There are no real secrets when it comes to improving your running. To get faster, you run. A lot.

Just look at the best runners in the world—they consistently run 100-plus mile weeks during their heaviest training blocks. Look at the resurgence of American distance running. What sparked it? American runners committed themselves to training like the Kenyans and running more miles.

The only problem is that most of us aren’t built like Dathan Ritzenhein and Ryan Hall, and we can’t handle the injury-inducing beating that comes from 100-mile weeks.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t adopt a similar level of volume into our training regimen—as long as we do it with cross-training. I’ve been a big believer in cross-training ever since I began running 15 years ago. While I’ve had my fair share of injuries and illnesses, I believe that if I had solely focused on running throughout my career, I would have never known what it was like to experience an injury-free season.