I don't know about you, but these summer long runs are kicking my butt.

This past weekend, I should have listened to the little voice in my head that suggested a treadmill run at the gym. Did I listen? Absolutely not. And I paid the price.

Because this past weekend's run involved 1 body-cramping stop, 2 cry sessions, lots of walk breaks, at least 3 giant and out-loud "UGHS!", shortened mileage...but no heat exhaustion or dry heaving!

(I'm tell you, little wins, man.)

The point of telling you my terrible, long run sob story? This is NOT a "woe is me" moment. It's actually a light-bulb moment.

Because yes, the heat absolutely decimated me. (Your girl was made for cold-weather running). So even though my body struggles with temperature regulation...my legs were actually rock solid.

This matters so much because lot of times we describe out legs as "giving out" before our lungs; mine has recently been the opposite.

Again, the point?

I know a good number of runners may be mid-marathon training. Maybe some just started! But the long run is coming for us all.

And while I can't turn down the outdoor thermostat (or improve air quality), I can give you the exact exercises and workout that I've been playing around with recently to keep my legs as strong, "fresh", and "springy" as possible.

Because again, I see a lot of runners fall into the trap of "more exercises must be better" when the truth is, we can genuinely "get away with" 2 QUALITY lower extremity exercises rather than 5.

Because I know you're running long. You don't want sore legs or trashed legs for you next workout. But at the same time, if you don't build stronger, more powerful legs, you won't have a "strength bank account" to pull from when you have to dig deep to finish your 12 miler.

That's why I wrote this week's circuit for you in the very specific manner in which I did.

Because when we neglect developing power, building single leg strength, and consistently opt for double leg exercises that do NOT challenge our single leg balance...

well, yeah...our long runs are gonna suck. Because we haven't built the strength foundation or "deposited" into our strength bank account.

So go check out that workout here and give it a shot and tell me what you think :)

Until next time running fit fam...

Dare to Train Differently,

Marie Whitt, PT, DPT //@dr.whitt.fit

P.S. So I didn't rage quit this long run even though my running fitness evaporated in the summer heat. And it was because my legs were surprisingly not dead. This circuit is why.

Looking for MORE ways to work together?

• ​RUNNING RESCUE CALL: Save your run and your race. Work directly with me 1-on-1 at the first sign of an ache, niggle, or repeat running injury. We'll deep dive into the why behind your injury and create a personalized exercise program that gets you out of pain, keeps you running, and helps prepare you for race day!
• Grab my NEWEST FREE Strength resources for runners: The Calf & Achilles Cure Toolkit, made for marathoners sidelined by stiff, painful achilles and tight, injury-prone calves who want to protect their training cycle and show up to the starting line strong, pain-free, and ready to race.
• ​STRONGER FEET WORKSHOP: Losing the battle to plantar fasciitis, posterior tib pain, or reoccurring Achilles tendonitis? Not with this workshop ;)

Did that blog post or YouTube video knock your compression socks off? Consider leaving a tip so I can keep delivering awesome-socks content! Never expected; always appreciated.

© 2020- 2025 All Rights Reserved. You are receiving this message because you purchased a product from @dr.whitt.fit and/or signed up to receive content. This message is for informational purposes only and does not create a health care provider-patient relationship between you and Marie Whitt, and nothing you receive or view from Marie Whitt or @dr.whitt.fit, should be construed as medical advice.