I'm linking up with the Weekly Run Down, please head over to Kim and Deborah to check it out.
Now I'm fully recovered from half marathons and colds, I've decided to take a break from distance and focus on speed from until mid Jan/early Feb when I start training for my next half. As much as I love distance running, there's something really freeing about "just" running 3-4 miles that I'm really digging right now. And I'm also channeling some of the extra energy into weight lifting, and that's a nice change up as well.
Monday: no running, I needed the break since I ran on Sunday. Weights at lunch.
Tuesday: 4 treadmill miles: 1 mile warm up, 4 x 0.5 miles fast/0.25 miles recover.
Wednesday: 3 treadmill miles easy, weights at lunch.
Thursday: 4 treadmill miles: 1 mile warm up, 6 x .25 miles fast/0.25 miles recover. The funny story here is that when I first woke up I thought it was Friday and was dreading the hill workout that I had planned for that day. What a relief when my head cleared and I realized it was "only" Thursday and "just" another speed workout day.
Friday: 3 treadmill hill miles, weights at lunch. I hadn't done a tready hill run since before the half but my body snapped back to it fairly easily.
Saturday: 6 miles outside in crazy sunshine. One thing that I love about winter running is that there's no time pressure to get out the door early. It was high 20's when I woke up and I lazed around until later in the morning when the temps got into the high 30s. And oh yes since I'm just running 6 instead of 10 that makes it easier to go later as well.
Sunday: off. Yes it would be nice to get outside for another run, but I've realized that it's also nice to start Mondays with a good sweat (I've said this a billion times before on the blog, but I do not run outside on weekday mornings from Sept - March b/c it's just too dark to see where I'm going)
Weight Lifting Roundup
Lifting has been going really well lately. I'm still doing the pay for pushup thing that I talked about a last month and I've got a bit of extra upper body strength to show for it ("a bit of extra" = a long way to go but so much better than I was).
I'm not an expert in anything let alone weight lifting, but these things are true for me:
- I learned a long time ago that being a runner makes some kind of a weight lifting routine mandatory. I can get away with "all run and no lift" for a while but eventually it makes for fatigue and injury. I'll occasionally skip lifting for a week here and there but no longer than that.
- It's too stressful on my body to run and then lift. If I'm going to run and lift in the same day, first of all it has to be a shorter run (4 miles or less) and the only way to make that work is to lift first and then run, or run and then wait several hours before lifting (i.e run in the morning and lift at lunch).
- There are only so many times that you can do the same lifting routine. I'm going to list some of my all time favorites, and the reason that I don't do any of these today is that I've done them a billion times, my body knows them and just doesn't respond to them now like it did before. Yes it's a fair bet that any routine that I do will have similar exercises (squats, lunges, etc) but there's something about it being the same workout that doesn't work for me after a while no matter how much I increase the weights. I'd say after 2-3 months it's time to move on to something else.
So here are some all time favorite lifting routines from the internet and elsewhere:
- Peanut Butter Runner Total Body Dumbbell Workout. This was the workout that got me back into the game a few years ago when I'd gotten lax and bored to tears with all things lifting related.
- Jari Love Ripped to the Core DVD. Yes I'm recommending a 10+ year old DVD, used copies start at $1.49 or check your library. This was the first routine that I did many years ago that got me into lifting in the first place, and also the video that got me doing "boy" pushups. I saw changes in my body from doing it and felt that it made me a faster runner.
- PB Fingers 10 to 6 Workout. This gets my award for all time favorite workout and it changed my body for the better. If you do just one workout from this list, I really hope it will be this one.
- PB Fingers Body Weight Tabata. A set of three 8 minute routines, still my go to for a vacation workout.
- Laura Norris Quick and Effective Strength Workout for Marathon Training. I did this workout for a few months this summer, and it was great for my legs.
What are some of your favorite weight workouts? (p.s. please share the links) Runners, do you struggle to get the lifting in?
Laura Norris is great. She is a very smart runner and any routine by her is well researched!
ReplyDeleteGood luck at your Turkey Trot!
Word. I learn so much every time I read her blog.
DeleteI am one of those people who loves lifting so I have no problem making sure I fit it into my schedule. The treadmill on the other hand, I will go out in pretty crappy weather to avoid running on my treadmill!
ReplyDeleteI will have to check out some of our fave weights workouts. Looks like a really solid week of running for you. Thanks for linking up
ReplyDeleteI like weight training, too, but I'm more into body resistance strength work (for my lower body), but I love working with dumb bells for upper-body. I agree, strength work is crucial for injury-free (or at least less injury) running.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love strength training - sometimes more than running! I always feel so strong/accomplished after a lifting session.
ReplyDeleteI definitely struggle to get in strength training and want to fix that. I feel same re: winter mornings/shorter distance lingering. Congrats on a solid week!
ReplyDeletei find it hard to be consistent with strength training, but I really need it right now so that I don't have issues later. I usually do stuff that my PT has had me do or what the trainer at the gym adds to my routine. But I do like Fitness Blender workouts if I do stuff at home!
ReplyDeleteI don't do nearly as much strength training as I should! I find it so much harder to motivate myself to lift than to run, but that's something I'm always trying to work on! And as much as I love distance training, I love the beginning of a new training plan (or recovery time) when runs are nice and short (or shorter than usually anyway!)
ReplyDeleteI was into strength training before I became a runner so I always keep strength in the mix. Especially now that I'm not training for a race, strength takes precedence. I runfess I create my own circuits and Tabatas. Maybe I should share them. Haha!
ReplyDeleteYes! Please! I know I'd be reading that post and trying your workouts
DeleteMy current strength routine builds on PT exercises -- turning rehab into prehab. It is important to mix things up -- I get a variety at Orangethoery too.
ReplyDeleteI've heard such great things about OTF. The studio near my house is always booked solid, that's the only reason I haven't tried it.
DeleteGood points about strength training! I have a hard time doing it right after running too. I either have to do it on a separate day or do one in the morning and the other in the evening, like you said.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the list of workouts! I pretty much have one upper body workout routine that I use all the time and really need to spice it up a bit. I have been hitting the gym with my husband at least once a week lately and I really do like that routine.
ReplyDelete