StepAhead wrote:
Well this is what it boils down to I guess. Would it be better for me to correct these muscle imbalances through lifting weights or should I just not worry about it and continue to run seven days a week.
1. If this is the same coach who got you from 4:42 to 4:27, and he *now* thinks that he sees a way that you can improve even more: I'd say it's worth giving his suggestion an honest try, for at least one full lifting cycle (usually defined as a minimum of six weeks). [By the way, are you doing the leg exercises more than once a week?] He knows far more about the *totality* of your training, and the rest of your life, than any of us can or will; and the fact that he's willing to look beyond "what has worked up to this point" is a positive, not negative, change.
2. As others have suggested, you can probably get all the running mileage that you need in six days. If you feel you need to increase mileage, check with your coach about adding miles on your six running days, not on the seventh.
[I've known of people who averaged ~100mi/wk and took *two* days off from running in most weeks.]
3. If you're in a position to correct imbalance problems, do so NOW before they lead to bigger problems. (Sadly, experience speaks.) You're lucky to have a coach who can spot such things.
4. One of the biggest mistakes that (most) runners can make is to believe that their ideal training would be all running. If a weekly no-running day could help you break the all-running *mental* habit, you will almost certainly benefit from improved performances and less injury downtime.
[Even when you've adapted enough to the leg exercises, it wouldn't hurt (and would probably help) to do the next day's aerobic work in a fashion other than running: swimming, aqua jog, elliptical, bike, etc. In consultation with your coach, of course!]
Talk with your coach. Good luck. Please keep us informed of your progress.