4 days running, 2 days lifting. Resonable?

pondee629

Been running, back at it,(now 61 years old) for the past two years. PB's 5K 28:08, Half Marathon 2:17:10. Looking to improve both, hoping to improve age grading to 60%, now at about 52, while getting intostaying in all round good physical shape.

During the winter, I plan on running 4 days, 18-22 miles per week (roads for as long as the weather allows and then treadmill) and lifting 2 days. In training for the Half, topped off at 32 miles per week with long runs of 12 and 13. Is this a reasonalbe plan? Less running days, more lifting, vice versa?

What are you plans like?

ArchyRunner

My plans are similar, I know I'm a lot faster when I lift regularly.

dougii

I run every other day and lift on the non-running days with some mixed cardio (elliptical, treadmill, rower, etc.). I shoot for 15 - 20 mile weeks and pretty much run on the roads all year (unless they haven't been plowed in the winter at which time I resort to the TM). I take rest days periodically as my body dictates. I think your plan is very reasonable!

antennachick

I currently do crossfit 6 days per week and run 5 days per week (usually add up 20-25 per week). Strength training (lifting ) has helped a ton! They work good together because running can losen up your muscles that get tight from the lifting. It may be easier to do running before lifting if you do the same day.
As far as run or lift more...maybe just see what you prefer? If its off season and you aren't running as much, you may want to do more lifting.

MobyCarp

@pondee629 - I'm 60 years old, recently retired, and currently trying to recover from Achilles tendonitis so I can run again.

Against that background, I've come to a couple of conclusions about lifting. First, I can't let running squeeze out the weights entirely, or I will get injured. Second, I don't need to do traditional lifts for strength, ego, and building large muscles. I need to do lifts that support my running habit. (n.b. - This is personal preference, as running is the important thing to me. Another person might consider lifting to be the most important thing.)

As far as 4 days running and 2 days lifting, I think a lot of that depends on how intense you are at each activity. I do something with weights most days, but not so much that I need a total rest day from weights. Instead of working up to squatting my body weight, like I did when I was lifting but not running, I'll squat 50 lbs. to start with and maybe work up to 85 lbs. That's it, because I don't need any more than that to support my running habit. OTOH, I worked the one-leg calf raises up to 47.5 lbs. to support the running, while they peaked at 15 lbs. when I was lifting but not running. One-leg calf raises are currently at 20 lbs., which is easy on my uninjured right leg and challenging on my recovering left leg.

pondee629

Thanks all. FWIW, I'll be running 3-4 days a week (18-22 miles a week) and I've started Strong Lifts 5x5 (two days a week, although the program calls for three). The miles, for the most part are easy runs and the lifting has started very light. Want to feel kinda self conscious? Bench and/or squat with an empty bar. No one says anything, but I felt a little out of place. Not a whole lot better with a little 2.5 pound disk at each end either. I got over it. We shall see how it goes.

Again, thanks for your feed back.

scorpio516

I used to lift 2 days and run 6. At 37/38, lifting did nothing for me at all. No change is speed, no change in VO2Max, no change in HR/LTHR, nothing.

pondee629

scorpio516 wrote: »

I used to lift 2 days and run 6. At 37/38, lifting did nothing for me at all. No change is speed, no change in VO2Max, no change in HR/LTHR, nothing.

So, have you stopped lifting and just run exclusively?

lporter229

scorpio516 wrote: »

I used to lift 2 days and run 6. At 37/38, lifting did nothing for me at all. No change is speed, no change in VO2Max, no change in HR/LTHR, nothing.

At 44 and female, I have kind of found the same. Lifting does not enhance my performance. In fact, lifting heavy actually seems to hinder it. But lifting light and focusing on core strengthening helps a lot from an injury standpoint. You can google "strength training for runners" and find tons of body weight and/or low weight exercises that are geared at keeping you strong and limber enough to prevent injury. This is, of course, as @MobyCarp suggested, assuming that running is your primary focus.

scorpio516

pondee629 wrote: »

scorpio516 wrote: »

I used to lift 2 days and run 6. At 37/38, lifting did nothing for me at all. No change is speed, no change in VO2Max, no change in HR/LTHR, nothing.

So, have you stopped lifting and just run exclusively?

Yes stopped lifting. No not running exclusively, try to get 20 miles a week on the bike and going to spend the winter working on that to get back to doing duathlons next year.