Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Jason Fitzgerald, a USA Track & Field certified coach.
Hey Skinny, looks like it’s time for some push-ups!
So, you live on pasta and bagels right?
Running isn’t a real sport!
After more than 14 years of running experience – in high school, college, and ever since – I’ve heard every insult and misconception that exists about the sport of distance running. Some are true (yes, our shorts are short), but most are false.
Running has a bad reputation that seems to be exaggerated by some fitness circles that don’t understand the right way to train for road races like the 5k, 10k, or even the marathon. Indeed, running is a one-dimensional form of exercise that has the potential to create specific weaknesses or imbalances.
Flash back about 40 years and you’ll see that runners ran a lot of miles at a slower pace – and did little else in the general fitness and strength departments. The conventional wisdom insists that marathoners are doing the same today.
If we look even further back in history – back to the 1950s when Roger Bannister became the first man in history to run a sub-4:00 mile – training looked wildly different. Instead of high mileage and sparse speed workouts, runners favored low mileage and high intensity. Track intervals were so common that they comprised almost every training session! This training style resembled the popular HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) or Tabata workouts of today.
As our understanding of training theory, physiology, and exercise science has matured over the decades, the training of today now takes a more balanced approach than both the 1950s and 1970s. And in turn, modern runners are more well-rounded and athletic than their predecessors. The dramatic improvement in world records as varied as the mile and the marathon is a testament to today’s state-of-the-art training.
Runners don’t just jog slow miles and eat platefuls of spaghetti. Nor do we shy away from lifting weights, sprinting, and working on coordination. In fact, these are skills necessary to successful distance running. These skills allowed me to (somewhat surprisingly) win the 2012 Maryland Warrior Dash, beating nearly 17,000 other CrossFitters, Parkour athletes, and runners.
Today I’ll dispel the popular misconceptions about runners, running, and the sport’s effect on your health. By the end of this article I hope you’ll be lacing up your running shoes and pulling on your short shorts (well, one step at a time).
MYTH #1: Running Decreases Muscle Mass
This myth is actually partly true – but for the majority of men there’s no need to worry. If you’re particularly bulky and don’t practice any aerobic exercises like swimming, cycling, or even hiking, then starting to run can slim you down.
However, running doesn’t “eat muscle” or break it down as fuel. To get to that level of catabolic activity, you’ll need to combine a diet almost entirely void of protein with a high mileage, high intensity running schedule. Like any extreme form of exercise, that combination will certainly reduce your overall muscle mass.
A more realistic running program – say an introductory marathon training plan – will instead just prevent additional muscle gain. Your weight will stay about the same and muscle mass can easily be maintained by most men who are doing complementary strength workouts.
The elephant in the room, of course, is the image of an elite distance runner who weighs 120 pounds when he’s soaking wet. With thin legs and even thinner arms, how can I say that their running doesn’t make them so scrawny? Simple: running doesn’t make them look that way, their genetics do. Elite runners are often natural ectomorphs with a slight build, an incredibly low body fat percentage, and a tendency of staying skinny. This body type is one of the pieces that make them so damn fast.
Ultimately, running will only reduce your muscle size if you stop lifting and start running significant mileage. Most men will find it rather easy to train for a road race without sacrificing their biceps. Plus, running is only going to help define those washboard abs.
Myth #2: Running Requires No Skill
Just put one foot in front of the other, right? Wrong.
Running is a skill-sport. There’s no question about it. Training consistently over weeks and months without injury takes coordination, strength, and athleticism. Indeed, this study shows that running economy (i.e., efficiency – or skill) improves as beginner runners naturally refine their gait.
When you consider that running is actually a highly coordinated series of one-legged hops, the importance of learning the proper way to run is underscored. Without a basic understanding of good running form, you’ll not only be slower but your risk of an injury caused by overuse will skyrocket.
So what are the fundamental aspects of running form that will help you be a more skilled runner? Stick to the basics:
- Increase your cadence to roughly 170-180 steps per minute.
- Land with your foot underneath your body, as opposed to “reaching” out with your foot and over-striding (this strategy will also reduce heel-striking).
- Keep your back tall with a slight forward lean from the ankles. No slouching or leaning from the waist!
- Try to land on your midfoot, though a slight heel strike isn’t necessarily bad.
