Question for runners

I do Hatha yoga. I really should lift as well but haven't got around to starting a programme.

Cycling

You can get a pretty intense workout riding hard

Kettebells, elliptical, rowing, swimming, walking, other resistance training (some barbell & dumbbell exercises).

Stationary bike, mostly. Good time to catch up on some TV.

Fitness Blender. So lots of resistance and cardio work. I haven't run for a few weeks now as I'm really enjoying my other work outs so much at the moment!

aerial yoga, yoga, walking

canadianmom33 wrote: »

When you're not running what other workouts are you doing?

Real world cycling or turbo trainer using Sufferfest sessions.

VintageFeline wrote: »

Fitness Blender. So lots of resistance and cardio work. I haven't run for a few weeks now as I'm really enjoying my other work outs so much at the moment!

I'm here also. Not running again until it stays light after work, until 5:30 P.M. Don't like running in the dark. Can't see, can't be seen.

Kettle bells for me, as a strength training addition

My major focus right now is Boston, and I've started running 6 days a week to get there. In the past year, I've run 5 days a week and 4 days a week; on non-running days, I walk.

But I also need to do other things to support my running habit. Most distance runners will tell you they need to do some form of core work, and some form of strength training. The details will vary, but the general idea is to strengthen whatever is the weakest part of your running chain. Then when that's no longer the *weakest*, you will find something else that needs strength training.

Right now, I do push-ups, pull-ups, hib abductor/adductor exercises, bridges with leg lifts (exercise given to me by a PT), one leg calf raises on a block with weights, kettlebell Turkish get-ups with a windmill at the top, kettlebell swings, and kettlebell snatches. That sounds like a lot, but I don't put a whole lot of time into any of them. Total of all or them might add up to 25 or 30 minutes, and mostly fits into the empty time slots in the middle of my breakfast routine; the big piece is when the steel cut oats are simmering. I tend to use moderately heavy kettlebells (35 lb. for the TGU/windmill combo, 40 lb. for the swings and snatches), and I count reps. That is because I am more focused on the strength aspect than the cardio aspect of kettlebells. I get plenty of cardio from running.

For those who care, I get some core work out of the push-ups, pull-ups, and especially the TGU/windmill combo. The TGUs also contain a lunge, which helps the quads. The windmill contains a hamstring stretch. The kettlebell swings and snatches work the hinge movement of the hip big time, helping the hamstrings and the lower back muscles. The calf raises have an embedded calf stretch, though I really do them for the work on the extrinsic foot muscles. The pattern is, I don't like direct core work and direct stretches very much; so I do things that include core work and stretches while doing other stuff too. Yes, I also stretch after running.

This is obviously not the only way to work all the stuff I need to work; but it's a way that works for my temperament and time availability. Other people will find other solutions to meet similar needs.