The Key to Success: Consistent Training

Look at the training history of any successful endurance athlete and you’ll find the same thing: years and years of consistent, stacked training.

Aerobic fitness compounds, and it takes time. Aerobic capacity, mitochondrial adaptations, capillary density and running economy all improve through repeated training over months and years.

Fitness Is Built Over Years, Not Weeks

A great four-week training block can make you fitter. But if it is followed by four weeks of injury, illness or forced rest, much of that progress is lost.

My (Josh’s) own training consistency is shown in the chart below.

13 years of training. Each day a dot. Several injuries, but overall a pretty consistent picture.

If I have one regret from my running career, it is the connective tissue injuries that plagued me in late 2017, when I was probably the fittest I have ever been, and again in 2021.

My body seems to have sturdy bones, but less resilient tendons.

If I could go back and do it again, I would do more to protect my connective tissue, including more strength work and targeted nutrition such as collagen.

Where Does Collagen Fit In?

Collagen is the primary structural protein in tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues. That makes collagen an interesting tool for runners looking to support their training and recovery.

Hydrolysed collagen provides amino acids and collagen-derived peptides that can be used in connective tissue metabolism. Research has supported the theory that consuming collagen alongside exercise can increase markers of collagen synthesis.

Timing matters too. Some research suggests that consuming collagen around 30–60 minutes before a session involving mechanical loading may increase the availability of collagen-related amino acids during that loading stimulus.

This may be particularly relevant when the session includes strength or tendon-loading work designed to progressively expose connective tissue to stress.

Collagen isn’t a substitute for sensible training progression, recovery or strength work, or a broader nutrition strategy. But it may be a piece of the puzzle worth adding.

Stay on the Spiral

The best training strategy isn’t necessarily the one that produces your biggest week. Instead, focus on stacking weeks, months and years and the gains will come naturally.