Running and Leg Day

MelanieCN77

Hi all, I'm here to pick your brains about training choices. Specifically I am having trouble figuring out how much resistance training to do for my lower body while trying to increase my running distances and endurance.

On any given day I could run a 5k, and I did my first 10k race in November and ran without breaks at about an 11 min mile. So you know, not breaking records, but I was very pleased. I bumped to that distance from 5k over 6 weeks but found that I could not maintain any typical leg days if I wanted to be able to complete my planned training. I don't consider myself to be going particularly heavy but I also realise I have no context or comparison. I am interested to know what kind of routines other runners have as far as this is concerned, as one of my goals for this year is to increase my trail mileage and running more often is going to once again make "leg day" not so attractive. Light machine cardio and core/upper body are easy to fit in on non run days. If my goal is to run 3 times a week, how can I fit in what I need to do, cross training wise? If you do fit it in, how strenuous are your exercises, what are they and how often do you do them?

Thanks!

TavistockToad

I do a full body routine 2 x a week.

My rules are to not do at the day before or after long run day, and to do it either before or after easy run days.

So my schedule looks roughly like this

Easy run/ strength training
Rest day/cross training
Speed work or mid length run
Easy run/ strength training
Rest day
Long run
Rest day/cross training

ajwcyclist2016

I'm not a runner and not sure if it would transfer. I'm a cyclist a typical week for myself Monday rest, Tuesday leg day Wednesday bike muscle endurance Thursday leg day Friday rest weekend bike. Saturday a sprint day then Sunday a 3 to 5 hours ride mostly zone 2 with blocks of zone3. The gym days are a 10 in effort to failure, but when I went back it was 5 in effort increasing the intensity over the first 3 weeks

GrumpyHeadmistress

I occasionally do a 5-10km run on the same as a leg work out and it’s tough. Basically asking already stressed and damaged muscles to do sustained cardio is a lot. Probably not a great idea in the long run.

MelanieCN77

TavistockToad wrote: »

I do a full body routine 2 x a week.

My rules are to not do at the day before or after long run day, and to do it either before or after easy run days.

So my schedule looks roughly like this

Easy run/ strength training
Rest day/cross training
Speed work or mid length run
Easy run/ strength training
Rest day
Long run
Rest day/cross training

I think I can get with the full body approach, to free up the run days more. What does your strength work look like? For legs I just usually do some combo of squats, lunges and ham/quad extensions. Sometimes I'll count the stairmaster.

Just to complicate things I am about to go back to skating Monday nights but I think I can build that in as cross training, at least it's just one night a week now, two didn't work well with any running goals at all.

firef1y72

I'm a long distance runner and I can manage to incorporate leg days as long as my long runs are below 10 miles, as soon as it goes above I have to go light for leg work. I run every day though so am used to running with tired legs, in fact very occasionally as part of my training I'll do a really high volume leg workout (2 hours of various squats, lunges, deadlifts) and then finish off with hill and straight sprints (gets somewhat close to how the legs feel at the end of very long run).
Atm my schedule looks like this :
Sunday am : long run 13-22miles
Monday am : PT, 3.1mile recovery run. Shoulder and arm workout
Monday pm : tabata, barbell class (I was going heavy on leg tracks but am.now scaling back)
Tuesday am : PT (usually leg focussed stair workout), short 2-3mile run, stretch and roll, zumba
Tuesday pm: insanity and boxercise
Wednesday am : early morning sprint session with PT, ab+hiit
Wednesday pm : 3-6mile run, zumba
Thursday am : PT, short 2-3mile run, chest and back workout
Thursday pm : circuits
Friday am : PT, 2-3mile run, tabata, total body conditioning
Friday pm : rest
Saturday am : 2-4mile run, bootcamp
Saturday pm : rest

MelanieCN77

firef1y72 wrote: »

I'm a long distance runner and I can manage to incorporate leg days as long as my long runs are below 10 miles, as soon as it goes above I have to go light for leg work. I run every day though so am used to running with tired legs, in fact very occasionally as part of my training I'll do a really high volume leg workout (2 hours of various squats, lunges, deadlifts) and then finish off with hill and straight sprints (gets somewhat close to how the legs feel at the end of very long run).
Atm my schedule looks like this :
Sunday am : long run 13-22miles
Monday am : PT, 3.1mile recovery run. Shoulder and arm workout
Monday pm : tabata, barbell class (I was going heavy on leg tracks but am.now scaling back)
Tuesday am : PT (usually leg focussed stair workout), short 2-3mile run, stretch and roll, zumba
Tuesday pm: insanity and boxercise
Wednesday am : early morning sprint session with PT, ab+hiit
Wednesday pm : 3-6mile run, zumba
Thursday am : PT, short 2-3mile run, chest and back workout
Thursday pm : circuits
Friday am : PT, 2-3mile run, tabata, total body conditioning
Friday pm : rest
Saturday am : 2-4mile run, bootcamp
Saturday pm : rest

Dang, I am a ways from that yet.
Can you tell me what your recovery work is? What's your stretch and roll really look like? I have a sneaking suspicion my stretching isn't quite all I need to be doing.

TavistockToad

MelanieCN77 wrote: »

TavistockToad wrote: »

I do a full body routine 2 x a week.

My rules are to not do at the day before or after long run day, and to do it either before or after easy run days.

So my schedule looks roughly like this

Easy run/ strength training
Rest day/cross training
Speed work or mid length run
Easy run/ strength training
Rest day
Long run
Rest day/cross training

I think I can get with the full body approach, to free up the run days more. What does your strength work look like? For legs I just usually do some combo of squats, lunges and ham/quad extensions. Sometimes I'll count the stairmaster.

Just to complicate things I am about to go back to skating Monday nights but I think I can build that in as cross training, at least it's just one night a week now, two didn't work well with any running goals at all.

I am following 'a workout routine' at the moment, it's a dummbell program.

Vladimirnapkin

I think the traditional protocol is to do your leg weight training on the same day you do a "quality" running workout. You won't be able to lift as much, but the idea is that your easy days should be easy.

All that being said, I'm in an easy running period ( off season) so I am lifting heavy three mornings a week and typically running at lunch. I'm a bit wobbly, but it is doable. (Running about 5 to 6 days a week.)

Duck_Puddle

I can work on improving lower body lifts if I’m running 20-25 or fewer miles a week. This is typically during the winter for me.

I can hold leg day at about a maintenance level until I hit about 35-40 miles/week (then I struggle to do lower body lifting and also run). This is typically during the summer (for fall races).

Over that and leg day has to go. I’m just not someone who can do both successfully and I prioritize running.

As for scheduling-for when I was actively building running and doing lower body lifts at a maintenance level, I did lifting on recovery run days (after the run). When I was doing lower body lifts for improvement as less running, the running is scheduled around lifting (runs scheduled based on leg condition - and road conditions since this is usually in the winter).