Notes from Liftrun

Training, honestly.

On readiness, recovery, and why a plan has to bend. Written by the people building Liftrun — no miracle workouts, no ten-weird-tricks.

26 July 2026 Hybrid training: building endurance and strength together The hybrid athlete wants to run far and lift heavy. Here's what hybrid training actually is, why the two halves fight each other, how to structure a week that builds both, and where most people go wrong. Read → 25 July 2026 Can you run and build muscle at the same time? Yes — but running works against muscle growth if you're careless. How the interference effect and your calorie balance decide it, and how to run regularly while still getting bigger and stronger. Read → 25 July 2026 How to train for Hyrox Hyrox is running plus functional strength, eight rounds of each. What the format is, the eight stations, how to train the run-under-fatigue that decides it, and a sane way to build for race day. Read → 25 July 2026 Running and strength training: how to do both without wrecking either Concurrent training done right. Why heavy legs and hard runs fight each other, how much rest they need between them, how to schedule a hybrid week, and the interference effect explained plainly. Read → 24 July 2026 The best first marathon: where to run 26.2 for the first time The friendliest marathons for a first-timer — no qualifying times, generous cutoffs, flat or scenic courses, and crowds that carry you home. Races chosen for the experience, not the difficulty. Read → 24 July 2026 The best marathons in the world for serious runners The bucket-list marathons worth training years for — Boston, Berlin, London, Tokyo and the races that make up the Abbott World Marathon Majors. Where to chase a personal best, and where to earn a story. Read → 24 July 2026 How to train for a 10K The 10K asks for speed and endurance in equal measure. How many weeks you need, the two workouts that matter, weekly mileage, and how to pace 10 kilometres without blowing up at 6. Read → 24 July 2026 How to train for your first marathon What actually matters when you're training for a marathon: how long it takes, how far the long run goes, weekly mileage, fuelling, the taper — and the mistake that ruins more first marathons than any other. Read → 23 July 2026 Hill training for runners Hills are strength work disguised as running — speed and durability in one session, at lower injury risk than the track. Why hill repeats work, how to do them, and how to run hills in a race without blowing up. Read → 23 July 2026 How often should you replace running shoes? Running shoes wear out from the inside long before they look worn. How many kilometres a pair really lasts, the signs it's time, why rotating two pairs helps, and how worn shoes quietly cause injuries. Read → 23 July 2026 How to train for a half marathon The half is the sweet-spot race — long enough to respect, short enough to enjoy. How many weeks you need, how far the long run goes, the one weekly workout that matters, and how to pace 21.1 km. Read → 23 July 2026 Zone 2 running: what it is and why it works Zone 2 is the easy, aerobic heart-rate zone where most of your running should live. What it is, how to find yours without a lab, why it feels too slow, and why it's the base everything else is built on. Read → 22 July 2026 How to choose running shoes The honest guide to picking running shoes — without the marketing. Why comfort beats every spec, whether you really need 'stability' shoes, the pronation myth, and how to actually buy your first pair. Read → 22 July 2026 How to train for a 5K The 5K is the perfect first race and a lifelong test of speed. How many weeks you need, the run-walk route in for beginners, the two workouts that make you faster, and how to pace 5 kilometres. Read → 22 July 2026 Interval training for runners Intervals are the sharpest tool for getting faster — and the easiest to overdo. What interval training is, how it differs from tempo and fartlek, a simple session to start with, and when not to do one. Read → 22 July 2026 What is a recovery run? A recovery run is the easy, almost lazy run the day after something hard. What it's for, how slow it should be, whether it beats a rest day — and the honest truth that it's often run far too fast. Read → 21 July 2026 How to taper for a marathon The taper is where months of training turn into race-day legs — if you trust it. How much to cut, how long it lasts, why you'll feel awful in the middle, and the mistakes that waste a good build. Read → 21 July 2026 Running cadence, explained Cadence is how many steps you take per minute — and the '180' rule you've heard is a myth. What cadence actually is, why a slightly quicker turnover helps, and how to adjust yours without obsessing. Read → 21 July 2026 The signs you're overtraining Overtraining doesn't announce itself — it creeps in as flat legs, a stubbornly high heart rate, bad sleep, and workouts that get harder as your pace gets slower. The signals to watch, and the only real fix. Read → 20 July 2026 How to build running endurance Stamina isn't built by suffering — it's built by patience. How aerobic endurance actually develops, why most runners sabotage it by going too hard, and the simple rules that make you able to run further. Read → 20 July 2026 HRV for runners, without the mysticism What heart-rate variability actually measures, why single readings mislead, what lowers it, and what a low HRV morning should change about your run. Read → 20 July 2026 Should I run today? The checklist a coach actually uses Bad sleep, sore legs, a plan that says intervals. How to decide whether to run today — keep it, trim it, swap it, or rest — using signals you already have. Read → 20 July 2026 Strength training for runners Lifting won't make you slow or bulky — it makes you durable and efficient. Why runners should strength train, what actually helps, how little it takes, and how to fit it around your running without wrecking either. Read → 20 July 2026 Why training plans die in week three Most running plans don’t fail because they’re wrong. They fail because they’re rigid. What actually happens in week three, and how to keep a missed week from ending the whole block. Read → 19 July 2026 The run-walk method: how to run longer without burning out Walking breaks aren't cheating — they're how most people learn to run, and how many go the distance for good. How the run-walk method works, why it spares your joints, and how to build from it. Read → 18 July 2026 How long should your long run be? The long run is the backbone of endurance training — but longer isn’t always better. How far to go for a 10K, half, or marathon, how to build up safely, and when a long run should be cut short. Read → 17 July 2026 What a tempo run actually is (and how to pace one) Comfortably hard, sustainably uncomfortable — the tempo run explained without the jargon. What it does, how to find the right pace, and the mistake that turns a tempo into a race. Read → 15 July 2026 How to start running: the honest first month A beginner’s guide that doesn’t oversell it. Run-walk, how slow to go, what the first four weeks actually feel like, and the one habit that matters more than any plan. Read → 13 July 2026 How to get back into running after time off Injury, illness, life, or just a long gap — how to restart running without picking up an injury. Why you shouldn’t resume where you left off, and how fast fitness actually comes back. Read → 10 July 2026 Easy runs: slower is the point Most runners run their easy days too hard and their hard days too soft. Here’s what easy pace actually means, how slow is slow enough, and why the boring runs are where fitness is built. Read → 7 July 2026 How often should you run a week? Three, four, five days? The honest answer depends on your goal and your recovery — and for most runners it’s fewer hard days than they think. A simple way to decide. Read →