal trainer and specialist in sports nutrition.

Your path may or may not look exactly like hers, but you can learn a lot from her journey and our discussion, including:

How Elizabeth incorporates her extensive strength work into her race training
The unexpected path she took to reach her sub 3 hour marathon goal
How you can go all in and have fun at the same time
The importance of being patient and trusting the path you're on
Why every training cycle will help you get somewhere new, even if it's not what you planned

Links & Resources from the Show:

Learn more about Coach Corky
Follow Coach Corky on Instagram
Learn how to get strong with Strength Running
Listen to a podcast about running a sub 3 marathon
Periodize your weightlifting with High Performance Lifting

NOTE: This episode was first published in August, 2022.

Thank you Lever!

Lever is back as a sponsor and I couldn't be more excited. They make a treadmill attachment that reduces your body weight, letting you run more mileage than you typically could with less injury risk.

They're also trusted by physical therapists, where they're commonly used during injury recovery so you can keep running with less load and impact. They're a "secret weapon" during rehab of many pro runners.

Lever attaches to any treadmill and you hook into it like a harness. It effectively makes you lighter, allowing you to do more running with less risk. So maybe you want to build more mileage, or run hard workouts but you're hesitant because of injury concerns. The pro's have been using Lever for years, letting them get the advantage of more training with fewer injuries.

I had the chance to go for a run using Lever and it was deceptively easy to set up and use. All of a sudden, I was running 7min mile pace with the heart rate of 8:30 pace. You can see it in action on our YouTube channel.

Go to levermovement.com and use code Strength20 (with a capital S) for 20% off any system!

Thank You Wahoo Fitness!

We're supported by our newest partner - Wahoo Fitness and the best treadmill in the game, the Wahoo KICKR Run. I have been fortunate to run on a KICKR Run treadmill and they're unique - you will immediately know that you're experiencing one of the smoothest, sturdiest treadmills you can buy.

Go to Wahoo Fitness and use code STRENGTHRUNNING to get a free KICKR Headwind Bluetooth Fan ($319.99 value) with your purchase of a Wahoo KICKR Run treadmill.

They like to say that it's the treadmill that follows you, not the other way around. And that's because it's dynamic - there's a lateral tilt feature that mimics real-world terrain. So as you're running, it varies the side-to-side angle by half a degree every few seconds to keep your muscles ready for outdoor running.

And the KICKR Run's dynamic pacing is straight out of a sci-fi movie: the treadmill will match your pace automatically: no controls needed. You'll get a more natural running experience with no breaking to reach controls or setting the pace manually.

See what all the pros are raving about with the Wahoo KICKR Run Treadmill. They changed the game for bike trainers in the cycling industry - and now they're doing the same for runners. Don't forget to use code STRENGTHRUNNING to get a free KICKR Headwind Bluetooth Fan!

Thank you LMNT!

A big thanks to LMNT for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. They are offering a free gift with your purchase at LMNT. And this does NOT have to be your first purchase. You'll get a sample pack with every flavor so you can try them all before deciding what you like best.

And DOUBLE big news! Their newest flavor Lemonade Salt is now permanently available (it's now my favorite). They're also offering 12oz cans of sparkling LMNT water that has half the sodium concentration of a packet. Check them out.

LMNT's products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.

LMNT is my favorite way to hydrate. I'm now in the habit of giving away boxes of LMNT at group runs around Denver and Boulder and everyone loves this stuff.

Boost your performance and your recovery with LMNT. They're the exclusive hydration partner to Team USA Weightlifting and quite a few professional baseball, hockey, and basketball teams are on regular subscriptions. So check out LMNT to get a free sampler pack and get your hydration optimized for the upcoming season.