To Cross-Train or Not to Cross-Train
My runners often ask me whether they should incorporate cross-training into their schedules. Cross-training is perhaps one of the issues most debated among coaches and in the running magazines. My answer is -- it depends.
If your goal is to be the best runner you can, you should not cross-train. Instead, you should run as much as possible. Exercise physiologists refer to this as the principle of specificity. There is only one kind of exercise that duplicates the range of motion used when you run, and that is running. Other kinds of exercise, whether swimming, cycling, rowing, Nordic Track, or StairMaster, all use different sets of muscles and different ranges of motion. It is the reason why running hills makes you a better runner than doing leg extensions and curls on a weight machine in an effort to build your quads and hamstrings. Have you ever tried to run simulating the position you are in on a weight machine? For the same reason, there is no such thing as a junk mile. Every mile you run, no matter how slow, builds leg strength, and leg strength is often the determinative factor in racing. Thus the more you run, the better you will become.
To maximize your running ability, you have to find your limits as a runner. While a handful of us can run 60, 80, and even 100 miles per week without breaking down, most of us reach our limit 40 or 50 miles per week. And some of us can only tolerate 20 or 25 miles per week. Most veteran runners have learned the hard way, through trial and error over the years, what their limits are. More often than not we get injured when we ignore the lessons of history and begin running too many miles on too many hard days. The greatest danger in marathon training is that runners try to run according to the mileage charts they see in handbooks written by experts rather than consulting their own histories. I believe this is the reason why so many runners break down during marathon training or have great difficulty recovering after the marathon. One of the values of a coach, whether one of MCRRC's volunteer coaches or a private coach, is that a coach can monitor you during training and reduce your mileage if necessary.
If you find you cannot run a lot of miles without breaking down, you should consider cross-training as a regular part of your training schedule. Adding a session or two per week on the bike or StairMaster will help you be the best runner you can. You will be much fitter than if you do no physical activity on your non-running days. By scheduling regular cross-training workouts, you will removes the temptation to go out and run that extra mile which usually results in an injury followed by little or no running for an extended period of time. You can ensure that you will not be overtraining if you use a heart rate monitor while cross-training. And remember, even when cross-training, you should try to schedule one day off per week just to give your body some rest, particularly if you are 40 or over.
There are other reasons to cross-train. People running biathlons or triathlons have no choice because they must practice bicycling and swimming. Some folks enjoy a variety of physical activities. Others simply will not go out and run in the cold of winter and the heat of summer.
Cross-training certainly promotes overall health and fitness. For this reason exercising with weights is a good idea, especially as we age, because it helps us to maintain our bone density. Moreover, cross-training works different muscles in the legs than does running, and often works the upper body as well. Even if our running leaves something to be desired, we benefit from being fitter in general.
To get back to my initial question, should you cross-train? As I said, it depends upon your goals and what your body can tolerate.
Coach West is a licensed coach, affiliated with MCRRC, and available to coach motivated adult runners. A portion of his coaching fees for MCRRC members is returned to MCRRC. For further information about personal coaching opportunities, contact Coach West at kirtwest@comcast.net.
