Is there any way to be very strong but also good at distance running?

weight training + running??? · 2012-07-11T20:09:00-04:00

Putting aside having incredible genetics, is it possible to be very strong and also be good at racing at distances around 1500 metres? Of course, I'm sorta being vague because I know I'm not particularly talented, and being "good" means different things for different people. I would like to be very capable at ~1500 m on track, at least as far as my genetics/talent can take me, and I'm currently running a good amount of distance to train for that, but I would also like to have general strength in all the major muscle groups. As far as running goes, I'm definitely a shorter-distance runner; when I run the 800 I run it like a sprinter runs it rather than like a miler runs it. But I'm not that competitive, I'm just trying to be good relative to my potential. Obviously I don't want to bulk up, since that would definitely slow me down a lot. But from knowing some of my fellow athletes it seems possible to be strong without being bulky. I'm currently also doing things like using the rowing machine, doing flys with free weights, squats, sit-ups while holding weight, etc. Is this going to harm me a lot? I mean, I guess I might gain a little bit of weight and this would slow me down a bit, but from looking at my friends who used to compete in college at 800/1500 distances, many of them were not skinny by a long shot.

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13 years ago 12/08/2012 8:48pm EST

re: weight training + running???

200 lbs is not that great. (my upper body is garbage but I could do that when i was lifting. I'm not a great runner, although I was talented.) I talked to someone the other day who met your numbers, and he was a good but third tier runner. 415 is better than 200.

weight training + running??? wrote:
OK, I will not be vague. I am 5'8'' 145 pounds. I would like squat (a real squat) twice my body weight and bench press 200 pounds. I ideal goals for running would be 2:00/4:15 over 800/1500 metres.
Current stats:
- 245 full squat, 190 bench press
- 2:06 800 m (last year)
- unknown 1500 m, very doubtful I could run sub 4:40 since I just started doing distance runs

13 years ago 12/08/2012 9:00pm EST

re: kpack

false. 2:00 800m is much better than 4:15 1500m.

13 years ago 12/08/2012 9:57pm EST

re: aeql39dk3a

I think you can be extremely strong and be a good mid distance runner.

My captain last year ran 2:05 and squatted 405 raw off just football training during indoor. I myself have done 430 with just a belt but only ran 2:09.

13 years ago 12/08/2012 11:00pm EST

re: Doper

A 430 squat is not extremely strong

13 years ago 12/08/2012 11:56pm EST

re: big framed

big framed wrote:
I was a distance runner who people always confused with a football player as I was naturally big and wide framed.
5 11' 170
1:58 800
52.3 400
2:34 1000m
4:06 1500
4:26 mile
26:30 8k
205 x 3 Bench
300 Squat x 10
The stronger I got I probably was getting slower too. Focus on core.

Haha. Who would confuse you with a football player? I bet your mom told you that you were good looking too. Only in a Jewish community would someone who weighed 170lbs consider themselves "big framed"

13 years ago 12/09/2012 2:51am EST

re: stay dog freedom

stay dog freedom wrote:
Haha. Who would confuse you with a football player? I bet your mom told you that you were good looking too. Only in a Jewish community would someone who weighed 170lbs consider themselves "big framed"

What? It is entirely possible to be skinny and still big-framed. Big-framed is a bone structure not a weight. People with really wide shoulders can be skinny or fat, but they are both wide-framed.

13 years ago 12/09/2012 7:33pm EST

re: jsj

]jsj wrote:

stay dog freedom wrote:
Haha. Who would confuse you with a football player? I bet your mom told you that you were good looking too. Only in a Jewish community would someone who weighed 170lbs consider themselves "big framed"

What? It is entirely possible to be skinny and still big-framed. Big-framed is a bone structure not a weight. People with really wide shoulders can be skinny or fat, but they are both wide-framed.[/quote]

I agree, but that poster described himself as "big" and said people confuse him with a football player, and then he said he weighed 170lbs, I found that funny for some reason.

13 years ago 12/10/2012 8:13am EST

re: big framed

big framed wrote:
I was a distance runner who people always confused with a football player as I was naturally big and wide framed.
5 11' 170
1:58 800
52.3 400
2:34 1000m
4:06 1500
4:26 mile
26:30 8k
205 x 3 Bench
300 Squat x 10
The stronger I got I probably was getting slower too. Focus on core.

5 11' and 170 is not big and wide framed.

13 years ago 12/10/2012 9:30am EST

re: Not really

Not really wrote:
5 11' and 170 is not big and wide framed.

Amen. Everyone here is making a fool of themselves. 170-180 lbs, heaviest runner ever. LOL.

A real man weighs over 200# and can still run a fast 5k, like I do.

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