- Keep your arms at roughly a 90-degree angle (though this will vary) and don’t swing them across your chest.
Those are the basics. Of course, there are some additional improvements that you can make, but most runners don’t need to get lost in the weeds of excessively tweaking their running form.
In fact, research has shown that consciously trying to change your running form can decrease your running economy – or in other words, when you try to alter your form, you become less efficient.
A better way to improve your form is to follow the first two bullets above and just run consistently. Your body will naturally develop the skills necessary to become a more efficient runner.
Myth #3: Runners Are Weak
Well, runners who only run are certainly weak! Just like weight lifters who only spend time at the gym aren’t very fast.
But a well-rounded training plan will include a lot more than just running. Most plans will involve warm-up drills, strength exercises, dynamic stretches, mobility exercises, and preventive exercises if you’re predisposed to injures.
Runners who avoid the weight room and skip their core work are bound to get injured. You can’t let your engine outpace your chassis. This analogy refers to your metabolic or aerobic fitness (endurance) vs. your structural fitness (bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles). You don’t want a Lamborghini engine in the frame of a Geo Prizm. That engine is going to tear the car apart.
Learning how to build a strong body is something that’s critical for runners. A great example is that of elite runners: some spend more time doing strength exercises and preventative work than they actually do running! Most of us aren’t elite athletes and can’t spend 2-3 hours working out every day, so instead there’s a solution for the rest of us.
Before you run, do a thorough dynamic warm-up. Most only take 5-10 minutes and are critical to increasing blood flow and range of motion, developing your coordination, and helping you gain flexibility.
After your running workout, spend about 10-15 minutes doing a comprehensive core workout (that targets the obliques, lower back, glutes, and upper hamstrings) or hip strength routine. Weak hips have been implicated in numerous overuse injuries – especially runner’s knee – so this is particularly important for distance runners.
Here are a few other ways to maintain a strong chassis:
- Core exercises work well, but remember to do some exercises while standing up to mimic the specific demands of running.
- Don’t ignore your legs in the gym – 1-2 weekly sessions including squats, dead lifts, lunges, and step-ups can do wonders to keep you healthy. You can lift on any running day, but make sure you have one easy day per week for recovery where you run short and easy or take off completely.
- Skipping a day of core or strength exercises isn’t a big deal. But remember: it’s more important what you do most of the time than what you do once in a while.
Core work, gym sessions, and body weight exercises should be a consistent part of your training to ensure you stay strong and athletic. If you’re a runner who’s more likely to get hurt, 5-10 extra minutes of strength work will go a long way in keeping you healthy, consistent, and ultimately, faster.
Myth #4: Running Increases Inflammation and Chronic Stress
Many athletes, particularly in the CrossFit or paleo circles, claim that distance running can increase “systemic inflammation” that compromises your immune system and promotes oxidative damage.
But even competitive marathon training with high mileage and grueling workouts won’t push you to that level unless you dramatically over-train. Keep in mind that effective training should increase inflammation to promote the adaptation response. Without it, you wouldn’t get faster, gain more endurance, or build strength.
The key is to balance hard training with recovery. Mark Sisson at Mark’s Daily Apple has a great overview of the relationship between exercise and inflammation where he argues that chronic inflammation and stress is actually the result of over-training as a whole, and not just running. You can over-train in a myriad of ways: too much fast mileage, too many reps in the weight room, or getting overzealous with CrossFit AMRAP workouts.
Over-training (however you do it) leads to too much oxidative stress, which is the result of your body’s production of free radicals. But this field of study is very new and unclear. Consider that:
- Hard running will increase free radical production, but that signals our bodies to produce more antioxidants! See this study and this study.
- Oxidative stress is not clearly linked to aging or cell damage.
- Exercise protectsyou from the oxidative damage of pollution.
So it’s much more complicated than simply “running causes inflammation and chronic stress.” Any exercise will (and should) but as long as it’s well planned, you’ll thrive.
And let’s be clear: some running – like racing a marathon – can be overly stressful. But these events are rare and recovery is the top goal as soon as they’re complete. So go run your marathon. As long as you’re adequately trained, properly tapered, and recovered post-race then you needn’t worry about inflammation.
Myth #5: Running Doesn’t Promote Fat Loss
Indeed, many folks think running just increases your desire for sugar and carb-heavy snacks without burning any fat. Let’s look at the training of distance runners to see if that’s true.
