How to get all my fitness in?

mmabry72

I currently do a cardio/tabata/yoga/strength type class every Mon, Wed and Friday morning for 1 hour. This class is for real, and really pushes me.
I run 4-5 miles on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings and I mix in tempos, and track intervals on these days. With a longer easy 7-9 mile run on Sundays.

All of these are morning workouts starting at 5:30am done by 6:30 and off to work.

This leaves Saturday open for a rest day.

I need to start upping my mileage to 25 mpw and I want to add strength training to the mix.

My focus is running, the cross training is so I can get stronger and run better. So what should I give up, double up on or change to get all this fitness in?

Anyone doing something similar.

jemhh

Why are you wanting to up your mileage? Are you training for a specific race? If so, that should be your priority and your other training should complement it, meaning that you may need to drop some of your MWF classes. If you want to add strength training, I would definitely drop some of the MWF.

gdyment

If your point is to run faster, then mileage is goal 1 at the expense of all else - drop all 3 classes and run for an hour instead. If you are bored in the evening then you could do the run then and still do the class in the AM.

If you're limited for time, then you gamble by increasing intensity (and increase risk of injury).

Cross training/Weights/etc do nothing for running adaptation compared to actually doing the activity.

nordlead2005

I don't really see how you can increase strength training and hit 25 miles per week without adding more workout time.

I mean, if you want overall strength and are new to heavy lifting the logical choice is a 3x/week full body program (like StrongLifts 5x5). However that doesn't help your running goal and you'd have to completely drop the classes. It seems like to hit 25 miles per week you'd have to run 4x/week and go 3x5mi and 1x10mi. That would mean dropping a class and not really lifting. You could try lifting 2x/week, but 3x/week is better.

I think you really need to choose a priority and focus on that.

mmabry72

Thanks for the quick responses!

My goal is to run faster, specifically 5k and 10k races. Half's and marathons are not really on my wish list at this point (I'm not saying never). I am planning on a Spartan sprint in the spring hence my worry about lifting, but that race is just a fun diversion, not the point of my training.

It sounds like I need to drop to 2 classes a week and add in a 4th day of running at the least and not worry about hitting the gym at this time.

Heatherthecyclist

Depends what time you have I reckon. If you are doing hard runs tues/thurs, you only need the extra runs to be easy anyway. Can you do an easy run in the evening after the class, that's what I would do, assuming you don't want to get up earlier. Or can you get an easy run in at lunchtime?

mmabry72

I might try to fit in a few evening runs. Probably makes the most sense now since I already paid up for 3 classes a week for the next month. Of course winter is coming and come Jan/Feb I will be hunkered down inside wishing I had 3 classes to go to, unless this global warming starts to work and I can run in shorts all winter long.