lporter229 wrote: »

Just wanted to interject that most programs that call for cross training are referring to some other type of cardio exercise, rather than strength training. That's not to say that I do not believe strength training is beneficial or even necessary, it's just not generally the intent of the program. The intention of adding cross training to your program is to give you the cardiovascular benefits of the elevated heart rate without the specific fatigue on your legs.

Agreed.

Now if you are just trying to complete the half marathon and be proud of your completion, nothing wrong with doing weight training on the cross-training days (at least some). "Cross training" when talked about from an endurance perspective is as lporter says, "different cardio". Get in the pool, get on your bike, etc.

You can try to build your "engine" by running alone, but that puts significant wear on your body. It can be difficult to build a really big "long distance engine" by running alone simply due to injury risk with that much running. Obviously I am not saying you can't do this, but there is definitely a balance between wear and tear on your body and specificity in training.

You can build a big aerobic engine on a bike too (which is how triathletes do it mostly), and train running for specificity. For example I don't do very many easy runs. Whereas most people training for a marathon might run 6 days a week, with 4 of those runs being general easy runs, then one tempo and one long, I will usually only run 4 days a week, with one tempo, one long, one easy and one transition run off a long bike ride (so maybe the transition run doesn't even really count). At the same time, however, I put down a LOT of bike miles. I also put in a lot of time in the pool. My running is still a significant portion of my week, but what I don't do a lot of is easy run miles. That time can be better spent on the bike building the engine without the pounding of running.

One thing I *don't* do, is lift anything. Lifting would be taking time away from a more useful activity that is more specific to my goals. I would rather NOT be carrying extra muscle mass around a race course for 11 hours (as it is I am more stacked than I would like to be, but saying I want to drop muscle does seem a bit silly).

I weight lift on my non-running days (well, at least 2 of them), but I don't consider it "building muscle". More of a "maintain my muscles with minor improvement in strength". I don't progress the weight much because, as said, lifting heavy fatigues me too much to get a good run in the next day. I spend weeks at the same weight, then add a little more (5 pounds at most). Running is more important to me, so I sacrifice the faster strength improvement. I run 4 days a week and lift 2 days. One lifting day is focused on upper body and the other on lower body. I have an easy run the day after lower body work.

I also don't run as much as some here. Only 25-30 miles a week. I suspect I'll have to make more adjustments once I start increasing my miles.

I am a believer in the slinky theory - the idea that you will run faster with legs that act as stiff springs rather than a slinky, the world's most useless spring. To that end, I do force myself to do a bit of lifting, but I enjoy Plyometrics and core more, and I think these two add more to my running.

Lifting helps me with weight loss in off season and build up as well.

I do a running-specific weight routine once or twice a week. It is designed specifically for runners and utilizes a lot of single leg movement like lunges, single-leg deadlifts, box step-ups, etc. to mimic running. Also, everything I have read from running coaches who specialize in strength training (Jay Johnson, Jason Fitzgerald, Jeff Gaudette, etc.) all say the same thing...you shouldn't do your strength training on off or recovery days. Otherwise you are not allowing your body to recover properly on those days. Instead you are stressing it more. Keeping that in mind, I adhere to the axiom of "keep your hard days hard and your easy days easy" and do my strength training on the same days I have a workout (tempo run, intervals, etc.). It doesn't always work out that way, but to my understanding that is more ideal than lifting on your cross-training days.

ka97 wrote: »

I do both. I enjoy both. I am fully aware that I would make more progress if I focused on one or the other, but I don't really care. I figure I'm not out to win any races or competitions, so why not do what makes me happy.
I do an upper body/lower body split with my lifting, and I often do a shorter run on one or both of my upper body days. I do try to make a point of leaving at least a day in between my lowerbody lifting and my speed and my long run days.

I do pretty much exactly this. I have been doubling up on a short run day with a lifting session in the morning and having the day after leg day off as well as the day after a long run. Overall its working for me, I get to do everything I love and just have to wake up earlier one or two days a week.

I try and get in 1 or 2 days per week of Olympic lifting (snatches and clean and jerk). The lifts are back, core, and quad heavy. I've feel like it has given me more stamina on climbs and on the bike. Just plan you lifting days accordingly so that you aren't lifting right before or after hard running days. Sometimes I'll do a faster pace 4 or 5 miler and then lift to get everything in together. I usually limit myself to a slow 5k the day after or swimming.