I recently posted what my running looks like during training. It was kind of fun breaking it all down. One of my readers and dear friends posed a question:
“I have a hard time fitting in strength training… how much time to you think you spend total in a given week with running and strength combined? And how do you do strength when you are tired from all the running?”
It’s a great question!! I had to stop and think. Once I broke it all down, I realized I spend a great deal of time running each week, when I compare it to work and devoted time to my school.
In a given week I spend anywhere from 6 1/2 – 9 hours running, 30 minutes – 1 hour stretching, and 2 – 3 hours doing strength, ab work, and yoga (I haven’t been as good with my 20 minute yoga twice a week, so more 2 hours). This is a total of 9 – 13 hours a week dedicated to running, stretching, strength, abs and yoga. This doesn’t, include my foam rolling and icing.
It’s literally like another part time job. Add this to your full time or part time job, and you have a full day. Then throw in some school work, and wow things get crazy. It’s any wonder any of us runners have a social life 😉
I find strength and core work to be crucial components to our running, and they shouldn’t be skimped. While you don’t need to dedicate 3 hours a week to strength, you need to dedicate some time to it!! A little time is better than no time. Even 30 minutes – 1 hour of strength and core work a week is beneficial.
You can incorporate lunges, clamshells, squats or jump squats, burpees, lateral leg lifts, hip hikes, one legged squats, and bridge to your leg routine. These exercises target all the major muscles you need strengthened to prevent injury and muscular imbalances. Do 2 -3 sets of 10-15 reps.
Next spend time on upper body. Do pushups, pike pushups, dips, bicep curls, military press, tricep extension, lateral raise, upright row, and tricep kick back. Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.
Then target your core with plank, side plank, hallow man, star-ups, bicycle, butterfly, boat, v-ups, pulse ups, leg lifts, jack knife, and superwoman (honestly there’s a million different ab routines). Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps or do each move for 30 seconds – 1 minute (which is what I do). I spend about 10-15 minutes on core 3x a week, and try to do 20-30 minutes once a week.
All of these moves can be done without a gym membership and most with or without weights. Buy some dumbbells for added resistance. As you get stronger, you’ll want to add some weight to increase strength.
Do what’s best for you. If you can only devote 10 minutes to lower body, 10 minutes to upper body, and 10 minutes to core 2x a week, that’s better than nothing!! I guarantee you’ll notice a difference. Even sneaking in a couple of exercises here and there at work is great!! I do it all the time.
Now to address the last part of the question: “And how do you do strength when you are tired from all the running?”
Honestly, it gets easier with time. I do strength on my shorter, recovery run days, so typically on Sunday and Tuesday. I used to do it before my runs so I wouldn’t be running at 5 a.m. by myself, but that made for some tired legs (eventually I got used to it), but now my hubby runs with me so I do it after.
I start with core work first, just to give my legs a little break before working them to death, and do about 5 minutes of stretching before starting. You could start with your core and upper body first, then tackle the legs. I promise it gets easier as you get stronger.
I have done it on days after long runs, and it has sucked!! Doing your strength on recovery day is much easier. You could break it up as well, and do your run in the morning and strength in the evenings, or vice versa. This will help tired legs too.
I hope this helps and offers a little bit of insight. Always love getting feedback and questions!!
Have a great Wednesday!!
Until next time Be Whole and Be Fit!!
Strength training is so important and one of my friends said it helped her in nailing her BQ. I get in my resistance requirement via Bodypump, and I find it doesn’t affect my running too much because I run in the a.m. and do strength in p.m. I’ve read that a few elites strength train on hard days so that easy days are truly easy. For me, I just try not to go crazy before a quality workout. I just count running on tired legs as good prep for race day.
P.S. I need o do more clam shells. arg.
Kimberly, I have heard that as well, but sometimes after hard workouts the last thing I want to do is strength, especially right after, but if i broke it up it would definitely be easier.
This is too ironic… I’m trying to figure out how to balance my strength training, as we speak! I used to go to crossfit, which I LOVED but it was too intense with all of the biking I’m doing… also, it was taking too much time out of my endurance training. I am working on trying to find a happy medium, and its hard! I recently purchases a TRX system and have it set up at home… now it’s figuring out what exercises I need to do. It’s hard with triathlon, because I swim, bike and run.. using both lower and upper body all the time… there is a fine line between strength training for purpose and overdoing it… thanks for your tips!
Kristin, you should try Iron Strength!! Watch the videos on Runners world, just search at the runner’s world website and i suggest getting his book. he is amazing. This workout is intense!!