Arguably the most important workout for half-marathoners and marathoners is the long run, which helps increase endurance. One of the main goals of a long run is to train the body to rely more on fat as fuel instead of glycogen (the sugar stored in muscles). Indeed, fat utilization becomes more efficient as you run longer and as your carb stores start to dwindle. A more advanced long run includes a “fast finish” where the last several miles are run at an increasingly faster pace. This type of long run teaches your body to burn fat more efficiently (i.e., easily) rather than rely on carbs alone.
There are also several studies that point to aerobic exercises, like running, as the most efficient way to burn fat. Read this study that shows aerobic exercise burns more visceral fat (around your organs – the dangerous kind) and liver fat than resistance training.
Running is also better than strength sessions for weight loss according to this study. I’m not claiming you need to pick between the two – both should be key parts of your overall training program. And of course, a healthy, balanced diet is critical if fat loss is your goal. Running can help you get to your ideal weight, but it doesn’t give you a hall pass for eating half a dozen bagels a day!
The current research and my 14 years as a competitive runner and coach show that running is one of the best forms of exercise available to build fitness. No exercise is a miracle for weight loss, nor should any type of exercise be the only form you practice, but running has an important place in any fitness program.
If you’re taking up running or have been a runner for years, stick to a well-rounded training program that embraces variety, plenty of strength exercises, and a holistic approach to distance running.
And the next time you hear someone say, “Oh, runners only know how to run,” you’ll know better.
__________
Jason Fitzgerald is a 2:39 marathoner and USA Track & Field certified coach. Get the latest training tips at Strength Running – or sign up for a free email series on injury prevention and running performance.
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{ 54 comments… read them below or add one }
i was a sprinter in high school and my coach always preached that running distance would slow down my sprint speed. the idea was that the muscles would become accustom to the slower pace and would develop for distance. does this have any merit?
I’ve heard from some people that trail running is better for your joints because humans aren’t really supposed to be running on a surface as hard as concrete. Is that true? If you log a lot of mileage on concrete, are there repercussions for your joints? Or is that rectified by proper running technique?
@nick
It does have merit. I’m no personal trainer but I do have a few years of running under my belt — both sprinting and long distance.
From what I can tell you, you are correct, saying that going long distances would reduce your sprint speed over time because your muscles will, as you said, develop for distance, with lower intensity. Thus your muscles would no longer need the explosive power required for sprinting. So once you go back to sprinting after running long distance, your muscles can’t ‘explode’ as well as before.
That’s the logic I came to.
Regards,
B.E.
I ran the 200 & 400 in high school and am a fairly athletic individual but I hate running. I trained for a half marathon and at no point did I feel any different in regards to stamina. Within 30 seconds I am huffing and puffing. People who run frequently think that I’m crazy and that I just need to “break through” to that runner’s high. Any tips on getting to that point where I feel like actually going for a run? Also, anybody have tips for combating shin splints?
@Nick:
I’m also a sprinter and have several years of sprinting experience. Your coach had the right idea; as a sprinter (particularly a 60m/100m/maybe even 200m) you won’t want to do a lot of distance running. This is because sprinting and distance running builds two different kinds of muscle; sprinting works on your fast-twitch muscle, which is accustomed to more powerful, explosive actions at the cost of more energy, and distance running builds slow-twitch muscle which doesn’t expend nearly as much energy and allows you to perform an action for much longer, such as running laps. That’s also part of the reason why sprinters look so much more fit and muscular than a marathon runner; they have much more fast-twitch muscle fibers.
Ever heard of CrossFit Endurance? Probably the best protocol out there for LSD right now. It brought me from a roughly 4 hour to just above a 3 hour marathon. His book just came out, worth a read, Power, Speed, Endurance.
Reminds me of my favorite XC t-shirt:
Our sport is your sport’s punishment.
nick:
It has some merit, as your fast twitch muscles (good for sprinting) become slow twitch (good for distance).
I trained as a medium distance runner (though not very good — 20 min 5k was my best) and our coach incorporated sprinting into our training routine. I don’t really know if the inverse is true (long distance is good for sprinters), but I’m sure that distance would be beneficial.
