CROSSTRAINING OPTIONS
WHY CROSSTRAINING?
It will make you a better runner,
Help reduce injuries,
Give you options in the event you are injured,
and it can be a welcome change from pounding the pavement.
It is important that you put as much effort into your crosstraining activities as you do running to become a better runner. Don't shortchange yourself.
BICYCLING: If you are going to mix bicycling with your running, on days you bicycle do 4 miles of cycling for every mile you run. For example, if you normally run 5 miles, on the day you bicycle do 20 miles.
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: For every minute you can run, ski for two minutes. Ten miles of running is about two hours of cross-country skiing.
WEIGHT TRAINING: Do a good workout for about 30 minutes to include the following: bench press, overhead press, squats, lunges, pull downs, leg curls and individual arm curls. If you have a home gym with a stepper, mix in stepping for a change of pace. If you are going to use the stepper, try including light hand weights with your stepping.
TO GET THE FULL EFFECT OF STEPPING, DO NOT HOLD ONTO THE RAILS.
SWIMMING: Due to the resistanjce of the water, six miles of running is about the same as a 1.5 mile swim
CIRCUIT TRAINING: This can either be done at home or at the track. Many colleges have exercise stations located near the track. Do a lap, do an exercise. Mix-up the exercises: lap, sit-up, lap, push-up, lap, pull-up, etc. If you have a weight machine at home and a treadmill, run 1/4 mile, do an exercise, run 1/4 mile do a different exercise, etc.
ROWING: When done on a rowing machine, row two mile for every mile you run.
BASKET BALL: Run the court like you're doing sprints; try jumping for rebounds two or three times, pushing off as hard as you can each rebound.
INLINE SKATING: Be careful on the type and condition of the pavement; mix sprint skating with your regular skating.
JUMPING ROPE: Start out jumping about 5 minutes and work up to 20 minutes. Mix the workouts using one foot, two feet, double time and alternate feet
TENNIS, RACQUETBALL & SQUASH: Tennis can be played about twice a week: one hour sessions for singles and two hour sessions for doubles. A sixty minute session is equal to about a 6.5 mile run