Fitting in strength/cross training

watty76

I've been running for a little over a year. I'm not great (slow and still weigh more than I should!) but keep making progress. I'm currently training for a half in may, which I'll then follow with marathon training for one in October. For this, I'm running 5 times per week (a long run, interval session, 2 short easy runs, and one mid distance run). I'm conscious that some cross/strength training would help in many ways, but I'm not sure how to fit that in? My two rest days are v welcome (if only for the lie in). I can see myself committing to one day of it, but not sure about 2? Do I just need to suck it up and forget lie ins for the next 10 months?!

dalhectar

This answer might depend on your current weekly mileage & the cumulative mileage you've ran in the past 4 weeks, but try to keep your rest days. It's possible to cross train on your interval or short easy run days. I find it best to do the hardest activity first in the AM, and the easier activity in the PM. If you only can devote 1 block to time to exercise, that'll work too, especially on easy run days. Do the hardest activity first, the easier one second. Only thing I would stay way from is intervals followed by lifting heavy (>85% 1RM).

The_Enginerd

I fit it in on my easy day. Use the short run as a warm up before. I also did biking one day a week, the Monday after my long run, instead of running during my marathon training block. I still had Friday as a rest day.

MobyCarp

Be aware that strength training to support running does not need to be as intense as strength training described by body builders and power lifters. What you want is enough resistance work to help prevent injuries in your running chain, and enough core work so that running for distance isn't a strain on your lower back, abs, or obliques. That doesn't have to take a whole lot of time, and doesn't require you to work up to the weights that pure weight lifters brag about.

When I was primarily lifting weights, I worked up to squatting my body weight and deadlifting 150% of my body weight. Now that I'm focused primarily on running, I don't need to do that much. I don't do deadlifts at all any more (my PT was really down on them), and I don't think I've squatted over 85 lbs. since I became a serious distance runner. OTOH, I have become consistent at doing hip abductor/adductor work and weighted calf raises; before running, I never did strength training for the abductors/adductors and was hit or miss with calf raises.

One of the keys in fitting this in is to do things for strength training that I can do at home. Travel to a gym is a mental and time management barrier for me.

watty76

Thanks both. Really clear and sensible advice. I think I had it in my head that my short runs were me done for the day - it simply hadn't crossed my mind to then so something straight after (which actually fits in really easily as I have done weights at home and time before kids get up etc. Will start this week!