@nick: Kind of, but not really. Type I, or “slow twitch”, muscle fibers are the type recruited in lengthy bouts of endurance. Like, say, hundreds of bodyweight squats, a bunch of push-ups, or an extended run. Type II (and more specifically, IIA) muscle fibers are the “fast twitch” muscle fibers used in shorter bursts of activity, like heavy weightlifting or sprints. These fibers, in males, have the potential to grow to greater size than Type I fibers, which is why sprinters (think Michael Johnson or Usain Bolt) are generally more “built” and muscular than your average Boston marathon winner.
So if you train distance and completely stop lifting or sprinting, you will lose the “edge” in the Type II fibers that your sprint training developed. However, like the writer kind of said, it won’t happen overnight. And distance training is definitely not a bad thing for sprinters, though it is completely unnecessary.
I found the article to be heavily biased, but there was some good info. It can just be confusing to the layman to read these points without all the “buts” that the author should have included.
For two years I was into running ultramarathons. Lots of 50k’s and 50 milers, but never got around to anything longer. I trained myself, by myself, while in undergrad at university. I had no problem keeping muscle mass. Ran Tuesday and Thursday (sprints, stadiums, and whatever mileage needed). Long run on Saturday (usually on trails). Between those days, I hit up the gym for strength training and plyo. Ate healthy and made sure I was getting the protein and fuel needed. Simple. Worked well for me.
I used running (started with the couch to 5k plan) and diet to lose 58 pounds in a year. Took me off cholesterol and blood pressure medicine and I felt great doing it. The early morning run is so peaceful and quiet, it gives me a bit of a high in the AM and time to think about anything I feel like thinking about.
Nick,
It could, but very likely it wouldn’t.
As you start to reach your genetic potential in one form of performance, i.e. aerobic conditioning in the case of distance running, it comes at the detriment of other attributes. This is why someone like Usian Bolt couldn’t come close to competing with top distance runners and vice versa.
However, this is really only an issue once you are a very highly trained athlete. For most people, you are likely so far away from this level that you could improve across the board without sacrificing anything.
It has nothing to do with muscle becoming accustomed to moving at a slower pace. Boxers do distance running to improve aerobic endurance and they are quick as hell.
@Gene,
There are definitely some advantages to running on the trail. I’ve only been running a couple months as a supplement to my other training, but some of my coworkers who are experienced runners have told me that running on the road is harder on one’s body. They/we do use minimalist shoes that offer very little cushion from hard concrete. A cushioned road running would probably help protect your joints from the jarring impact of running on the road. These types of shoes do, however, promote a less natural way of running, and I always try to exercise in a way that has my body moving as naturally as possible. Running on the trail forces your body to deal with constantly varying terrain which many claim to better strengthen your legs and stabilize your joints. I think of this simlilarly to the way that strength training with freeweights or bodyweight is better than using machines. Most importantly ,though, trail running is way more fun.
I have heard a myth that distance runners shorten their life span by up to 5 years, and that the health benefits you receive actually decline if you run more than 3 miles per day. Is there any validity to those statements?
@Nick – In general, sprinters should avoid distance running because it will fatigue them to the point where their sprinting ability will be compromised. They’re very different disciplines and can be mutually exclusive depending on your level.
@Gene – If your form is bad, then definitely. Concrete will increase impact forces, though your body naturally compensates to a certain degree. If you’re training for a road race, I’d balance asphalt running with trails/softer surfaces and only run on concrete if you have to.
Good questions guys!
@Shane – I wrote about shin splints here, you might be interested: http://strengthrunning.com/2010/07/how-to-get-rid-of-shinsplints/
@Harlan – I’d be cautious about CrossFit Endurance. It’s a long discussion, but this article by Steve Magness (MS Exercise Science, previous elite running coach along Alberto Salazar at the Nike Oregon Project) provides a lot of info: http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2012/01/crossfit-endurance-tabata-sprints-and.html
as a collegiate strength and conditioning coach with the USA Track and field certification I am going to tell you #1 and #3 are wrong, long slow distance running does make you small and weak. You can argue it takes alot of ‘mental toughness’ to run for 15 miles and thats great if you think so but they will still get their ass kicked by people that don’t run and lift or those that run sprints. Also a lot of long slow distance running does make you slow, it’s motor learning. train slow get slow, train fast get fast. Aerobic training signals protein synthesis to slow down and limit muscle hypertrophy as muscle growth doesnt enhance locomotion for extended durations.
