Just a quick piece of information you may or may not already know regarding sets and reps when strength training for endurance.
Roughly speaking reps are set into three categories to target type.
Most of us always go for the standard 10-12 reps which isn’t effective for our sports and here’s why. It’s habitual due to the historical nature of doing strength sessions.
Anything between 6-12 reps is technically targeting hypertrophy, simply put body building to you and I.
So, for endurance sports of any kind this is what is more important.
1-6 reps. Predominantly strength and power. Aim to be feeling fatigue by rep 5/6
12-18 reps target muscular endurance. Again, aim to be fatigued by 16-18
If you are fatigued before the end the chances are your lifting too much, and if no fatigue is experienced your too low.
For the sessions with shorter reps up the weight, still to a manageable number, and for the 12+ lighten the weight.
We need to try and keep one strength session in as we hit race season, either self-weighted or otherwise. The reason being is if we do not and we start losing weight from all the hours of cardio focused training we will predominantly be losing muscle mass.