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The Benefits of CrosstrainingBy Connie Gamble, Beyond the Finish Coordinator March 30, 2009 It is a far different world from 20 years old to 30 to 40 and on. With each decade comes new revelation on how our bodies withstand and can recover with what used to be the norm in our exercise life. What used to be 5 to 6 days of running to train for an event achingly reduces itself, with just cause, to 3 to maybe 4 days of running because the recovery time is so much more needed! The importance at an earlier age to understand the benefits of applying a crosstraining regimen to your workout is detrimental to not only your recovery but to the ultimate benefits of it effecting the quality of your running, period. A doctor friend of mine, whom I used to work for, was adamant for probably the better of 5 or 6 years in trying to get me get on a bike and ride and to alternate those bike days with running. Of course, I wasn’t reluctant to do it…but I was definitely dead set in getting my next PR and I could only improve if I pushed harder on my running and did more running in general. Fact of matter is, I was dead wrong and he was SO right! (Thank you, Dr. Orrell…you always knew how to get me to move to the next step!) The moment I began training for triathlon’s (which was 4 years ago now) was the moment my running program changed forever. AND…it improved! The best account was when a group of us trained and ran the Memphis St. Jude Marathon. One of the most inspiring, heart-wrenching and HILLY marathons we had ever run. The GPS was way off! That incline it showed after mile 4 never ended…it lasted for what seemed FOREVER (but I am sure it is no comparison to the perils in the lives of the cancer victims/patients for whom we ran for) and who could possibly set a personal best on a course like that? Well…I can say I did. I knocked 10 minutes off my marathon time only running 3 days a week (one day of speedwork, 1 day of tempo and one long run day) and crosstraining on most of the off days (implementing one day of full rest)…and on a super hill-driven course! The crosstraining payoff was forever sold to me after crossing the finish line of that race. This quarter we are promoting the benefits of yoga for runners. There are so many options for crosstraining; weightlifting, biking, rowing, elliptical, stairclimbing…you name it, if it is not running…you should be doing it on your alternate days. If gives the body a break from the pounding of running. You are working muscle groups that are not getting attention from the strains of the running posture. When you crosstrain, you are helping your body in it’s recovery process and setting your next run(s) up for improvement by conditioning areas that will strengthen your run. Start something new in your workout regimen this race season and through the year(s) to come. Hit the weight room twice a week…grab some extra cardio by getting on your road or mountain bike…take a hike on rough terrain or try a rock climbing wall for an awesome total body workout. Finish off those workouts with some good core training and definitely spend good time stretching each and every time you train. Be good to your body. Water it. Feed it well. Give good rest. Recover from your runs by adding crosstraining 2 –3 days a week. Enjoy your life of blessings, be thankful and keep moving! |
