When youâre a runner, you want to run. You probably donât put massive amounts of energy into swimming, biking, spinning, or strength training.
But if youâve avoided the gym, the bike, or the pool for, oh, forever, itâs time to reconsider and mix it up â all in the name of becoming a stronger, faster, fitter runner.
Hereâs how runners can include cross-training in their routine and why they should.
1. Train like an athlete
If you want to perform like an athlete, you have to train like one, which means being well-rounded.
âTraining like an athlete means doing more than just running, even if all you want to be is a runner,â says coach John Honerkamp.
âYou need to do other things that will benefit your body, whether itâs helping increase your flexibility, building your cardio, or doing resistance training. All those things combined help with your overall strength, and will keep you from getting bored.â
Cross-training will keep your body strong by working all your muscles in different ways instead of just moving in a monotonous running motion.
2. Donât wait until you have to cross train
âSo many of us only cross-train when we have to versus being preventative,â says Honerkamp.
âIf youâre injured and canât run but want to stay fit, youâll have to cross-train. But then youâre not used to it and getting into that routine can feel frustrating or daunting. If youâre already spending time in the pool or on the bike, though, youâll just do more of it and itâs not such a big deal. You already have your goggles and your bike.â
3. There are so many options
Honerkamp recommends pool running as the closest simulation to running. Other cross-training options include working on an ElliptiGo or Alter-G treadmill, swimming, the elliptical, spin classes, outdoor cycling, yoga, Pilates, boxing, or literally anything that gets you moving.
âThese are all great ways to keep your schedule varied and your body healthy,â says Honerkamp. If running is your main focus, try to make sure at least 20 percent of your weekly workouts focus on cross-training activities.
âA friend of mine likes to remind me that the heart doesnât necessarily know what itâs doing as far as cardio,â Honerkamp says. âIt doesnât know if youâre on an elliptical or swimming or dancing at a club. It just knows that youâre doing something to get that heart rate up, and all of that is considered cross-training. Your heart is a muscle and itâs working â thatâs what matters.â
4. Keep it high and low impact
Cross-training doesnât necessarily need to be low impact, nor does it need to be your âeasyâ workout for the week. So keep mixing it up.
âReplicate your running workouts on an elliptical, in the pool, or on a bike,â says Honerkamp. âYouâll still get quality work in by, say, doing a minute on and a minute off."
Be creative. Add resistance. Gamify your workout.
"Just donât feel like you have to go out and crush every workout because that will wear your body down. You can still do too much non-running hard stuff that can lead to overtraining.â
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