Weights vs Hills

Both plans look pretty good. Steady runs on hills are great base training. You could do a bit of core/strength each day rather than one bigger block per week. Not a big deal to do some situps and pullups, etc at the end of a run.

Wieghts

Looks pretty good. Hills are a great summer workout, as an earlier poster mentioned it's a good idea to do some core work daily or almost daily.

Do weights and hills. Scrap the 30 minute jog.

boss wrote:

Do weights and hills. Scrap the 30 minute jog.

That's what I would do.

HSXCRunner wrote:

Im a high school junior, looking to break into the 15:20s 5k in the fall (ran 15:48 last year). Over the winter, for track, I started doing Weights once a week to complement my running. I avgeraged 40-45 mpw.. and I ran 1:58,4:26,9:33 this spring. Now that summer training is starting up I'm wondering if I should do Weights or do Hills just for the sake of keeping mileage up..

Ideas of Summer plan

Mon: Easy 7-9 mi + Striders

Tue: Easy 30 min am / Easy 8-9 mi pm

Wed: Fartlek or Hard Tempo (7-8 mi)

Thu: Same as Tuesday + Striders pm

Fri: Long Run 11-12 mi

Sat: Weights + 30 min jog

Sun: Off

@ 53-59 mi

OR Sat: Hill Workout (6-8 mi)

Sun: Easy 6-8 mi

@ 61-71 mi

Any Ideas?

YOU're a runner. Key for you is to get stronger, so work on your core, and keep the weight off, so leave the weights alone.

Many an athletic career has been lost in the weight room. Which is all about looking buff.

You're a runner. Run your ass off. Up hill and down.

sc42 wrote:

You could do a bit of core/strength each day rather than one bigger block per week. Not a big deal to do some situps and pullups, etc at the end of a run.

A bit most days will produce far more strength gains, with far less fatigue, than 1-2 bigger sessions. BUT you want strong legs, not just core and arms. Consider any of the following:

- step-ups or single leg squats

- deadlifts, if you have barbells handy

- skipping/bounding/bunny hops

- short sprints up a hill (10sec max, once or twice during your daily run)

- explosive overhead med ball throws

- good old RunningArt2004's leg circuits

The trick is to find the smallest possible dose of strength work which you can do often that won't tire you for running but will get you stronger. Read about Barry Ross's weight training routine, or Dan John's book "Easy Strength". Ten good reps per day is all you need.

Having a strong back, core, shoulders, and arms make distance runners faster and more efficient. You don't need to become a gym rat, but doing some push ups, pull ups, crunches, etc on a daily basis will allow you to build good lean muscle without bulking up.

Old Miler wrote:

Having a strong back, core, shoulders, and arms make distance runners faster and more efficient. You don't need to become a gym rat, but doing some push ups, pull ups, crunches, etc on a daily basis will allow you to build good lean muscle without bulking up.

Yea, look at those big strong kenyans, shoulders are square, and they are sooo strong in the back and core.

The most important core muscles for distance runners are the hip flexors and psoas. The only thing a six pack will get you is a good buzz.

Hills after the long run... just like strides

YOU're a runner. Key for you is to get stronger, so work on your core, and keep the weight off, so leave the weights alone.

Many an athletic career has been lost in the weight room. Which is all about looking buff.

You're a runner. Run your ass off. Up hill and down.[/quote]

Don't listen to people who tell you not to do weights. Why do men typically run faster than women?

One reason... Strength.

I'd do weights twice a week on the same days as hill workouts so you get all your breakdown on the same days. Make sure there are 2 easy running days in between. Scrap the tempo for the summer, but start including it late Aug before X-C

Keep your distance runs easy and keep the hills less than 20 seconds.

Monday am 3 miles easy pm 6 miles easy

Tues am 3 mile easy warmup: easy strides : 15 x 15 second hill : 1 mile cool down

pm 2 mile run: weights :2 mile run easy

Wed : 10 mile easy run

Th : am 3 miles easy : 6 miles easy

Fri : am 3 mile easy warmup: easy strides : 15 x 15 second hill : 1 mile cool down

pm 2 mile run: weights :2 mile run easy

Sat : 9 - 12 mile run easy

Sun : off or easy 6 miles

55 - 65 miles

i'm a high school runner who regularly adds lifting into my routine. As long as you know what you're doing, and you do a routine that works for you, you'll be fine. Defenitly do some Olympic lifts (squats/dead lifts) but a light weight. throw in alittle light upper body work, but you need to work your back/shoulders as much as biceps and chest.

Serious question...whats the benefit of doing 3 miles then 6, vs all 9?

Canada Coach wrote:

YOU're a runner. Key for you is to get stronger, so work on your core, and keep the weight off, so leave the weights alone.

