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From time to time, we will be running articles which either Harry and I write or which were done for us by writers in the field. They may be a bit odd (my first one's going to be about me turning Grumpy Old Man and wrecking a dinner party over the Armenian genocide in 1915--WHAT?!) It is permitted to be funny. Or scientific. Or whatever. If you've got ideas for future pieces (or future authors) please let us know. Think about it. And tell us what you think of the stuff we do print. |
CROSS-TRAINING FOR RUNNERS
by: Al Kavadlo
I hurt my foot the other day and didn’t feel up to running; even walking was causing some discomfort. I knew that it would be foolish to try to run, but I really didn’t want to blow off my training altogether. Figuring that the impact of my foot hitting the ground while walking was the main cause for the discomfort that I was feeling, I decided to do some impact-free cross training. Starting off on the elliptical trainer, I figured I would just take it from there. Once I got into it, it started feeling pretty good!
However, after fifteen minutes on the elliptical trainer, I started to lose my patience (I hate indoor cardio!), but instead of stopping my workout, I switched it up and got on a bike for fifteen minutes. My foot felt fine on the bike as well. Finally, feeling a bit frustrated that I wasn’t able to keep my heart rate as high as I wanted on the bike, I made another switch—this time to the stair stepper. Without even really planning for it, I completed a pretty serious cross training workout by the time I was done!
Cross training is a great alternative on those days when you don’t feel up to running for whatever reason. Whether it is because you had a minor injury like I did, or if it is because your joints just feel achy, or even if only for the fact that it is pouring out and you have to do your cardio indoors. Cardio machines like the elliptical trainer and exercise bike are great alternatives to running because they cause less stress to your joints and connective tissues. Additionally, constantly doing the same repetitive movements can weaken those parts of your body over extended periods of time. Cross training is also especially important for older runners, as their joints are typically already somewhat deteriorated.
Before we move on, I want it to be clear that running may actually strengthen your bones and connective tissues up to a certain point. After a while though it becomes one of those cases of too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. So don’t worry, you are encouraged to run often—just don’t forget about the other ways to get your heart rate into your “cardio zone.”
There are many different ways that you can incorporate cross training into your routine. Some people might run twice a week and do other forms of cardio twice a week. Running three days and doing other cardio on the fourth works fine too. Another way to approach it is to do more than one thing on any day. You might spend a half an hour running and then swim for a half an hour. Perhaps you want to do fifteen minutes of three or four different types of cardio all in succession. As always, you are encouraged to experiment and find what feels best for you. Mixing up different types of cardio definitely helps to keep your workout from getting monotonous. Keeping things fresh helps to keep it fun!
I hurt my foot the other day and didn’t feel up to running; even walking was causing some discomfort. I knew that it would be foolish to try to run, but I really didn’t want to blow off my training altogether. Figuring that the impact of my foot hitting the ground while walking was the main cause for the discomfort that I was feeling, I decided to do some impact-free cross training. Starting off on the elliptical trainer, I figured I would just take it from there. Once I got into it, it started feeling pretty good!
However, after fifteen minutes on the elliptical trainer, I started to lose my patience (I hate indoor cardio!), but instead of stopping my workout, I switched it up and got on a bike for fifteen minutes. My foot felt fine on the bike as well. Finally, feeling a bit frustrated that I wasn’t able to keep my heart rate as high as I wanted on the bike, I made another switch—this time to the stair stepper. Without even really planning for it, I completed a pretty serious cross training workout by the time I was done!
Cross training is a great alternative on those days when you don’t feel up to running for whatever reason. Whether it is because you had a minor injury like I did, or if it is because your joints just feel achy, or even if only for the fact that it is pouring out and you have to do your cardio indoors. Cardio machines like the elliptical trainer and exercise bike are great alternatives to running because they cause less stress to your joints and connective tissues. Additionally, constantly doing the same repetitive movements can weaken those parts of your body over extended periods of time. Cross training is also especially important for older runners, as their joints are typically already somewhat deteriorated.
Before we move on, I want it to be clear that running may actually strengthen your bones and connective tissues up to a certain point. After a while though it becomes one of those cases of too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. So don’t worry, you are encouraged to run often—just don’t forget about the other ways to get your heart rate into your “cardio zone.”
There are many different ways that you can incorporate cross training into your routine. Some people might run twice a week and do other forms of cardio twice a week. Running three days and doing other cardio on the fourth works fine too. Another way to approach it is to do more than one thing on any day. You might spend a half an hour running and then swim for a half an hour. Perhaps you want to do fifteen minutes of three or four different types of cardio all in succession. As always, you are encouraged to experiment and find what feels best for you. Mixing up different types of cardio definitely helps to keep your workout from getting monotonous. Keeping things fresh helps to keep it fun!
- 01-15-2007 - 02:59pm
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