The Effects of Extra Weight

Last cross country season, I gained weight from the kind of that kind of strength training (probably about 7 or 8 lbs) and I found that it didn't help me at all. I just felt heavier each day as I was running. I think strength training can be beneficial, but it can also be detrimental due to the soreness and weight gain that can accompany it. That's really a personal call on strength training as to whether you believe it helps or not. All I can say is that weight gain does not help at all. The fact that you gained 17 lbs no matter how you gained it will be detrimental come this fall as you try to compete at 8k with guys who average 30 lbs less than you.

Try to get down to 130 and 5'10"

7-9 reps isnt strength training. That's size training. 1-3 reps is strength training.

Back in the day I would be at about 160lbs at the end of track season. I would spend the summer increasing strength in the weightrooom both for performance and for the ladies at the beach. Between the weight training and a bit of a slowdown on running intensity I would usually get close to 170 foto 175 before I got back to school and more intense running. My goal was to increase my strengh as much as possible in the summer and then try to maintain that level through CC and track season while the weight came off (back to 165 pretty quickly).

By my senior year I was a 1:49 800, 4:03 miler and could bench 230. Not quite Joe Falcon, but not too bad. I think the strength is very beneficial in holding form, but you don't need the extra weight--especially as a cross country runner. You will have the rest of your life to look in the mirror at your ripped body, but only 4 years to run in college.

The guy's not a 800m runner. Anyone who tells the OP that bulking up in the summer is going to help him in the fall is blowing sunshine up his a$$. You either want to be a good distance runner or you wanna 'look good for the ladies'. Choose.

What is it about "You will have the rest of your life to look in the mirror at your ripped body, but only 4 years to run in college." did you not agree with. Dickhead.

Wow, I literally just started a very similar thread 5 minutes ago.

Mine has to do with my extra poundage actually helping me out during training, not holding me back.