With a memorable Boston Marathon in the rear-view mirror it is time to look towards fall marathons. This year my girlfriend, sister, friend, and I will be participating in the Chicago Marathon. Along the way we anticipate many ups and downs during marathon training.
Last year I found a new love of running rocky and somewhat technical trails for marathon training. It turned into my slowest and most miserable road marathon to this date. A lesson learned in needing to stay focused on specificity of training in addition to enjoying your training and keeping it fresh. Despite rock scrambling and hopping rattlesnakes being a great physical activity, it didn't promote the rhythm and speed of running that is required to run quickly on asphalt over 26.2 miles. It did get me thinking however, what are the best cross-training activities to truly complement running? It seems pretty apparent that corework, cycling, swimming, and weight-training are the chosen activities for cross-training in order to assist in training for a running race. Personally, I believe in and love the addition of any of these activities to a routine. Here are a couple activities I have also found to have a complimentary role that provide a little freshness to a weekly routine. They are less commonly thought of as runner's activities but may be just as useful as that spin class or weight training.
Tennis: So what does hitting a ball over a net have in common with running? Well, like any sport you have to run to do it well! More specifically though, it is a sport that requires socialization and a partner which keeps any individual happy while also providing: core stabilization while striking the ball, lightness on your feet to be ready to change directions in anticipation of the ball being returned, quickness and fine motor control in the footwork and placement, and prolonged raises of your heartbeat.
Basketball: One thing I learned quickly when playing basketball on the playground as a full grown adult is that you can't be shy. It takes bumping, jumping, and quick cuts which provide great core and proximal hip strength. YMCA membership is cheap and so is the local playground which make an occasional basketball game within reach and a way to provide a little variety along with free plyometric training included. Grab a few buddies and give it a shot! (pun intended)
I hope these sports can make you a well rounded and healthy individual as well as runner. Always remember that running is the best training for running and that getting injured doing any of these sports can ruin your long preparations for a race. Always listen to your body and know when it is right to push on or back off. It is also important, as with running, to slowly build your participation in any new sport to reduce your risk for injury. Despite this, you never know when an injury can bite you. One thing I do know from experience is that nothing can bring you down quite like running with pain which is why I look forward to soon providing some ideas for exercises/stretches for a variety of musculoskeletal injuries that can occur with any of these activities. In the meantime, do you have any races coming up this summer or fall? Are there any injuries you're interested in discussing? E-mail me or post a comment below. I look forward to building this blog around those who benefit from the education as well as a comprehensive look at what I have learned and come to view after physical therapy school and a 20 year history of racing my bike and my feet. Thanks for visiting, have a great day, and run healthy!
Cheers,
Nick
P.S. Below is another great way to get great core and upper body strength while resting those long run beat legs of yours!
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