The main difference, undoubtedly, was strength and sprint training. I was stronger and fitter, my running muscles were less overworked and my core stability was better than ever – something so many of us runners fail to take into account.

A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research investigated the effect of a 40-week strength training programme on strength, VO2 max (oxygen intake), energy economy and body composition of 20 distance runners. Every 20 weeks, they had blood work done, were made to perform various strength exercises and had their muscle and fat mass measured. While body composition stayed the same, 40 weeks of strength training “significantly improved maximal and reactive strength qualities and VO2 max” in distance runners.

While that study doesn’t list the exact movements that runners were doing on a weekly basis, it does mention that strength was tested with one rep max back squats, tuck jumps and drop jumps.

“Strength and resistance training is an important but still undervalued, component of an endurance runner’s training program,” explains Anna Kosciuk, sport scientist at NURVV. “Running is a single-leg activity which means that only one foot is ever in contact with the ground and one side of the body at a time is absorbing the ground impacts.” That’s why it’s so important that our legs are strong and our muscles are balanced; if one side of your butt is stronger than the other, you’ll soon run into trouble.

Injury prevention is a huge factor in adding strength training into a running programme. That’s because, Anna says, lifting can improve joint stability, makes our tendons more springy and speeds up the time it takes our bodies to recover post-run by converting metabolic waste into energy.

Running tips: “The 5 simple strength exercises that made me a stronger runner”