Tag Archives: cross training

Cross Training Part 1

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CROSS TRAINING by Coach Stephanie

Cross training, for runners, refers to exercises that are different than running.

This could be almost any form of conditioning that gets your heart pumping at a minimum level and duration. So, if you walk instead of run, you are cross training. If you swim, you are cross training. If you do yoga, you are cross training.

The caveat here is that the activity needs to be done at a minimum heart rate level of 60% with continuous movement for at least 30 minutes or you are not replacing your running with another type of fitness training. You must have an equal or greater level of intensity to the exercise in order to replace running as your cardio-vascular training method.

SFM Half Marathon Training

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Six Weeks to Go! The San Francisco Marathon's half marathon is on July 25.

The end is getting closer! You are strong and confident at this point if you have been following the training. Let's go through a bit more clarification on the run/walk technique for training.

While this training method works just fine if you run or jog your entire workout, the concept we're following advocates that you give yourself a break in form by walking at regular intervals. This doesn't mean that you will run/walk your race (although you certainly can). This method suggests that, as you are increasing your mileage, you are allowing your body a recovery break, on a regular basis. Double protection to keep you uninjured. When you run your race, if you want to "run" the whole distance, go for it!

For example, if you started with a 2/2 (2 minutes walking, 2 minutes running) rhythm, try adding another minute to your running, making it 2/3, or dropping a minute of walking, making it 1/2. Either way is decreasing your walking and increasing the time running. See how it feels. Keep tweaking as you feel stronger and are picking up mileage uninjured. If you start feeling twinges of pain, head back to your previous comfort rhythm for a week or two and try to "up" the intensity of the running portion without changing the time increments. See how that feels. 

6 Weeks to Go! Week of June 14 - 20, 2010

Monday - REST
Tuesday - Strength and core training minimum 60 minutes
Wednesday - Track Workout for 60 minutes or 4 miles, 40 minutes hard pace/tempo plus 5 min warm-up, 10 min cool down
Thursday -  REST
Friday - 60 minutes or 6 miles hard alternating 5 minutes hard, 5 minutes steady, start and end with 5 minutes easy
Saturday - Cross Train 1 Hour or REST
Sunday - 12 miles steady pace or 120 minutes, whichever comes first (including 5 min easy warm-up) 

ALWAYS STRETCH AFTERWARD!

About the Author: Stephanie Atwood, M.A. is a writer, award winning speaker, and fitness professional. 

Coach Stephanie, a long distance running coach and personal trainer founded the WOW Team, a women's running and walking group in the Greater Bay Area. Go WOW Team - Fit Women of the World meets throughout the Bay Area, several times each week. Drop-ins are encouraged. For the schedule of workouts go to http://gowowteam.com/calendar  or visit the WOW Team Home Page at http://gowowteam.com  or search for Go WOW Team on facebook or twitter.

 The WOW Team is training for the SF Half and SF Progressive Marathon. All women are invited to join.