They Call it Cross Training

Joy here...So Thursday was supposed to be another double double day, with spinning class in the morning, and then a run in the afternoon.  Life got in the way of the run, so I had to settle with just the spinning class as my one and only workout on Thursday.  All of this means that after taking a week off running last week, so far I've only run once this week!  With the 30km running race that I've signed up for only about 9 weeks away I am a bit worried.  I figure that even with missed workouts and a sloppy running track record, I can still probably run the 30kms without having a heart attack and dying.  I'll just have to moderate my efforts, keep my ego in check, and run a very conservative race.  If I can finish in around 3 hours, I'll be happy.  To put it in perspective, the top 10 women runners of this race last year finished in 2:00:32 to 1:48:59.  I will be a good hour and change slower than these runners.  And you know what?  That's fine by me.  Since taking up running last year and starting this blog with Nomi, one of the most important things about sport that I've realized is being both ambitious and realistic simultaneously.  This might seem like an oxymoron, but I think that balance is key.  I set the 30km running race as my ambitious goal to get me through the winter without allowing myself to become complacent and just run another 10km, but I've had to adjust my ambitions when it comes to how that race will be run.  Now I just want to finish it.  That's it.

Unlike my half marathon training where I tried to do some tempo runs and hill repeats to build speed and strength (even just a little bit of both), this time around, I won't have the time or energy for anything like that.  I'm just working on building some nice, slow endurance.

With respect to cycling as a cross training exercise for runners, one website gives the following advice:

"Cycling exercises related muscle groups such as the quadriceps and shins, both of which don't develop as rapidly as the calf muscles and hamstrings. Cycling also strengthens the connective tissue of the knee, hip, and ankle regions, thus reducing the risk of injury."

Thursday morning torture device

Here are my ride stats from this Thursday's class:

Rode for a total of 57:24:56 with an average heart rate of 140beats/min.  

So if these Thursday morning cross training sessions can help me build muscle strength AND help prevent that niggling knee pain that plagues both me and Nomi every now and then, then those are just extra bonuses.  

But it's a 30km RUNNING race, so I better also get out there running too.

Over and out,
Joy