Weight training while training for a race...

spingirl605

I hope this topic hasn't been talked about to death...I'm very sorry if it has...
At the end of August I will be competing in a duathlon. I do it every year. Living in Canada I don't often start training for it outside until the nice weather hits. Well, it's finally starting to get nice out. My question is, what kind of weight program should I be following while training for the race? I only started lifting in September doing Wendler 5/3/1...I love it, and I have seen some awesome gains. I don't want to lose these gains now that I'm going to be running more. I'll only be able to get into the weight room once or twice a week. I teach a spin class 2 nights/week and a step aerobics/"body pump" type class once a week. Adding in a couple of runs a week, doesn't leave me much time for weights...Any suggestions??

Azdak

Stick to the basics. Focus on the big, simple exercises that will best enhance your goal. You can do fine with squat, deadlift, single-arm row, shoulder press, chest press. Maybe a couple of other more sport-specific exercises for running--I like lunges, high(er) step ups or hip extensions. But keep it simple, push hard, 30 min or so, 2 times a week max. You should keep your gains and help your running.

BrianSharpe

Go on youtube and look for weight training for triathletes (other than the swim part same needs as duathletes) you'll find some great videos (I especially like Dave Scott's).

Running & cycling you want to focus more of higher rep / lower weights than if you were training for hypertrophy.

What distance duathlon are you doing? (One of the Somersault ones?)

msf74

Azdak wrote: »

Stick to the basics. Focus on the big, simple exercises that will best enhance your goal. You can do fine with squat, deadlift, single-arm row, shoulder press, chest press. Maybe a couple of other more sport-specific exercises for running--I like lunges, high(er) step ups or hip extensions. But keep it simple, push hard, 30 min or so, 2 times a week max. You should keep your gains and help your running.

This is pretty much what I do and my focus over the last few years has been training for distance events after having been heavily into lifting before that.

I find that two, short high quality sessions using similar exercise to that set out is more than enough to maintain decent strength levels. Sometimes I drop it to one a week if I find I am not recovering sufficiently and even that keeps things in check.

spingirl605

="What distance duathlon are you doing? (One of the Somersault ones?)"

Wow some really good advice here...Thanks everyone!
It's not a somersault one, but it's quite similar. It's a "sprint duathlon" so 3KM run, 20KM bike ride, 5KM run. I tried the "try-a-tri" my first year, but I couldn't handle the swim in the river. I'm not a strong swimmer. Every year I keep beating my time from the previous year, so I'm hoping to do the same again this year. This will be the first time that I have weight lifting under my belt, so I'm thinking it's only going to help me...