I would also argue #2 and #4 are faulty. long slow distance running requires minimal skill, sprinting takes more focus and technique due to the demands of the higher intensity. And quite frankly based on what I’ve read oxidative stress on the heart is not the greatest thing and even if it is the repetitive stress of loading on the joints of the lower body is far from ideal even if you are lucky enough to be one of the few people with the body type for long slow distance running.
@ Shane
It took me considerable time to build up my stamina to a half marathon. I started running about 6 years ago, and frain my first half marathon this past summer. I may have been able to run it sooner, but I did not have the time to devote to running 5x per week, with one of those taking 1-2 hours.
I would suggest starting small, making a more realistic goal of a 5K, then a 10K. Once you can complete them, do some speed work to improve your times. This will increase your endurance.
Man is not a running animal. Bipeds are not designed to be distance runners. Ask any bird. Well, except the ostrich.
Running is not a real man’s sport….sorry. Running is a form of cardio, which makes it harder to maintain muscle (let alone gain new muscle)
Eat some protein, bulk, and lift
This was beautiful!! I am a (female) runner who stopped running for 6 months after college – and I put on a pair of shorts yesterday that used to fit me snugly and they are too big! I’ve lost muscle mass because I stopped running and training. (and i’m a skinny girl – I liked my legs with a bit of muscle! And I liked running an 800m in 2:14 with said legs) Back to the drawing board!
Fortunately, I had a coach who knew about good form, good strength/endurance training and a good diet, so I know what to do. I don’t see much of right kind of information out in the running world though. Thanks so much for this article! Extremely well done. And congrats on winning the Warrior Dash – that’s on my bucket list of someday dreams!
Tom and Perry, I can’t resist: read Born to Run and the above article…
Great article. I just started running about a month ago. Finding the right gait and cadence for me has been challenging as I haven’t really ran at all in the last 10 years or so. I’m really enjoying it so far. The trick for me is getting past the first mile. After that, miles 2-5 are a piece of cake.
-lf
@ JD
Where do you coach at? I’m a senior NCAA division I Distance Runner with a 4:10 PR in the mile, and 14:40 in the 5k. I run 85-90 miles a week with 3 workouts and 15-18 mile long run. As a collegiate athlete I would argue that distance running is a skill sport and a manly sport, those of us who run competitively devote 25-30 hours a week including lifting sessions. I guarantee you there is a fair amount of intensity in running a workout that consists of 5 x 1 mile repeats at 4:40 pace.
I live with 7 other runners: one which has been accepted to med school, 3 future engineers, and I have been accepted to a top 30 law school. All with similar or better PR’s than me. While we may not be muscleheads such as yourself, I assure you our sport pays off in the determination and discipline we have learned over many years of running hundreds of miles in the rain, snow, and heat while you’re in your comfortable, temperature controlled gym.
Oh and the other favorite past time in our house is boxing, have a nice day.
Jason,
Great article and congrats on your win in 2012.
I went for my first run the other day in awhile, been sore ever since. I found the first myth – “Running decreses Muscle Mass” interesting. I have heard this myth a lot at the gym and from trainers, but I’ve always beleived it doesn’t apply me (a normal guy). It is the opposite comment I’ve heard more than once from female friends – “I don’t want to work out because I don’t want to get to muscular.”
In the end I think just doing things is the right way to go. Not everyone has to be an elite athlete or body builder.
@Tom
Actually, distance running is just about the only thing our species is really capable of (physically, at least).
http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2012/06/long_distance_running_and_evolution_why_humans_can_outrun_horses_but_can_t_jump_higher_than_cats_.html
Just wanted to put in my two cents on number one because I haven’t seen it mentioned yet.
The reason that I’ve heard for people to believe that runners become small and weak (which, let’s be honest, they do) is because running is very damaging to muscle tissue itself. I can’t cite the source where I first heard this, but the idea is that long distance runners actually need MORE protein than would a bodybuilder, because they need so much muscle repair after each training session. Anecdotal evidence for this would be that most runners I know are chronically injured with strains and tears (even those with presumably good form), while my bodybuilding friends with good form are very rarely injured. In the article itself the author talks as if injury is inevitable and we can only hope to minimize its recurrence. Athletes in lower-impact disciplines like swimming do not think this way. So the point about whether they’re “eating up” muscle through high calorie burn is less of a factor than the issue of them losing muscle to trauma and strain.
