Cross-training

I have been talking a lot about running, which is obviously a big part of training for a marathon.  But even the most running-based training schedules recommend a day or two of cross-training per week, sometimes more. When I was training for my half marathons last spring, I would usually run every other day, alternating with cross training days (working in a rest day maybe once a week).

I have actually had a surprising number of people ask me: what, exactly, IS cross-training? Isn't marathon training just running? Cross-training, simply put, is any kind of training or working out that is not running.  So it can be as simple as walking, or as much a complete other sport, such as swimming.  But why cross-train, you may ask? There are multiple benefits: first of all, it helps to rest your muscles and give them more recovery by doing a different kind of workout for a day or two a week.  This has the added effect of reducing your tendency towards injury, since you are resting your joints and at the same time strengthening other muscle groups.  Finally, it increases your overall fitness. Your body can get "used" to the same kind of training over and over, so if you change what kind of workout you are doing more often, you are more likely to reap more benefit.  And most of all, I find that it helps with that most burdensome of demons: workout boredom.  If you get bored with your workouts, will you keep doing them over and over? Probably not.

Here are a few of the kinds of cross-training I do:

-Swimming: As you probably remember, I was a competitive swimmer from the age of 7 until 18, so swimming pretty much comes as second nature to me.  Swimming is a fantastic cardiovascular workout (four times harder than running and sixteen times harder than biking), and has the added benefit of being completely non-impact, which means that it doesn't hurt your joints at all.  It's also a full-body workout because you use both your arms and legs.  I often go to one of the free local pools once or twice a week (sometimes with friends), swimming about 2000-3000 yards or between 45 and 60 mins.  I like swimming, especially on these hot days, because it is complete quiet, and you can just get into a rhythm of long strokes in the cool water.

-Boxing: I started taking boxing classes when I was in college, and it's one of the most intense workouts I have ever experienced.  Now I want to point out, this is not cardio kickboxing (I have never done that- I'm sure it's great, though). It's the kind of boxing where you actually have wraps and gloves (I have my own!) and punching bags.  I have even sparred- that is, fought someone- and it's so intense that a minute and a half leaves you feeling like you have worked out for an hour.  It's also a great compliment to running, since it is a lot of arm strengthening.  I basically think of boxing as my ultimate workout apart from running, and it's also really fun!!

-Yoga: Cross training can also be very relaxing and low-intensity. On days when I am particularly sore from running or I am stressed out from work, I like to go to yoga class at one of my gyms.  Some people consider it to be an hour of "glorified stretching," which in a way it is, but it's fantastic stretching. I get really stiff and tight-muscled because I work out so much, so it's really helpful to unwind.  And believe it or not, it can be HARD, especially for someone who isn't that flexible to begin with (um, me).  I have broken into a sweat on more than one occasion in yoga, depending on the instructor and the poses.  I always leave feeling lighter, and taller, and less coiled up like a spring.

-Spinning: I have yet to get a road bike (hoping to save up for one soon), so in the meantime I go to spinning classes.  Spinning is fun for everyone, from "non-athletes" to hard-core triathletes who bring their own clip-on shoes.   I enjoy having an instructor to change up the kind of cycling we do- hills, sprints, etc. And one instructor even has us do arm weights on the bikes, as I mentioned in an earlier post.

-Personal training: Personal training is a luxury that can be difficult to afford, but luckily I have a pretty good rate as a government employee.  I have the ability to lift weights on my own (leftover knowledge from being a swimmer and a rower) but I never really push myself hard enough.  Having personal training every week or two reminds me that even though I am somewhat fit, I have a lot of potential to strengthen my body. I sometimes leave the workouts feeling like I can barely move, and I am sore for days afterward.  Flash and I sometimes have arguments about strength training and weights- as far as runners go, we are not like the tiny, wiry people (he is over six feet tall, as I mentioned, and I'm 5'8'', which isn't short for a woman).  He sometimes says that he thinks lifting weights puts on too much muscle for runners, and that it just adds bulk.  That can be true, but my trainer and I try to stay with lighter weights and more reps to make it so that I add just lean muscle. Strength training also can reduce your potential for injury.

-Lacrosse: Up until recently when the session ended, I was playing lacrosse once a week in an adult DC women's lacrosse league.  I played lax from elementary school through varsity in high school and then on a club team in college, so from my first days in DC last year I was looking for a way to play again (I didn't find a league until the spring).  I really liked being able to play, since I am running around (including sprinting) for an hour without really realizing it!  There are lots of other teams in the DC area such as club or pickup soccer that you could also play as a way to get in some extra running outside of the gym.

-Elliptical: When all else fails, I sometimes do the elliptical.  I feel at this point in my fitness that it doesn't really give me as much of a workout, so I usually put the cross (that is, the height) at 10 and the resistance at 10-12, and watch a movie or read a book while I'm on the machine.  Today, for example, I watched a couple of episodes of Seinfeld and an hour passed by pretty quickly.

I obviously don't do all of these in one week, but I usually do each of them at least once or twice a month in rotation.  I pretty much always cross-train a few times a week in addition to running 25+ miles, which means that on some days I double up running and cross. As I said, I really enjoy cross training, because just running all the time can get very monotonous. That's one of the reasons I might be more cut out for triathaloning in the future! For now, though, I think it really helps with my overall strength and cardiovascular fitness.