Marathon Training: Cross Train or Just Run

[Mike]

Well, I've finally decided to invest the next 20 weeks training for my first marathon! I was initially planning on building up to running a base of 600 minutes (60 miles) per week, but I'm a bit concerned about muscular imbalances and such. Would I be sufficently prepared if I ran 280 mpw (minutes per week in this case), did some heavy bag training (no pool ) for 180 mpw, and biked for 140 mpw (adds up to 600)? The amount of time running seems way low, but I wonder if the overall fitness I would achieve through the other activities would make up for it.

[veginator]

You'll significantly reduce your risk of injury by following a schedule involving a lot of cross-training as opposed to doing all the training as running. And, although your fitness for running wouldn't increase as much as it would if all the training were running (assuming no injuries), it will still substantially increase. There's an article on Pete Pfitzinger's Web site (http://www.pfitzinger.com) that discusses research on the benefits of cross-training for runners' endurance.

 

I don't know much about heavy bag training, but I presume that's an activity that contributes significantly to aerobic fitness, or you wouldn't be doing it.

 

My own experience with cross-training was training for a 5k in September where, due to an Achilles injury over the summer, I really did very little running until two or three weeks before the race (and even then it was probably under 20 mi/wk). Almost all my aerobic training was biking (anywhere from 50-150 miles per week), with maybe a couple of hours a week on the elliptical machines as well. The result was that I achieved a time of 23:49, which I know is hardly close to any sort of record even for someone like me in their 40s, but it was better by several minutes than I had been able to run it in the past. Although I lost about 30 pounds over the summer, I also improved greatly in aerobic conditioning despite doing relatively little running, and hence I was able to run a 5k much faster than before.

 

Well, I've finally decided to invest the next 20 weeks training for my first marathon! I was initially planning on building up to running a base of 600 minutes (60 miles) per week, but I'm a bit concerned about muscular imbalances and such. Would I be sufficently prepared if I ran 280 mpw (minutes per week in this case), did some heavy bag training (no pool ) for 180 mpw, and biked for 140 mpw (adds up to 600)? The amount of time running seems way low, but I wonder if the overall fitness I would achieve through the other activities would make up for it.

[Mike]

Thanks for the tips, Veginator (cool screen name, btw ). That site has a ton of useful info on it. I'm saving it in my Favorites.

 

I came up with a way to include that cross-training stuff in my warmups and cool downs, so I can still get the benefits of higher mileage without the imbalances that could occur from only running. Hopefully, this keeps me injury-free and physically prepared for the 26.2 mile pounding.

[slicknickns]

are you simply running for your exercise or are you doing other stuff?

 

calisthenics --- lots of 'em and some resistance training like heavy lifting (boxes, think work and cardio involved type stuff)

[Mike]

I'm really focusing on running at this point, because I want to be fully prepped for the marathon. But, I've incorporated some upper body, core and quad stuff to balance things out a bit.

 

I run 7 days per week (one long run and 6 shorter, slower recovery runs). For my warmup every day, I do one set of 25 of bicycle crunches, squats, military presses and bent-over rows, followed by a ten-minute walk to get my legs ready. I'm concerned that I might be overtraining by lifting every day, but I'm really only using enough weight to get some blood flowing throughout out my body.

[slicknickns]

Hey man whatever floats your boat.

 

I would differ in several respects however, running only 5 days a week. Either saturday or sunday being my long run and not running on monday and running tuesday through thursday for maintenance and medium distances (6-13 miles). I like one good solid day of rest before and after my long runs. A long run on sunday? no running saturday or monday, that way i'm more mentally likely to push myself on sunday.

 

I also differ in the respect that i give complete seperate attention to calisthenics. Don't do them as warm ups. Make a difficult workout out of them. Come home from an 8 miler? Do about 200 crunches, eat a banana with some nuts, rest for a while and then go head on into an hour or so of stomach exercises (with rest and sets, of course). I also like to do my push ups at the end of the day so i can focus primarily on them and get the full benefit. I also notice that it's not a big deal to do push ups after a heavy meal as it does not bother my stomach like it would for crunches/stomach work; you may be the same.

 

I've been adding some weight training (a lot of dumbbell curls and work and the bench) to my running and have had good results.

[plinerd]

Loks like you've already got great advice here, but just wanted to back up the idea of cross-training. I did NOT cross train for my (slow) marathon and I can tell you that my arms were SO SORE from being held even partially up fr that long. Granted, like I said, I was SLOOOOOOw so it took me forever, but my point is that the al-over training will benefit. Have fun!!!

[Tarz]

I don't think cross-training would do any harm - probably make a nice change from all that running.

 

I'd also try and increase your running from 280 mins per week if possible. You should be aiming to do some 20mile runs in training, and they alone will probably take 120-180 minutes alone.

 

280 mins isn't much if it's just spread out over 4 or 5 60 minute runs, you need to get some long runs in so you're prepared for the full marathon. Or even if you do a long run, that means your other runs may only be short 20-40 min runs which can be OK, but you don't want too many short runs to balance one very long run to a max of 280 mins per week. I think in time you should be looking to go beyond 280mins.

[ChamionX]

Seems like 7 days a week running is a bit much. I am currently in a marathon training program put together by a local running store. Our schedule is to run 5 days a week, with taking one day of X-training and the other day of off or optional X-training. The schedule looks like this:

 

Sunday: long run

Monday: off or XT

Tuesday: intermediate run

Wednesday: short run

Thursday: intermediate run

Friday: XT

Saturday: short run

 

The short runs are always 4-5 miles. The intermediate runs started at 6, but will go up to 10 miles after 6 weeks. Long runs started at 10 and have steadily increased. Today we did 18, next week will be 20, then we go back down and start working on some speed work & hill work for strength.

 

In all, our schedule gets to be at most about 50 miles a week, trending down a few weeks before the marathon. I am scheduled to do the Oklahoma Marathon in April.

 

Anyway, hope that helps. Good luck!

[plinerd]

How's the training going?