If anyone else has heard this or can address it, please do.
I get a laugh looking back now on all those football types that knocked my running. While I’ve remained slim and fit (haven’t gained a pound since high school, although I did run in college as well), the majority of them are all fat, unhealthy, and just as stupid. I’ll get the final laugh when they’re struggling with the multitude of diseases that come with the obesity at age 50 and I’m still fit and happy running road races every weekend.
@JD
You’re assuming that a runner’s entire program is “long slow distance.” Any good program is not (and you should have learned in the USATF Coaching curriculum), as Tyler eloquently outlined. Rest assured, runners do not train slow, even if some of their runs are easy.
I have to ad my agreement with what seems like a general consensus that this article is not accurate and long-distance running is not something I would want to do if I wanted to be fit and healthy. I hope people aren’t reading this and making a decision to take up something which is widely regarded (however debatably) as bad for you.
…however, running is a proven indiscriminate weight loss mechanism.
i can’t resist replying to the ol’ “bla bla weak runners get their ass kicked by weightlifters” claptrap. it’s a silly statement. anybody who knows, knows fighting is more technique and toughness than raw strength anyway.
Funny story: I used to lift a lot of weights. I was never national competition power-lifter good but I could lift a lot. The worst ass kicking I ever got was by a dude that couldn’t have weighed more than 150 lbs. Sure, if I hit him he woulda been rendered mildly retarded but he landed about 5 punches for every one I threw (and missed).
As for running distance making you scrawny and totally weak, I started doing it a few years back. now I can crank out 10-15 miles somewhat regularly at a 8 to 8.5 pace. it feels really good. It leaned me out a bit but I still weigh over 200 lbs and can do 1.5 to 2x my body weight on any lift that matters.
but hey, that’s only my personal experience, fwiw.
@ Perry
As a 5’8 145 pound distance runner that does CrossFit, I challenge you to try to keep up.I’m not huge but I am by no means a twig and I laugh when you say running is not a real man’s sport,
I bet I get more ladies asking me to help with running form than you get asking for help bulking up. Just saying.
I am a naturally an endomorph. Decent build, but not big or small on either level. i try to work through Couch to 5K 3 days a week when not doing a lifting routine. Its mainly become run HIIT intervals with a long distance (to me at least) run every other week.
Plain and simple, distance (3000 meters and up) runners should not have much muscle. Of course muscle is very important in the sense that if your arms aren’t swinging and pumping, your knees won’t efficiently be getting high enough for a proper stride length. This is a reason sprinters need to train their upper body much much more. Their strides are longer and more explosive. BUTTTTT for distance runners excess muscle is quite bad. In a long grueling race, you can not afford to be pumping blood to bulky muscle that is not critical to keeping a proper stride length. This is why you will rarely see an exceptional, bulky, distance runner. So to train your upper body, the muscle that is needed is not oxygen rich “red” muscle that needs constant blood supply, but “white” muscle than can function with very little oxygen. To develop this muscle this is what I do. http://www.ehs1.org/podium/default.aspx?t=204&tn=December+16%2C+2010&nid=560042&ptid=130297&sdb=False&pf=pgt&mode=0&vcm=True. The arm lifts drain blood from your muscle, and creates an anaerobic enviroment, training the muscle correctly.
Fantastic article! I’m a 5K runner and a swimmer, and I’ve found that my two sports balance each other out perfectly. Swimming works all the muscles that aren’t used in running while also increasing my cardiovascular endurance (by making me more oxygen efficient!) while running gives me monster endurance abilities for the longer swim races like the 500 free and the 200 IM, and as a bonus lets me push off the wall harder than everybody else.
I generally agree with the article having been a runner since junior high, through the military, and now into my 40s. My shorts though, sir, are long enough that the neighbors don’t have to avert their eyes when talking to me. One thing I’ve learned over the years though: if you ask 50 people their opinion on any aspect of running, you’re going to get 50 different answers.
One trick I use in a 5k race to keep myself from going out too hard is that I force myself to run the first half mile slow enough to breathe through my nose only.
