So as I run more, and plan on longer runs and longer races I am reading that I need to start cross training.
I consider myself to be in pretty good shape...I can run pretty fast and a pretty good distance without getting out of breath, I run regularly each week, I eat good (90% of the time), etc, etc...I feel pretty confident in myself...until I try to do anything else physically.
For example...The other day we went to the Lampasas Free Flow Swimming Pool (Which is my favorite place to swim by the way! It's a spring fed COLD swimming pool that is so refreshing and uncrowded!) and I had this brilliant idea that I should swim 2 laps back and forth without stopping. I will say that this pool isn't a standard size and 2 laps was a pretty long distance, but 1/2 way in to the 1st lap my arms are BURNING and I am already breathing hard! Made me realize that I really need to 1) Start working my arms more 2) Start doing some other form of cardio exercise that works other parts of my body not just my legs.
I am not usually in to working out at home in front of the TV or going to the gym. I like being outside and breathing fresh air...but all I am reading lately is about how great this P90x program is. And how many different workouts they have, how they really push you, blah blah, but it for $120, blah blah, insert annoying promotion here ________.
Now one thing I will say is I am cheap...and I am not going to spend $120 on some workout DVD's! But I had a way around this and got them all for $15. So.....next week I will begin my cross training! Wish me luck, because 10 push ups push me to the limit and 2 laps in the pool made me sore the next day! I have a feeling these workouts are going to kick my a$$!
But if that's what I need to do to run a littler faster, and run a little farther I will do it because running is keeping me sane, it wakes me up in the morning, and makes me sleep better at night. And if I am going to attempt to race more races, and race longer distances, I might as well not only do it to the best of my ability, but I might as well give myself every advantage possible.
i have this hate/love relationship with running (i put hate first bcause i hate it more than love it right now)and i am not where i want to me with my running but i do have knowledge of running...thanks to runners world magazine which i think is the BEST magazine from all running magazines. it took me awhile to read the mag without my cheat sheet of vocabulary words, the runners world has a dictionary all of its own!! especially when it comes to cross-training. for instance....Fartlek,Tempo Run,Splits,Negative Splits,Stride...and i could go on. these words i had no idea what they meant but when i learned them i was able to follow a schedule that incorporated cross-training with running.
ReplyDeleteand RW magazine is full of schedules that will show you a routine suited for your level.
ok now for the p90x-its an awesome awesome workout. follow it and you will see improvements. the only thing is you have to have weights..i used up 8,10, 15 pound weights throughout most of the program. a group of us were able to use the school (access to the weight room) and we followed the program thru winter when it got too cold to run outside. thank goodness for it because it relaly kepy us in shape and when spring came around we were able to get out and run, instead of starting all over again with learning to run.
I think I still have P90X on my harddrive... I'll see if I can burn you a disk.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving Zumba.. I'm doing regular and zoning. I can see and FEEL the difference. My arms are definitely stronger and I've never had good upper body strength.