Distance Runners Need to be Strong Too!

I hope in this day and age, most of you who are runners know the value of strength training, speed work, and a solid flexibility regimen (whether it be straight stretching, yoga, or pilates) in regards to your running performance. I will use other posts to discuss the importance of speed work, balance, yoga, pilates and their important relationship with running. Today I will focus on the issue of strength work - in a particular for runners.

For those of you who say, "Dave, I barely have enough time to fit in my runs. There is no way I can go to the gym and pump iron a few times a week."
I say to you nay-sayers that there is always time to get some strength work in. I'm not talking about 1-2 hours a day, I'm talking about maybe 2-3 times per week for maybe 30-45 min tops. And especially if you are a new runner (maybe a former couch potato), over the age of 30 then you should definitely be doing some strength work with your running.

Why? You may ask. Because as we get older we definitely need to do strength training to hold off the loss of bone density that occurs when we become sedentary. If you combine the amount of impact placed upon your body when running a strength or weight lifting plan is crucial to ward off injury.

Out here in Ahwatukee (the far southeast section of Phoenix) where I live we have a great YMCA. For the past 4 years I have been going there regularly to do strength workouts. I don't spend hours in the gym (only if I combine a treadmill workout with lifting). My lifting routine is done no longer than 45 minutes.

If gyms aren't your thing, than I would recommend you check out a company called Beach Body. They have home workout programs that I think are just awesome (just to be clear, I do not get money or any sort of compensation for talking about this company)! They have many different types of home workout programs. The ones I have used before are P90x and am currently doing INSANITY. When I had done P90x it was definitely working, but my training regimen for running was over 80+ miles a week and there was no way I could handle both. INSANITY, which I am currently doing now I enjoy immensely because there is no need for weights - it's all body resistance training, which I love.

The picture to the right is me one day 1 of the INSANITY training. Not in too bad shape, especially for a long distance runner, but we'll see how much tighter and cut I can get.

The bottom line is this, we at Marathon Coaching Consultants believe in more than just running with your distance or running program. With the many gyms in the Phoenix area, dvds you can buy to help you get stronger, or the many personal trainers in your area, there is no excuse not to hit the weights or do a few core and strength body resistance exercises a couple times a week.

If you wish to be a consistent distance runner as you get older, than combining balance, strength, and endurance all into your weekly workout regimen are essential elements to a successful, injury-free, and pain-free conditioning program.

"Human kindness through running"