Cough...cough...
So today I want to talk to you about cross training and strength training. As you all know, a runner cannot simply run and run and run and run and run (although we'd certainly all like to), which is why I've tormented myself with the idea of yoga. Unfortunately, not even yoga, sprints, and endless long runs will prepare you for a marathon, or even put you in tip-top shape. Cross training and strength training are also vital in your quest for physical fitness.
But, you may be asking now....what the HECK is cross training? Well, that's actually a really good question, uh...let's consult the great and wonderful internet.
**CONSULTING**CONSULTING**CONSULTING**
About.com: Sports Medicine tells me that: "the term cross training refers to a training routine that involves several different forms of exercise."
WOW! That's AMAZING!
But you're still asking, I can see the question in your eyes, what does this mean? This simply means to vary the exercise routine - go to the gym a day a week and get on the stairmaster. Go to a cycling class, or better get get on a bike and ride outside. Play tennis. Jump rope. Do an aerobics class. Have a long conversation with me and try to talk as fast as I do. Swim. You get the idea. The great thing is that you only have to add this in once a week. I went to PA this past weekend and the wonderful people at Flying Hills Fitness let me have a weekend pass. I hadn't been to the gym in a really long time, since I've been focusing on running/I am too cheap to buy a membership in DC while the weather is nice. I ended up going twice, once doing sprints on the treadmill and the stairmaster, and another time doing the elliptical. You really forget how doing something slightly different (I mean, how different is the elliptical from running? it's just cardio) can work TOTALLY different muscles and kill your body in a totally different way than you're used to. And you know I totally support that.
Strength training is a whole new ball game. Okay ladies, I know, I KNOW you don't want bulky muscles. I know you don't want to spend hours in a gym when the weather is just screaming for you to run. But this is a marathon, and it is important not only to stretch but also to strengthen, so we're going to plow through both. Personally, I build muscle like whoa. I bulk up fast and it's icky. I hate it. I'm all about tone and strength and agility and all the good stuff, but I hate having big arms and I would never want Olympic sized thighs. However, I have found a way to work around my incredible muscle building skills while continuing to build lean muscle and incorporate strength training into my routine. Believe it or not, you don't have to spend hours doing this either. I usually do this at home, on the same day as a run or on a "day off" (I have a really hard time taking days off). When I was at home, I used the weights at the gym but you don't even need weights because your body is just that amazing. (If you do find yourself with the opportunity to use weights, I recommend it highly. Just do high reps with a low weight. I usually do bicep curls with 5 pound weights....really girly and wimpy right? I usually do 2 sets of 20 reps...try doing that with a 30 pounder).
So here it is, the MennoneMarathon strength program, guaranteed not to last more than 15-20 minutes because I get bored and distracted easily.
Basically...it's the stuff that you hate doing. Yeah, I know lunges and squats and push ups and crunches are not fun, and they hurt and they're hard but um people....DUH that's why they work. But I add some fun stuff in to make it more exciting and painful!
Start off with legs: regular lunges or walking lunges (go around your living room while you watch tv), squats, endless squats (see if you can go through a TV show or a song). A helpful hint with squats: stay near a chair or a couch or a bench. You want your butt to get all the way down like you're going to sit but DO NOT LET ME SEE YOUR BUTT TOUCH THE CHAIR, get right back up. Lunges are pretty straightforward, just make sure you keep your knees at 90 degrees. Push-ups are pretty basic too, see how easy I make this for you? If you have to go down on your knees, you have to make sure that you keep your butt, back, and shoulders in a line. Don't stick your butt in the air, don't leave your back low and just push your shoulders up. The thing about push-ups is that they force you to use your own body weight, so don't waste that! With push-ups, you can do a set of 15, a set of 10, and a set of 8 (or 12, 10, 8...10, 8, 5...you get the idea). Where you have your elbows will change what muscles you use, so just pay attention to what your body is feeling.
Oh my gosh, i can talk so much....I can't believe you're still reading this, you must be really bored.
Perhaps I will save abs for another day. Deal? I'm pooped, I need to go to bed so that I can get up at 5 and run.
We'll do strength training another day...
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