Hybrid Resilience: Staying Unbroken

When I opened Strava recently, I noticed they’d added a new feature showing your streak of active weeks. Mine currently sits at 265, which corresponds to five years of uninterrupted training since I first started tracking. And that’s just what’s been measured since I started using Strava. Outside of one six-week spell in 2019 when I broke my foot, my training has been continuous for well over a decade, likely closer to two now.

I’ve written before about consistency in training, so this isn’t about revisiting that topic. This is about the foundation that sits beneath and has made that volume of training possible. The resilience built quietly and methodically through years of showing up. This is less about the focus on the mental side, which I’ve covered elsewhere, but rather the physical resilience required for the body to avoid breaking down under constant strain.

My weeks typically consist of 80–90 miles of running combined with 5–7 days of strength and functional training. I’m not a professional athlete; I’m an IT consultant so this is in no way any kind of boast simply that the numbers tell their own story. The miles covered over this period could circle the Earth more than once (approx. 25,000 miles) For years I didn’t think much of it to be honest. Training was life and life was training. When a few friends recently commented on it though, and then the Strava streaks, it made me pause and reflect on what is actually no small feat to achieve.

The Foundations of Durability

I’ve said before that I’m not actually a lover of running, despite the miles in the bank. If I’m going to run though, it’s going to be outdoors. With the exception of the occasional work trip that forced me onto a treadmill, I’ve always preferred real roads, unpredictable weather, and uneven ground. Avoiding the monotony of indoor running has ended up paying dividends that I probably never really stopped to fully appreciate.

Working in London for several years meant covering 10–20 miles a day with a couple of kilos on my back in my laptop, clothes, and whatever else the day required. A small weight but one that compounds the benefits as the miles rise. The constant twists and turns of city streets, changing gradients, and battling wind or rain helped me build more than just endurance but also durability. I never set out to “train for endurance”, in fact it started with me simply decided it was better than being crammed into a hot, stressful London tube. Thousands of miles later though, endurance is what emerged.

Daily running built the engine, but that’s only one part of the equation. The other has always been strength and functional training which was a mainstay even before running was.

Strength & Function Combined

Heavy lifting has been a staple since my late teens. Despite maintaining heavy weight though my sessions have always leaned toward shorter rest periods and high intensity. The type of training that builds not just raw strength but also power alongside increased cardio capacity. Compound lifts mixed with functional movements also help to break up the monotony (you can see a trend here…if I have to train then let’s keep it engaging) Aesthetics might have been the motivation in my early years, but for a long time now, looking fit has been a byproduct of building a body designed for life.

Often when discussing how I training I raise the question: if a fire broke out, could I run into a building and carry someone down from the top floor? If I broke down thirty miles from civilisation, could I run back to help? My goal is to be able to face those scenarios as well as whatever else life throws my way and answer back with a resounding ‘YES’

My focus of training remains and will continue to be a blend of compound lifts with functional work: free weights, barbells, kettlebells, sleds, and metcon sessions. All these types of training combined have helped shape a body that doesn’t just endure but performs when it matters. More importantly, it does so without falling apart.

Do I have niggles? Of course. At 39, it’s hard not to. But serious injury? No. That, I’m sure is credited to the years of focusing on range of motion and functional strength. Targeting the stabilisers, connective tissue, and the often-ignored small muscles that hold everything together.

The Anatomy of Resilience

Physical resilience isn’t about grinding through pain or refusing to rest, although I’ve learned to respect recovery much more recently. It’s about having a body that can absorb stress and adapt to the changing demands.

Running built the engine. Lifting built the structure. Functional training became the bridge between the two. That trifecta, applied consistently and intelligently, has been the quiet architect of my continued durability.

Final Thoughts

If there’s a lesson in 265 consecutive weeks of training, it’s that resilience isn’t built through repetition alone. It’s forged through variety. The weights and exercises that challenge your frame, the runs that test your lungs, and the functional work that brings it all together.

What I’ve developed over time is a form of hybrid resilience: strength, endurance, and function working as one. It’s not about chasing perfection but preparing for whatever life brings. A body and mind designed not just to perform but to stay unbroken.