Adding in Strength/Circuit Training - The Lunch Hour Athlete

Training Log For: 10/21/09

Running -- Mike - 6mi 1 hr
Running -- Yvonne - 3mi
Recovery -- Matthew

Posted by Yvonne

This week I have been thinking about all the non-running training that goes into preparing to run a marathon (or shall I say, in my case, the lack there of). Wait... said "Run" right? So, hold up.... why do I need to cross and/or weight train? If I am training to Run a race, seems most logical to me Run to prepare for it.

Here's the funny thing, I know better than to simply run as the sole means of preparing for a race. As you might have read in my previous blog post on 10/15 on Training Schedules, the first marathon I trained for in 2004 ended up with me and a stress fracture in my shin about a month before the race day and sitting on the sidelines of what was supposed to be my first marathon. And why? Well because I went too hard too fast and without further support or cross training. It was all running all the time. I mean after all you are Running the marathon, not doing lunges with weights in your hand across the a 26.2 mile finish line.

Now with one marathon finally under my belt, I have learned the valuable lesson of cross training. For many runners, including myself, it is so easy, comfortable and familiar to simply throw on those running shoes and shorts, plug into the iPod and hit the pavement. It's much harder to gear up physically and mentally to lift weights, circuit train and cross train. Luckily, I have friends who love to do yoga and swim, and that usually provided me enough motivation and help cross training for the first marathon.

Now the hurdle lies in the motivation to add the weight and circuit training into the mix. First things first, I can't stand the gym. Second, I don't have the motivation or time (these could just be lame excuses) to stick to it 2-3 times a week on top of the running and cross-training. This is usually how it goes: I'll plan a day to circuit train, I will stick to it that day; rest a day in between then do another day of weights the next but after that it slowly creeps to the back of my mind where it eventually stays for another month or two until I remember I need to get it back into my routine, like it was ever really part of my routine. By that time, I have forgotten what exercises I did and in what order and that leads to more excuses and procrastinations.

So this time, the goal is to write it down on the schedule for training and try to stick to what's on the schedule. If their are better suggestions and tips out there on staying motivated regarding this issue they are most welcomed. Who knows, maybe even a blog and two male co-working conspirators will be the motivation I need to keep me on track this time?