Distance runner Parker Valby has gotten plenty of buzz for her fast times. And she’s also built up a reputation for her unconventional training.
The 21-year-old, who will race at the Olympic trials today in hopes of making Team USA in the 5k and 10k, only runs a few times a week during her training.
Parker shared at the NCAA Cross Country Championships last year that she ran a maximum of two to three days a week leading up to that, per Trailrunner. In between, she does a lot of elliptical and cross-training sessions.
What’s behind this unusual cross-training? Parker developed stress fractures in her feet in early 2022 and decided she wanted to avoid running-related injuries. So, she does workouts and “occasional” long runs, which is outside the norm for Division I athletes with as many titles as she has.
That doesn’t mean Parker is phoning it in on days she doesn’t run. She does six to eight sessions a week on the arc trainer and in the pool.
“It’s not like I’m jogging on those days [that I’m running] or that I’m cross training easily,” she told Citius. “I think people underestimate what I’m doing. When I cross-train, there are puddles of sweat on the floor…Workout days are quality miles. That’s where all the miles come in–workout days.” (Workout days in elite running are usually training sessions where runners focus on a mix of speed and mileage.)
Parker told Citius that her mileage shifts each week, but it usually ranges between 25 to 40 miles. Her workouts also tend to vary.
“I’ll do a cross-train double on Monday,” she shared. “Tuesday is typically a track workout or a grass workout depending on whatever we have coming up. So that’ll be running on the ground that day.”
On Wednesdays, she’ll usually cross-train twice. “Thursday, some weeks we have workouts, some weeks we don’t depending on if we’re working out on Saturday,” she said. “And then Friday will be a cross-train double.”
On Saturdays, Parker said she’ll either do a workout, take off, or cross train, depending on the week. “Sunday is cross-training,” she added.
Parker nabbed six NCAA titles during her college track and field career, so clearly she’s doing something right.
Good luck, Parker!
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
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