An Introduction

I have been regularly exercising now for over 10 years and predominantly spent my time running and participating in endurance events whilst also dabbling in weight training, rowing, etc This has given me a good level of base fitness however the results of excessive endurance training has left me relatively weak for my size and carrying a bit a belly mainly due to my other favourite pass time...drinking great beer! As I approach my 30s the desire to become physically 'fitter' is growing day by day!

After some research strength and endurance seem to usually be viewed as separate abilities which never cross each other paths in the fitness and sporting world. You don't see many 160 kg strongmen running marathons or 54 kg elite Kenyan runners pulling cars do you! However, these are the extreme individuals in each discipline. What I am interested in is how you can training be good at both!

Now I am not the usual build for someone who favours endurance events! At 6' 1" and 90 kg it takes a lot of energy to drag this body round a marathon course! However with a half marathon PB of 1:25 (albeit at 85 kg's) it shows I must have some natural endurance ability. However, when we move to strength events its a very different story! I am weak and there is no getting around it! With max lifts of 90kg bench, 100kg squat and 120kg deadlift I have below average strength for my size!

This has led me to question -  can I train to get very strong but also keep getting faster as a runner/endurance athlete? Now for me who is by no means "well trained" in either discipline the answer will almost certainly be yes. But, if I was to continue getting stronger and continue getting faster where would the progress stop with each? After some further googling on this subject I realised there was not much online with answers to my questions. Could someone say run a competitive ultra marathon but also be able to squat 200kg? Maybe? And so the concept of a "super athlete" was born! 

Howfast someone could run a marathon, complete an Ironman triathlon or race a tour de france stage  while also still having very high levels of absolute and functional strength immediately intrigued me. What are the limits of both disciplines? What is the perfect body weight/body type to achieve such a feat. of fitness?

With all these questions and no answers available I have decided I need to find out for myself.  So, over the coming weeks and months I am going to begin unpicking the training methods of the best athletes on both sides of the fence, with the goal of establishing  you can train both disciplines simultaneously to a moderately high level.

I have no idea if this has been done before but I am about to find out...

Let the THE ULTRA STRENGTH PROJECT begin!