How much should I cross train to stay in shape while injured?

High School Running High School Training

1 week ago 04/19/2024 10:32pm EDT

I’m a sophomore girl and run 30-40 miles per week. I’m injury prone and the last time I was injured, this fall, I cross trained 9-10 hours per week. So at a minimum, 6 days of 80 mins and 1 day of 60 mins in a week.

At first I did a mix of hard workouts (could get very hard, where heart rate was above 190) and aerobic days (same heart rate as easy runs on land), but I switched to all aerobic after I got worried the brutal workouts were compromising healing.

When I first came back, I felt great and in shape, but as I kept running I got worse and slower. And I did keep up the cross training as I returned.

So I want to know how to cross train and at least keep myself in shape and maybe even get better.

How many hours per week? Hard workouts or not? What else should I know? How do you cross train most effectively? Please give tips!!

Btw it’s on the bike at first, elliptical/arc trainer in a few weeks

1 week ago 04/19/2024 10:46pm EDT

re: I cross train

I cross train wrote:
I’m a sophomore girl and run 30-40 miles per week. I’m injury prone and the last time I was injured, this fall, I cross trained 9-10 hours per week. So at a minimum, 6 days of 80 mins and 1 day of 60 mins in a week.
At first I did a mix of hard workouts (could get very hard, where heart rate was above 190) and aerobic days (same heart rate as easy runs on land), but I switched to all aerobic after I got worried the brutal workouts were compromising healing.
When I first came back, I felt great and in shape, but as I kept running I got worse and slower. And I did keep up the cross training as I returned.
So I want to know how to cross train and at least keep myself in shape and maybe even get better.
How many hours per week? Hard workouts or not? What else should I know? How do you cross train most effectively? Please give tips!!
Btw it’s on the bike at first, elliptical/arc trainer in a few weeks

Were you cross training 9 hrs in addition to running after you came back?

1 week ago 04/19/2024 11:16pm EDT

re: I cross train

I dont know what injury you have but I think you need to rest the legs and take like 2 weeks off. You are not giving the legs a chance to heal when you cross train 10 hours a week.

1 week ago 04/20/2024 12:34am EDT

re: trump2024

trump2024 wrote:
I dont know what injury you have but I think you need to rest the legs and take like 2 weeks off. You are not giving the legs a chance to heal when you cross train 10 hours a week.

sorry I skimmed your post. I use cross training as a supplement to running; if you are low mileage then it wouldn't be a bad idea to add a 30 to 60 minute session of cross training on top of your training. I usually go by effort for cross training, you shouldn't be going too hard but you shouldn't be going so easy that you didn't get your heartrate up at all. Look up the Parker Valby article from Runner's World, it talks about her training with lots of cross training.

1 week ago 04/20/2024 8:06am EDT

re: I cross train

Similar question how much xtraining vs running you doing right now. Generally I would start with your hard days being your running days and your easy days be xtraining days. So maybe Monday is a workout, Tuesday 60min xtraining, Wednesday workout, Thursday 60min xtraining, friday i assume you have another easy day or meet. Saturday xtrain ing again or meet. Generally I like to give high schoolers Sundays off.

1 week ago 04/20/2024 8:40am EDT

re: I cross train

Hey guys thanks but I don’t think I was clear enough in my post that I am injured right now and looking for how much to crosstrain/if I should do workouts as an INJURED runner and with NO running on the side.

Thanks

1 week ago 04/20/2024 12:00pm EDT

re: I cross train

This is a situation where HR-based training is helpful. You can mimic the HR zone and duration of a running workout. Let's say your long run is 60 minutes in the 70-75 range. You can do an hour on the elliptical, keeping your cadence in the 180 range (just like running), and adjust the resistance to keep you in the desired HR range. Or a progression run can be mimicked by going 20 minutes at 70-75, 10 minutes at 75-80, 10 min at 80-85, 10 at 85-90.

Those are a simple examples because elliptical is somewhat similar to running, but you can adjust for other types of cross-training like pool running or whatever. Swimming and cycling are going to require different physical intensity to get in the same HR range. Unless you bike regularly, it's going to be harder on your legs to get your HR into the same zones compared to running effort.

Then overall, I would just try to match the same amount of time you typically spend in various HR zones during a week of running.

This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.

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