@ Shane: Try going for a run and leaving your watch at home. Don’t try to hit a pace or a distance, just go as far and as hard as you feel like going. Run with a friend. Enjoy the scenery. Plan your run to end somewhere in town and reward yourself with a slice of pizza and a brew (if you’re legal) when you’re done. Just like training for any sport, you’re going to have good and bad days, so don’t let the bad ones ruin your outlook.
I think I’d follow the following advice over this article -
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/conditioning_is_a_sham
Elite statuses aside, in which case go for it because you’re aiming for a #1, there’s not a huge amount of carry-over value in being able to jog for what is realistically a nominal amount of miles all things considered when compared to a serious lifting routine.
And myth #1: Running is good for you!
Truth be told, distance running is the most inefficient workout a person can get. It does not promote a good-looking physique, it hardly helps develop any useful skill, it’s boring and time-consuming.
If you want to get in real shape, do some sprints.
Thanks for the post. Despite all of the “expert” commentators the majority of us enjoyed the information.
In my spare time I box — classic. Awesome rebuttal.
Almost everyone who is taking one side or the other is implying that they are elite athletes. I’m sure everyone agrees that you need muscle mass if you want to run fast like a sprinter but how much muscle and to achieve what times in 50, 100 or 200 mtrs? Many of us would be happy to ‘sprint’ 100 mtrs in 25 seconds. Along the same theme, hardly anyone plans to win half a dozen marathons in a year. Most would be happy to run a sub 4hr marathon once every two months. And you don’t need to be any skinnier to run a sub 4hr marathon. Most runners I know can achieve the above with dedicated training. And these runners need not look bulky or skinny. Very good post by the way.
@ Ben
To your first point:
When talking about efficiency you must define the parameters. Here is an example: Distance running is the most inefficient workout a person can do… if they are trying to build awesome pecs!
Here is another example of defining your parameters: Distance running is HIGHLY efficient at burning calories and training the aerobic glycolysis system in your body.
To your second point:
Your opinion, so I can’t argue there. I happen to disagree.
To your third point:
I look at the skill is useful, but that’s only because I reject your initial premise that running isn’t good for you. Since it’s a skill that makes me a healthy, fit person, then I would say it is quite useful.
To your fourth point(s):
Your assertion that running is boring is, again, an opinion. Time consuming? Yes, it certainly can be. I could see how this would detract from the sport for those who don’t like running. The thing is, there are real runners out there who actually enjoy running. Weird, right? So the time consuming thing is actually a bonus for us.
To your suggestion:
What do you mean by real shape? The idea that sprinters, and only sprinters, are in shape people is ridiculous. I don’t know a single person, I would hope yourself included, that would look at a pro distance runner and say they aren’t “in shape”. Sure, sprinters can also be “in shape”, just like hurdlers and lumberjacks and high jumpers can also be. Each one of those has a different strength and skill, but they are all “in shape”.
I have to agree that running is heavily skill based. I have noticed how run training has allowed my mucles to slightly sweak their technique more and more for efficent long distance.
But I will be training for speed and power now, as I beleive it will improve my martial art abilites much more.
Here are my 3 running workouts:
-Sprints on track (50m, 100m, 200m)
-Hill sprints
-Suicides
I think the author’s response to the “myth” about running being less effective for fat loss requires clarification. I’m no fitness expert, and perhaps I’m nit-picking, but it seems to me that the devil is in the details of the two studies he cites.
The first study claims that running is better for fat loss than resistance training. However, if I’ve understood it correctly, the “resistance training” programme used for that study consisted of isolation routines on machines, whereas proponents of weightlifting for fat loss generally make a point of advocating big compound lifts using free weights instead, so it’s not really a fair comparison IMO.
The second study claims that running is more effective for weight loss. But most of the time, when people say they want to lose WEIGHT, what they mean is that they want to lose FAT, so if putting on muscle through resistance training adds weight then focusing solely on weight loss is misleading. In fairness, the poster of that study eventually concedes this point in the comments that follow, but he does seem to be attacking a straw man.
Running has never and will never be a true sport. Is it good for weight loss, maybe but if you’re trying to loose weight, try an elliptical machine or a bike. It is a low impact workout and is a lot better on the joints. If all you do is run and train for marathons, you will be small and weak. I saw a bunch of these runners fail on the Combat Fitness Test when it was implimented. To be healthy, you need to mix cardio and weight training along with eating right.
