Hey Reader,

Most running injuries don’t happen because you did too much.

They happen because you did the wrong things in the wrong order...

So today, I want to show you the 4 step framework, I use when helping runners come back from injury the right way.

I call it The Pyramid of Peak Performance.

But first an important note...

You cannot skip levels!

You must be able to handle the level below without pain or problems before you earn the right to move up.

So let’s break it down.

Level 1: Physical Training (The Foundation)

This is the base of everything.

And yet… it’s the level most runners neglect.

Level 1 is your physical capacity.

So it's:

• Strength training
• Mobility
• Joint health
• The ability to move without pain

If you can’t squat, hinge, rotate, or absorb force properly, your body has no business handling high training loads.

This level doesn’t have to mean hardcore gym work.

Sometimes it’s simply restoring movement and removing pain.

But without this foundation, nothing above it is stable.

Level 2: General, Non-Specific Training

Level 2 is low-impact training that supports your running without beating you up.

If you’re a runner, running gives you cardio but it’s brutal on the joints.

So to build cardio without the impact we can do some cross training. For example:

• Cycling
• Swimming
• Elliptical
• Rowing

You’re building fitness without piling on impact.

Only once we can do this without pain we move on.

Level 3: General, Sport-Specific Training

Now you’re actually back to running.

But here’s the key:

Not at race intensity.

This level includes:

• Easy efforts
• Controlled sessions
• Sub-maximal work

And this phase always comes before:

• Race-pace training
• Hard intervals
• Competitions

You don’t get to go hard just because you want to.

You have to earn it.

And we don’t race if you can’t train at this level without pain.

(There are rare exceptions. If it’s the Olympics. A world championship. A true once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Sometimes we accept risk.)

Level 4: Race-Specific Training & Competition

This is the top of the pyramid.

It's your all-out efforts, race specific work and races.

It’s incredibly important but only if everything underneath is solid.

Without the base, this level becomes a ticking time bomb.

Now, here's the biggest mistake I see runners make.

An athlete feels a niggle… A bit of pain… Something “not quite right”…

And they panic.

So they cut strength work, mobility and easy training....

But they keep hard sessions and racing(!)

That is the fastest way to turn a small issue into a long-term injury.

The best athletes in the world do the opposite.

They immediately drop back down the pyramid.

They reinforce the base first.

If you want longevity, consistency, and performance that actually lasts...

Always revert to the bottom of the pyramid first.

This approach solves problems earlier, reduces injury risk and keeps you training year after year.

And most importantly…

It keeps you in the game.

Be smart,

Nicklas

PS: This is the exact framework I use with my coached athletes. If you want to train the way they do check out the training plans here.​