Most runners treat cross-training like a consolation prize — something you reluctantly do when you’re injured and can’t run. But that’s backwards!
Cross training and running go together like peanut butter and jelly. If you build it into your schedule intentionally, strategically, and with a clear understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish, you’ll thrive.
On the Strength Running Podcast, I sat down with coach, personal trainer, and Spartan Elite podium athlete Megan Flanagan to do a deep dive on exactly that: how to make cross-training work for your running, not just around it.
Megan is one of the most well-rounded athlete-coaches I know. She’s a former collegiate track athlete, a writer for Outside Magazine, holds a master’s in Public Health, and has finished four 100-mile races. She’s also a certified running coach and personal trainer who works with athletes across a wide range of abilities and goals. When she talks about cross-training, she’s speaking from experience — both her own as a competitor and from years of coaching athletes who’ve used it to break through plateaus, avoid burnout, and stay healthy for the long haul.
This conversation covers the full picture: why to cross-train, what to do, what to avoid, and how to build it into a real training week without compromising your running.
Why Cross-Train If Running Is the Goal?
It’s a fair question. The principle of specificity tells us that the best way to get better at running is to run. And that’s true… to a point.
Megan makes the case that cross-training serves runners for several distinct reasons, and the right reason for you will shape how you approach it. The big categories are aerobic development, power development, psychological enjoyment, and physical balance.
For aerobic development, cross-training allows you to accumulate more cardiovascular work without adding more impact to your legs. If you’re already at the edge of your sustainable mileage, adding a 45-minute bike ride or a swim session can build your engine further without the injury risk of logging more miles. That’s not a compromise — that’s smart training.
Power is a less obvious one, but Megan points out that many runners are chronically under-powered, especially in the hips and posterior chain. Sports and activities that require explosive effort — certain forms of cycling, rowing, even hiking on steep terrain — can develop strength and power that translates directly to your running economy and late-race kick.
And then there’s enjoyment. Runners who only ever run can get stale. Adding variety to your training keeps things mentally fresh. This matters more than most training plans account for — a motivated athlete who looks forward to their workouts will consistently outperform a burned-out athlete following a “perfect” plan.
Finally, balance. Running is a one-dimensional movement pattern that loads the body in very specific ways. Building supplemental activities into your routine creates physical balance that can reduce overuse injury risk over time.
What Are the Best Forms of Cross-Training for Runners?
Not all cross-training is created equal, and Megan breaks down which forms of exercise offer the most benefit to runners — and why.
Cycling is one of the most popular and most effective options. It’s low-impact, develops the aerobic system efficiently, and is accessible to almost everyone. Whether you prefer road cycling, mountain biking, or an indoor trainer, cycling complements running well without creating a lot of additional recovery demand.
Swimming and pool running are the gold standard for injured runners, but they’re valuable for healthy runners too. Swimming develops shoulder and upper body strength — areas most runners neglect — while also delivering excellent cardiovascular conditioning. Aqua jogging closely mimics the neuromuscular patterns of running, making it one of the most specific forms of cross-training you can do.
Rowing is underused by runners, but Megan is a fan. It trains the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, back) in ways that support better running posture and power, and the cardiovascular demand is high. The learning curve is worth it.
Hiking and trail walking, especially on hilly terrain, are more valuable than most road runners give them credit for. They build hip flexor strength, improve balance, and develop proprioception in ways that flat road running doesn’t. For ultramarathon runners or anyone who runs trails, hiking is practically a non-negotiable addition to the training mix.
Strength training deserves its own mention here, even though I don’t consider it cross-training. It’s a perfect supplement to running, can help you stay healthy, improve your economy and body composition, and help you kick faster at the end of a race.
Cross-Training to Avoid
Here’s where things get interesting. Megan is direct about certain activities she steers her athletes away from, and her reasoning is sound.
Pickup basketball and recreational soccer are two activities that come up often — they’re fun, social, and great exercise. But for dedicated runners, they come with a meaningful injury risk that’s hard to justify. The cutting, jumping, contact, and unpredictable movements in these sports create injury patterns that are very different from overuse running injuries. You can land awkwardly and blow out an ankle three weeks before your goal race. It happens.
The general principle: the more chaotic and uncontrolled the movements, the higher the risk relative to the reward for runners. High-impact team sports, racquet sports that involve lots of lateral movement, and activities with significant fall risk (skiing, for example) all deserve careful consideration.
This doesn’t mean you can never play pickup basketball. But if you have a goal race on the calendar and your training is going well, it’s worth thinking about whether the risk is worth it.
Listen to the Strength Running Podcast
Cross-training isn’t a fallback when things go wrong. For smart runners, it’s a deliberate part of the training plan — one that builds aerobic capacity, adds variety, supports physical balance, and extends the longevity of your running career.
Megan Flanagan is exactly the kind of coach who thinks carefully about all of this, and this conversation is packed with practical takeaways you can use right away, whether you’re training for your first half marathon or your fifth 100-miler.
Listen to our entire conversation on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
You can also follow Megan at megan-flanagan.com or on Instagram at @mountainmegcoaching.
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.
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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.
If you’re not familiar, LMNT is my favorite way to hydrate. They make electrolytes for athletes and low-carb folks with no Sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. I’m now in the habit of giving away boxes of LMNT at group runs around Denver and Boulder and everyone loves this stuff.
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