REAL Mini Marathon Training
Marathon training
Today, I'm pissed off.
How can I be pissed, you ask? I'm two days out from vacation. I shouldn't have a care in the world!
Today, all I wanted to do was write my Random Friday blog post, as I had about 8-10 great points to throw in there.
But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Today, I'm going to talk about how silly some people make strength training out to be for endurance athletes.
It all started yesterday, as I was reading a piece in the Indy Star about how people train to prep for the Indy Mini marathon. As I was reading the piece, I came across this photo:
DB Upright Row on a Physioball (sorry I can't put it in here directly)
Pretty silly, isn't it?
But now, that's how 1/2 the people who run the Indy mini-marathon feel they need to lift weights! 'Cause after all, if it's in the newspaper, it must be right!
At IFAST, we typically have at least a 1/2 dozen people every year who run the Indy mini. I could tell you about Rich, who does step-ups with a 40# X-vest on for 2 series of 20 minutes to help build his aerobic and endurance capacity. The guy leaves our gym in a puddle of sweat after every workout, and I know he's going to have a great time this year.
I could tell you about Brian, who 8 months ago came to me after being in pain for 8 YEARS. He couldn't so much as run around the block without hip pain, let alone run 13.1 miles. After several months of dedicated and specific strength training, he's more stable and running anywhere from 25-30 miles a week to prepare.
Or I could tell you about Josh, who has lost 30+ pounds the last year by performing metabolic strength training twice per week, running, and cleaning up his diet.
But this doesn't look cool. This doesn't make for a sexy story. Someone doing a ridiculous exercise on a Bosu ball, that's what makes the print.
I'm sorry guys, but it pisses me off. When you train real people and get real results, you start to see through the smoke and mirrors.
Hopefully some day, people will realize that strength training should actually be used to develop strength. After working with more than a handful of endurance athletes over the past 10 years, I can tell you with the utmost conviction that many of them need it.
They may not need 1-RM's and maximal effort work, but some intelligent strength training can go a long way to helping endurance athletes not only perform better, but stay healthy and injury-free as well.
I hope some day, the mass media will catch on to this fact.
Stay strong
MR
Comments on This Entry
Posted by Narina Prokosch at 07:33AM on April 09, 2010
I agree 100% It still blows me away the ridiculous stuff you see and what you see some "trainers" doing with their clients. I once had a female client tell me she wanted to practice her golf swing while standing on a stability ball because she saw it on a golf web site. I asked her if she was going to be taking a SB to the golf course with her. It was all I could do not to laugh, but educating the client is part of our role. Still never ceases to amaze me though.
Posted by Glenn Harris at 07:34AM on April 09, 2010
Mike,
Great post and so true. I drives me nuts too when I see someone attempting one of those "newspaper exercises" while having no understanding why they are doing it...or better yet no understanding why they SHOULDN'T be doing it. Keep up the great work and have a great vacation!
GH
Posted by Filip at 07:46AM on April 09, 2010
Great article, reminds me of PE class that still adheres to old, and training methodology that has now been proven to be faulty and the thing is that the kids thinks that what they are getting is a top quality education and a great understanding of how training works. Well they aren't getting it.
Posted by Roland at 08:35AM on April 09, 2010
Mike, I believe that most of these journalists get invited to come see these facilities, trainers, and trainees. I'm not sure they believe the bosu ball upright row is any better (or sexier) than a prowler, they just never see the prowler stuff. Invite them.
If it's too late for the Indy Mini, then start a dialogue and suggest that the come in to interview some of your runners for another event or who've completed the race. You'll need a hook, as you can see in the Indy Star article, one runner is blind and runs with his wife, another is losing weight, and the third is diabetic with an insulin pump.
A prowler DOES look cool, by the way. As does a kettlebell snatch or a medicine ball snatch. Send some pictures of coolness along with your letter or email and start the change!
Have a great vacation!
Roland
Posted by Jess Campbell at 08:03PM on April 09, 2010
LOL... this stuff drives me nuts...but not quite so much as infomercials for the cardio twister ;-)
Enjoy your vacation Mike :-)
Jess
Posted by Frances at 02:20AM on April 10, 2010
Nothing beats being pain free!
Great article Mike,
Frances
Posted by Howard at 02:17PM on April 10, 2010
I feel your pain.
Enjoy your vacation mate - hope you are able to forget about such things while away!