Thursday, 11 October 2012

Cross training

I had three days of climbing this weekend.  It felt good to get back to it after so little this year.  From a runner's perspective it was also good to engage in something that worked my body in a different way.  By the end of the weekend I was bruised, battered and exhausted; we'd had a great time!

As the week wore on though I noticed that the niggly aches and pains from the last few months of running were gone.  Climbing is a great exercise - it works the whole body and makes you move in every possible plane of motion.  Weekly yoga also helps maintain a bit of balance.

Jason Fitzgerald's recent post on Strength Running (my current favourite running blog) suggests there are 5 main components of fitness:

1.Strength
2.Speed
3. Endurance
4. Flexibility
5. Coordination

It doesn't have to be climbing but some "other" exercise will prevent imbalances which can lead to injury and make you a better runner in the longer term.

Now need to work out how to fit in running, climbing, family life and work!

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