Do you know why triathletes injure themselves much less than runners? Because they practise different sports - swimming, cycling & running - and, by nature, cross-train. So what is cross training? It refers to the integration of complementary physical activities into a runner's training programme. What are the benefits? Well, itreduces the risk of injury, because running is a high-impact sport with lots of shocks, but it also helps you to progress, quite simply by developing other qualities such as endurance, strength and agility.
How can you improve your running or trail running by cross-training? Cycling, swimming, strength training, yoga, ski touring and cross-country skiing: which cross-training sports should you do, and how can you incorporate them into your programme? What are the benefits? And which SIDAS accessories are essential?
Find out in this article, with contributions from Thibaut Baronian, one of the most successful and versatile trail runners in the world, and Simon Gosselin, coach to Team Sidas Matryx athletes.
What is cross-training in running?
To lay the foundations for this article, let's start with a simple, straightforward question: what is the definition of cross-training?
Cross-training refers to the integration of complementary physical activities into a runner's training programme. Cross-training is based on the principle that if you want to perform well, avoid injury and enjoy running or trail running over the long term, you don't just need to run, you need to vary your disciplines. There are many different disciplines, each with its own benefits, whether it's cycling, swimming, yoga, muscle strengthening, Pilates, ski touring or cross-country skiing.
What are the different sports for cross-training with running?
There are many different complementary sports to include in a running or trail training programme:
- Cycling, in all its forms: road bike, gravel bike, mountain bike, even home trainer in winter; for long outings, recovery sessions, or intensity sessions.
- Cross-country skiing and ski touring, especially in winter, which are particularly interesting for trail runners.
- Indoor sports - such as muscle-strengthening, yoga or Pilates - which allow you to work on the agility and resistance of deep muscles.
- Swimming, a sport that's easy on the body, is ideal for runners with back problems.
What are the benefits of cross-training for runners?
To put it simply, the benefits of cross-training in running are twofold: firstly, preventing injury; secondly, making progress by working on and developing other qualities.
1/ If we then go into the details of each benefit, how does cross-training help to limit the risk of injury?
Running is a stress sport, in the sense that your muscles, tendons and joints are subjected to shocks - those of your foot against the ground - with every step you take. Relieving your body of this stress by incorporating low-impact activities such as cycling, skiing or swimming can help you maintain your physical condition without overtaxing your body.
2/ As far as optimising performance is concerned, why and how can cross-training make you a better runner?
In very concrete terms, taking up other activities such as cycling, swimming or yoga for 1 or 2 sessions a week, in addition to your running sessions, will help you to make progress in 3 specific physiological areas: endurance, strength and agility.
- Endurance: you can increase your training volume and develop your physiological qualities, particularly from a cardiovascular and energy-saving point of view, without the risk of injury. What's more, since the basis of progress is consistency and regularity in training, you can consider that less injury is also progress.
- Strength: you work on other muscle groups, and in a more specific or different way to running.
- Agility: you'll be working on your coordination, proprioception and balance, all of which are essential if you're to move forward calmly on varied terrain, particularly when trail running.
3/ Last but not least, the non-negligible advantage of cross-training is that it maximises mental freshness and prevents monotony. A mental dimension that can be directly correlated with the two previous benefits: diversifying your activities helps you to be more motivated on a daily basis and reduces the risk of fatigue, a runner's worst enemy and the first source of injury.
"The benefits of cross-training in running are twofold: firstly, to prevent injury; and secondly, to make progress by working on and developing other qualities.
How do professionals and elite runners practise cross-training?
We began by asking Simon Gosselin, trainer of the Sidas-Matryx Team's professional runners, about his views on cross-training: ‘All my athletes do a minimum of cross-training. I think that having periods in the season when you do something other than just running is an interesting motivator and performance enhancer. On the other hand, in my opinion, the closer you get to a competition, the more you have to train specifically and therefore rack up the kilometres...’.
How does the coach based in the heart of the Alps integrate these cross-training sports into his runners' programme? He explains: ‘It really depends on the profile of my athletes. I adapt to each one. The two most useful and common cross-sports in trail running are cycling and ski touring. In winter, for example, some of my athletes can put in weeks of 25 hours of ski touring, without even touching their trainers. In this way, they work on their strength endurance when climbing, but also on their upper body, which is used to exercising with poles. The bike is used throughout the year, at specific times in the calendar, in particular to build up volume away from deadlines, in post-competition recovery or to relieve shocks if a little tension appears...’.
What about road running? Is cross-training just as effective? The answer is: ‘Road races are generally shorter, and their preparation is therefore less demanding in terms of volume. Skiing is therefore less interesting, but cycling is a great complement for developing your endurance or optimising your recovery!
Thibaut Baronian, French trail champion, confirms his appetite for diversification with some very concrete figures: ‘It's October, and since the start of the year, I've done 580 hours of training, including: 322 hours running, 155 hours cycling and 103 hours cross-country skiing... So running is a big part of my training, but it's far from the only thing I do!
He describes the process: ‘I very rarely do specific intensity sessions on skis or bike. They're mainly leisurely outings, to develop my endurance and work differently from a muscular point of view. Creating other stimuli and other adaptations. This diversification, which obeys a form of seasonality, is also one of the foundations of my enjoyment. I love being outdoors, whatever the discipline.
"The two most useful and common cross-sports for trail riding are cycling and ski touring.
What Sidas accessories are essential for cross-training in running?
Thibaut Baronian tells us all about his equipment: ‘To ride, I use specific Sidas thermoformed bike insoles. They allow me to distribute the load on my feet as evenly as possible and avoid any unpleasant pressure points! The benefits of these insoles are really obvious, especially on the longest rides: my feet don't hurt any more, unlike before, when my arches really suffered after just a few hours in the saddle. As far as socks are concerned, I use Run Anatomic Crew running socks, which I love, and which I think are perfectly suited to cycling.
In winter, he increases this discovery tenfold: ‘For cross-country skiing, it's the same thing: I use Nordic ski insoles. They offer the same benefits in terms of foot comfort, precise support and cold management.
Our athlete goes on to explain the importance of equipment for his cross-training: ‘If I want to optimise my recovery through a complementary activity, I can also put on running compression sleeves, which promote blood circulation and limit muscle breakdown.
Finally, the ultimate in comfort, before a cross-training session, Thibaut Baronian smears anti-friction cream on his feet to prevent them from overheating, or even blisters, which are common in ski or cycling boots. Afterwards, he massages the arch of his foot with Cryo gel, designed to maximise recovery thanks to its ‘cold’ effect.
‘The benefits of these cycling insoles are really obvious, especially on the longest rides: my feet don't hurt any more.