Source: Was a US Marine for eight years.
Running is the epitome of the human sport, man is the only creature that can run for hours at a time and there is evidence that tribes would spend hours chasing down elk in the wild, literally running these fast sprinting animals to death.
As for running making you weak, that is true…as long as you’re only practicing running. To be truly healthy or fast you need to implement strength into your workouts, such as core exercises.
For clarification I am a distance runner at one of the top Division II schools in the nation.
With respect to Mr. Fitzgerald (nice marathon PR!) and JD, the “USA Track and Field Certified Coach” title doesn’t mean much. The USATF certifies coaches after one weekend of classes (no field experience) and an online, open book test. No experience or prior knowledge needed. Perhaps these guys went on to the level 2 schools, which take a week or two and do have some field experience?
@JD,
For years I had a “runners body”, I ran tons, but guess what else I did, boxed. Guess which guys I loved seeing walk into my gym….meatheads….easy pickings. Do not be so foolish as to announce that one man is inferior in a fight due to the sport or hobby they enjoy.
“Running” is not a sport, but Track, Cross Country, road racing and marathoning all are. Running is just like taking BP, going to the driving range, shooting jumpers, or hitting the speed bag. Its when you compete that it becomes a sport.
Track & Field is called “Athletics” in the Olympics…just sayin’.
People who contribute an article can (unless they just cut and paste) spend a LOT of time writing it so its a bit disrespectful the responses of a minority of the commentators to mindlessly trash them just because they don’t like running or whatever.
Particularly those who say running isn’t a sport. Funny, but I seem to think that the main event in the olympics that consistently sells out is the 100m sprint – not the weightlfting events. About 20million in the uk watched Bolt et al race, and an estimated 2billion around the world – thats a third of the world population.
Lastly, it stands to reason someone dedicated to winning a race will do what it takes to win, that means training to run 10k if running a 10k not to bench 300lbs. So of course they won’t be bulked up, why carry weight in excess of what they need for the job they are doing.
Excellent site, just found it while looking for erm forgotten now….
I’m a distance runner. I run on my high school cross country and track team, and I’d like to consider myself fairly decent in sprints as well as distance. I run a 12.43s 100m, 56s 400m, 4:52, 1600m, 17:02 5k, and a 1:04:35 10mi (untrained). Though my muscles are not exceptionally big, they are completely toned and cut, and I have never encountered a serious injury in the 8 years I’ve been running, I can do 89 crunches in a minute, and hold plank for 2.5 minutes, so i would like to consider myself physically fit and appealing. As to running being a waste of time, I could say the same for weight lifting because its not something i enjoy,but still have a respect for. Also if running didn’t take skill than that’s saying that anyone who can run a full mile could run it in 4:00, but most can’t because they lack any of the following: Skill, discipline, training, or mental capacity, which long distance running is probably one the most mentally challenging sports.
Someone who is looking for a general degree of fitness will probably be able to become fairly proficient at both strength and endurance (i.e., a pretty good weightlifter and a pretty good runner).
Realistically, though, if you want to achieve any degree of excellence in either one, you’ll have to choose. I haven’t met a decent marathoner who could squat 500 lbs. I also haven’t much anyone who can squat 500 lbs. who has a great marathon time. I’m sure they’re out there, but they are rare.
In the end, though, you get good at what you train for. Training for running won’t let you lift big weights, and vice versa
Interesting how so many of you fall back on “kicking someones ass” as if being good at the sport of fighting was any different than running or weightlifting. Also every one of you that justifies a point based on their stats is a DB.
Serious athletes train seriously. I think that was the point of this article and I think that should go without saying. The myths about running are based on the stereotype which is the weekend warior that doesnt know what they are doing. For those people…..those myths are pretty true.
Deadlifting is bad for your back. Ever hear that one? Its not true if you know how to deadlift. It IS true if you deadlift wrong, which a lot of people do.
Im thinking of running a half marathon in October, will this affect other sports i play such as rugby.
Will i lose upper body strength , (or not be able to gain upper body muscle), or lose print speed?
Preferably i’d like to continue playing rugby which starts back in September until the half marathon in October. Is this wise (other than injuries).
Thanks