Runners that lift... Suggestions

recriger

Morning folks
I'm looking for some comparisons on incorporating weight programs.

I have been running now for about 3 years, I currently average about 15 miles per week. I also lift 3 times a week. I decided, this week, to change things up a little bit and was wondering how others designed their programs.

Back story:
I sat on my rump for 10 years which allowed many parts of my body to "deteriorate"...kinda:) My joints were the big thing. When I started running everything hurt as was expected. What did surprise me was how long it took my tendons to get back into the swing of things.

What I have done recently is:
Sunday: long run, currently 7-7.5 miles
Monday: chest/tri
tues: back/bi
Wed: run, 3-4 miles
Thurs: Shoulders
Fri: run, 3-4 miles
Saturday: rest (well...Play with the 4year old...that's...sorta...rest)

As you see I didn't have a dedicated leg day. I would generally add a leg exercise to the end of the other 3 weight days. I couldn't do squats due to a degenerated disk, and I always hesitated to do leg work the day before a run. As I mentioned before, my tendons had just hurt too much to change this.

This spring things have changed a bit. I have been doing Dead lifts for the last year (back day) which (honestly this still shocks me) has reduced my back pain to a minor shadow of it's former level. Instead of every, or every other week, it has now been 3 months since I've seen my Chiropractor. Along with this I ran 7.5 miles this past Sunday, and Monday morning my Patellar tendon did NOT hurt. Something has always hurt bad enough after the long runs that made me choose not to dedicate a leg day.

That is what led me to choose changing things. Since my legs didn't hurt Monday, and I wasn't scheduled to run till Wednesday (2 days to rest), I decided to make Monday my new leg day. It felt great, so that's not the problem. My problem is that this mornings run was a real disappointment. The muscles on the front outside of the shins hurt like sin. Not a cramp really, and not a spasm... more like the pump that becomes painful. These shin muscles used to hurt like this every time, but since I've improved my form they haven't hurt in months. That leads me to believe the change was the weights.

Monday I did:
Squats
Leg extensions
leg curls
calf raises
and walking lunges.

None were shin focused though they obviously were used.

I realize I "just" changed things, so it will take time to aclimate, but I figured I'd look for some comparisons to see how it is that others do it. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong, perhaps not. But there is no way I can guarantee that someone else isn't already doing it "better" that I could experiment with incorporating.

Some of my areas for comparison:
Do you work your legs beyond running?
Do you rest after weights for 2 day? 3?
Do you work your legs the afternoon after a light morning run?
Do you split your leg work over other days?

Things like that.
Thanks in advance..