If you are training for a half marathon, marathon, Rim-to-Rim, or a big hiking goal, you have probably asked some version of the same question:
Can I keep lifting and still train for endurance?
At Prevail, the answer is yes.
You do not have to give up strength training just because you signed up for a race or adventure. And if you already train at Prevail, you do not have to assume an endurance goal means putting lifting on hold. The real key is not choosing one or the other. It is learning how to balance the two based on your goal, your season, and your recovery capacity.
First, define the goal
Before you build a plan, you need to answer one important question:
Are you training to finish, or are you training to perform?
That distinction changes everything.
If your goal is to finish a half marathon, complete a Rim-to-Rim, or have a strong day on a big hike, strength training and endurance training can usually run more evenly side by side. But if your goal is to hit a PR, race hard, or chase a specific time, the ratio shifts. In that case, endurance training needs to take priority for a block of time while strength is maintained.
That is one of the biggest takeaways from this conversation: your training should match your actual goal, not just the event name.
You do not need to quit lifting
A lot of people assume endurance training means removing strength work. That is usually the wrong move.
In this episode, we talk through the fact that you do not have to omit one to make room for the other. In many cases, there is a very effective middle ground. Prevail already includes heavy lifting, higher-rep work, and conditioning intervals, so some elements of endurance support are already built into the system.
That means the question is not, “Should I stop lifting?”
It is, “How should I adjust my week based on what matters most right now?”
A simple way to structure the week
For most people, a five-day training week is a smart base. That allows room for both progress and recovery.
If the goal is to finish a half marathon or complete an endurance event well, a great starting point is:
- 3 days of Prevail
- 1 to 2 days of endurance work
- 2 full rest days
That balance gives people enough training to build endurance while keeping their strength base intact.
If the goal is to perform at a high level or set a PR, it may make more sense to flip that ratio for 8 to 12 weeks:
- 3 days of dedicated running
- 2 days of Prevail
- 2 full rest days
In that setup, strength moves into maintenance mode while endurance gets the bigger share of training energy.
The real secret: protect your recovery
One of the strongest points in the episode is this:
Do not do something hard every single day.
If you are trying to combine strength and endurance, recovery becomes one of the most important variables. The recommendation here is simple: aim for two full rest days every week. If your schedule includes six total sessions, the better strategy is often to double up one day instead of training seven days straight.
That might look like:
- lift in the morning
- run in the afternoon
- leave at least 3 hours between sessions
- still protect two full off days each week
That structure gives your body time to adapt instead of constantly digging a deeper fatigue hole.
How to train for a half marathon while still lifting
For half marathon training, the approach in this episode is practical.
Your first endurance day should focus on building distance or time on feet. That is the long day. Then, if you have a second endurance day, it can be shorter and more moderate: speed work, mechanics, or a manageable 3- to 5-mile effort that does not crush your recovery.
A helpful weekly rhythm looks like this:
- lift
- long endurance day
- full recovery day
Why? Because training on somewhat tired legs can actually prepare you better for race day. If your body learns to handle long efforts after previous training stress, the event itself often feels more manageable.
Why you cannot chase every goal at once
This may be the most important mindset shift in the episode.
A lot of people want all of it at the same time:
- fat loss
- strength gains
- race performance
- body composition improvements
- new lifting PRs
The reality is that outside of the true beginner stage, trying to push all of those hard at once usually leads to burnout, stalled progress, injury, or frustration. The smarter move is to hold one area at maintenance while pushing another forward. Then, in the next phase, shift again.
The phrase used in the episode is essentially this: think in 8- to 12-week blocks of energy. That is a really helpful way to frame training.
For example:
- use one phase to drive body composition progress
- then shift into a maintenance phase
- use the next 8 to 12 weeks to focus more heavily on endurance
- keep strength stable while endurance rises
That is a much more realistic and sustainable way to train.
Endurance goals are different from body composition goals
Another big point from the conversation is that people often confuse “adding some cardio” with training for an endurance event.
Those are not the same thing.
If fat loss is the goal, you may only need a modest amount of low-intensity cardio to support that process. But when you start training for a performance event, the stress load changes. Hunger goes up. Recovery becomes harder. It gets tougher to maintain muscle, control appetite, and stay in a meaningful fat loss phase.
That is why the episode recommends not stacking a deep fat loss push and a serious endurance push at the same time unless you are prepared for the tradeoffs.
How to think about training for Rim-to-Rim and big PAC events
Adventure-style endurance is different from race-style endurance.
For a half marathon, you are often thinking about pace, frequency, and performance.
For a big PAC event, Rim-to-Rim, or a major hiking day, the focus changes. It becomes less about speed and more about exposure:
- time on your feet
- gear
- hydration
- food
- terrain
- elevation
- weather
In the episode, the point is made clearly: for adventure training, the goal is not just to “get in shape.” The goal is to learn the conditions of the day.
That means practicing:
- the shoes you will wear
- the socks you trust
- the layers you will use
- the food you can actually tolerate
- the hydration and electrolytes that work for you
- the surfaces you will be walking on
If the event will happen on dirt, rocks, sand, roots, or hills, training on smooth pavement all the time is not enough. Your feet, hips, posture, and gear all need exposure to the real environment.
What matters most for adventure prep
The episode breaks adventure prep into a few practical priorities.
1. Learn your gear
Before the event, you want confidence in your shoes, socks, layers, pack, food, water, and electrolytes. You do not want race or hike day to be the first true test.
2. Train on real terrain
Dirt, gravel, hills, sand, rocks, roots, and uneven ground matter. Specificity matters more than people think.
3. Train elevation
If the event includes big climbing, include step-ups, stairwells, hills, parking garages, or local elevation work in your prep.
4. Build time on feet
If your event will take 12 to 14 hours, your training should gradually prepare you for a meaningful fraction of that day. Not necessarily the full duration, but enough that your body and mind know what long exposure feels like.
5. Train in imperfect conditions
Rain, heat, cold, and wind all teach you something. The episode makes the case that hard training conditions can actually make event day feel easier because you have already solved more problems in advance.
How long should you train for an endurance event?
The answer from the episode is, unsurprisingly, “it depends.”
It depends on:
- your starting point
- the size of the event
- whether you are training to finish or perform
- what kind of base you already have
But one practical framework mentioned is to think linearly: if you are doing one long day per week, you can often estimate your timeline by how much distance or time you need to add from your current baseline.
Another useful idea from the conversation is that you often do not need to train to the full event distance. In many cases, getting to around 75 to 80 percent of the event’s longest demand is enough. For a 20-mile day, that could mean building to 15 to 17 miles in training rather than insisting on repeated full-distance rehearsals.
What if you are already doing endurance and want to start Prevail?
The advice here is encouraging.
If you already run, ride, or hike a lot, you do not need to overhaul everything. Start by adding two days of Prevail each week and learn your capacity over time. The point is not to perfectly optimize every training variable from day one. The point is to build a sustainable balance and adjust as you go.
And no, you do not need to avoid heavy lifting days just because you have an endurance goal. Long-term consistency matters more than trying to micromanage every class type.
Final takeaway
The biggest lesson from this episode is simple:
You do not have to choose between strength and endurance. You have to choose your priority.
If the goal is to finish, keep the balance more even.
If the goal is performance, shift the ratio.
If the goal is adventure, prioritize gear, terrain, hydration, elevation, and time on your feet.
And in every case, protect your recovery and think in training blocks, not forever plans.
That is how you combine Prevail training with marathons, half marathons, Rim-to-Rim goals, and real-life adventure without burning yourself out.