Many an athletic career has been lost in the weight room. Which is all about looking buff.

You're a runner. Run your ass off. Up hill and down.

Don't listen to people who tell you not to do weights. Why do men typically run faster than women?

One reason... Strength.

I'd do weights twice a week on the same days as hill workouts so you get all your breakdown on the same days. Make sure there are 2 easy running days in between. Scrap the tempo for the summer, but start including it late Aug before X-C

Keep your distance runs easy and keep the hills less than 20 seconds.

Monday am 3 miles easy pm 6 miles easy

Tues am 3 mile easy warmup: easy strides : 15 x 15 second hill : 1 mile cool down

pm 2 mile run: weights :2 mile run easy

Wed : 10 mile easy run

Th : am 3 miles easy : 6 miles easy

Fri : am 3 mile easy warmup: easy strides : 15 x 15 second hill : 1 mile cool down

pm 2 mile run: weights :2 mile run easy

Sat : 9 - 12 mile run easy

Sun : off or easy 6 miles

55 - 65 miles[/quote]

[quote]kevino wrote:

Serious question...whats the benefit of doing 3 miles then 6, vs all 9?

Double runs per day are valuable for a number of reasons:

1. Takes less out of a person. Many feel 2 5 mile runs are easier on the body than 1 ten mile run.

2. Especially for lower middle distance runners (like 800m runners), it is easier to keep the pace up.

3. Studies have shown the body adapts much better to two runs a day (or in Cam Levins' case 3 runs per day)

However, I attended a clinic & Scott Christianson (USATF instructor) talked about the body releasing hormones only after 20 minutes of running. So, if a runner went on one 60 minute run, they would get 40 minutes of these hormones. However, if a runner did two 30 minute runs, they would only get 20 minutes of hormone release. Christianson suggests the one-a-day run would be more better. Just some food for thought...

College Coach 34 wrote:

[quote]kevino wrote:

Serious question...whats the benefit of doing 3 miles then 6, vs all 9?

Double runs per day are valuable for a number of reasons:

1. Takes less out of a person. Many feel 2 5 mile runs are easier on the body than 1 ten mile run.

2. Especially for lower middle distance runners (like 800m runners), it is easier to keep the pace up.

3. Studies have shown the body adapts much better to two runs a day (or in Cam Levins' case 3 runs per day)

That is one hormone (Endothelin). I haven't seen the study but you have to becareful about drawing conclusions from any study. For example maybe 2 10 min dose every 12 hours is more effective than 1 40 min does every 23 hours. Maybe you only need 40 mins/week of the hormone to maximize growth and the excess is wasted. Maybe training 2x30 versus 1x60 results in better running efficiency at race pace so even though the heart is smaller, your times are faster. You have to be real careful when you only look at one variable. Most studies also do things like compare 2x30 5x a week to 5x60 5x a week but they don't tell you what 2x30 3x a week along with 60 2x a week would give you as results.

What are some of RunningArt2004's leg curcuits?

I think I'm going to do moderate weight training for quads/hamstrings/calf muscles about 3x per week with bodywieght/free Wieght exercises 3 other days (pushups, triceps, Chest, Abs) then a day without anything but easy running or Biking.

another question.. what would "good" mileage be? I'm thinking peak at the end of July in Mid60s.. (XC practice starts August 1st.. we start speed early too -- Yes I mean repeats in August.. everyone freak out! -- so mileage may only be 50-55 then.

Does anyone think I really need to be 70+ mpw? I know.. more miles.. faster times (normally).. but I ran 15:48 peaking at 57 for summer. (6 weeks between 50-55 in June and July)

Thanks for the help so far everyone!

Malacooch has the winning/correct answer. Run 1st, sleep 2nd. Everything else, inlcluding weights, sunbathing and skinny-skiing is a very, very distant 3rd. Run, run some more and then run again.

malacoochie wrote:

YOU're a runner. Key for you is to get stronger, so work on your core, and keep the weight off, so leave the weights alone.

Many an athletic career has been lost in the weight room. Which is all about looking buff.

You're a runner. Run your ass off. Up hill and down.

HSXCRunner wrote:

What are some of RunningArt2004's leg curcuits?

Bottom of page one and many other places on letsrun...

another question.. what would "good" mileage be? I'm thinking peak at the end of July in Mid60s.. (XC practice starts August 1st.. we start speed early too -- Yes I mean repeats in August.. everyone freak out! -- so mileage may only be 50-55 then.

everyone!

I would usually say "about ten miles per week more than the previous year". Bump up too high and you could get injured and waste a year.

Weights and mobility will help keep you injury free and give advance warning of overtraining.