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OMGosh.... she is going to kill me for sharing this photo. This is from this past summer at a camp out for church.I have this marvelous friend. When we moved to KY, she was so kind to me and my family. She is one of a kind. She says it how it is and she is also just so much fun to be around. She lost around 40 lbs on weight watchers over the last 2 yrs or so.... (Karen, am I right?) and she has also become a runner in the process. She amazes me with her drive for more, longer, better. I don't know how old she is, and I am not even going to guess, but I know she knows a hell of a lot more about life then I do, and I really appreciate all advice I receive from her. Cool thing, she has been coming to me for running advice. What? who am I to give advice? Sure I have run 11 marathons, 12 half marathons, and countless other 5K's and 10K's, but me... really? So I do my best to answer her questions, and I love it. I love feeling like I have something I can give back to her. She has run a number of 5K's this year, and her distance is up to a 10K. She has made the goal and found the desire to run her first half marathon in Lexington Ky, this coming March. I am so proud of her.
So to the question. She has been reading a book on running, a beginners book. She couldn't remember the name or author as we were chatting. The book tells her NOT to lift weights on her lower body, on days she cross trains. I really have not thought about it. I am that runner that has NEVER followed any sort of running plan. I have always done my own thing. (which hasn't been to shabby as far as my times go) I only lift weights maybe twice a week and even then, it's mostly squats and lunges and dead lifts. I never use the machines. I NEVER do calve raises or anything to strengthen my shin muscles. So, I didn't have an answer for her on this one. So I told her I would shoot out this question or concern to all my wonderful, fellow running/bloggy buddies. What do you think?
Should she be lifting her lower body on her cross train days?
BTW- I was able to run 6 miles outside today... PAIN FREE. I am thinking the ankle is def on the mend. It felt so good to run outside. It has been 3 weeks. YAY!!!!!!!!
I am rocking my HBBC points. There are several others with much higher points then me, but I am very happy with where I am.
13 comments:
I dont know what you're technically *supposed* to do, but for me, lifting weights on my lower body really helps my running. I dont do it nearly enough, but I find that when I can get in one or two lower body workouts a week, I am a much stronger runner. I do squats, lunges, calf raises, and dead lifts. I use low weight so that I'm not totally fried the next day, but it definitely makes a positive difference for me!
And the coach of my running program has a bunch of recommended running specific strength training exercises in our handbook, so I guess he endorses it too :)
I guess I should be more specific in the question.... Do you weight train on your cross training days?
When I was in knee deep in ultra training, I did ZERO lifting for my legs because they were getting enough. During a normal training time, I will lift legs on either a short run day or on a non running day. But I don't lift legs the day before or after a long run or exceptionally hard run.
I lift on cross training days. I do my legs on Tuesdays, gives them recovery time from the weekend. It has made me a stronger runner. Before I lifted, I was more prone to stress fractures...haven't had one for 9 years! (knock on wood) ( :
Yeah for pain free running!
My PT told me to strengthen my lower body. If I don't do it on cross training days, I don't know when else I'd do it.
Good for Karen for the weight loss and the running!
I'm glad you've been running pain-free. :)
She sounds like a great lady.
I am NO expert, but I think any leg strengthening would be beneficial.
YAY for 6 pain free miles!!!
there are a number of schools of thought... personally I don't ever lift any weights with my legs. I stick to plyometrics and running, that is the kind of strenght I need...weights won't necessarily make you a better runner, but they may help you tone up if that is what you need. So I guess it depends on why she is lifting for her lower body
Strength building of ANY kind on any day you can get it in is beneficial and necessary. It is WHY I got away from marathons - I wasn't strong enough and my body would break down. Get the name and author of that book....mmm? Seems perplexing to me.
glad you are feeling better. as far as advice, injury girl here has nothin'. all i know is that i am going to start strength training twice a week no matter what, even if it's on a running day or cross train day. :) and i think you have a lot of wisdom to offer with all your running/racing experience, you are clearly doing something right, because you are a KILLER runner!! :)
Hmmmm! I'm more interested in reading the comments on this post than writing one! I never lift lower body weights. I do some P90X which involves a lot of lunges etc. Maybe I should be....Naahh-don't feel like it. I do lift light upper body free weights and do a lot of pushups/pullups/situps. I think I'll skip the lower body and head to the hills...Glad your ankle is on the mend!
I guess I should have been more specific in response to your question. If I do P90X legs etc. it is always on my cross training days.
Hello :) I am your christmas exhange partner so I thought I would pop over and say hi! Please email me your name/address (and a few things you like for ideas??) and I will return- looking forward to it!
Email: Jillyfly81 at comcast dot net
I'm lovin' all these helpful comments. Thanks for taking the time! The book is RUNNING:Getting Started by Jeff Galloway. It says "no weight training for the leg muscles on non-running days". It says "this will tire the muscles and keep them from recovering between run days".
Karen
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