After 8 years of track and cross country I felt burned out and decided to take a year off hard running to lift weights. Think Ryan Hall but only temporarily. I've been lifting weights 5 days a week, running 4 miles 3-4 days a week, with an 8-10 miler on most weekends.
In 7 weeks of doing this I've packed on 22 pounds, most of it muscle (beginner's gains). Some fat too. It's becoming increasingly difficult to move my newly muscled legs efficiently and without any joint pain. I'm worried that when I try to return to competitive running next year (I already miss it..) that I'll somehow have screwed up my running permanently.
To make the transition back to running as smooth as possible down the line... should I skip leg day or go for it? I'm thinking that if I add a bunch of muscle to my legs it'll be harder and riskier to get back into running. And how long will it take to lose all the muscle again? Thoughts?