I don’t really like distance running. There; I said it. Hang on . . . Don’t get all defensive. If you enjoy it, great! Go. Run. Be free. If you’re looking at running as an approach to fat loss, however, you’re looking at an uphill battle. At the best of times, distance running is a relatively inefficient approach to getting lean. At the worst of times, it offers a high chance of injury – especially for those who need to get fit in the first place.

Our approach is largely about consistency. It doesn’t have to be the best exercise program in the world (although we’re certainly working toward that) as long as you stay on track. This is one of the primary reasons for our emphasis on injury-prevention: we need to minimize down-time. We do train distance runners. After all, some people love to just go and go and go. For them, our job is to facilitate performance and – again – injury prevention. One of the primary ways we do this is by getting them strong. People don’t always understand this. Our friend and client, “Tee” didn’t understand this at first either. She came around,though. I’m going to let her tell the story:

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Last year I embarked on a distance running endeavour. I trained through a running club five days a week, increasing the distance over a 16 week time-frame to my first half-marathon in the fall. There was some talk of cross-training but, in my mind, it was mainly to avoid boredom. I figured that runners run and, when they need to get better, they run some more. Needless to say I got injured (while running). I had to stop running for the weeks leading up to the half-marathon. I completed the race but with more walking than I would have liked.

This past winter I embarked on an intensive strength training initiative at Bang Fitness (along with running) to prepare for the Mississauga Half-Marathon in the spring. My strength coach told me that getting stronger would make me a better runner and well . . . I simply didn’t buy it. In my mind I saw strength training as having nothing to do with my running goals — they were two separate things. Then, when the new season began, I started running races without having to use periodic walking intervals. I wound up finishing with a sprint at the end of each run and — more importantly — reducing my completion times!

I ran a 5k, an 8k, a 10K and a half marathon in three months. After crossing the finish line at each race I felt like I could have kept on running. My legs felt like they wanted to carry me further and further. I have had no injuries to date! I also improved on last-year’s half-marathon time by 10 minutes! Hmmm, wait a minute what’s difference? Strength training, dammit!

I am lifting weights that I never dreamed of lifting and I feel stronger than I ever thought I could be (I can now perform unassisted chin ups, thank you very much). I can’t believe the difference it has made. Now, my strength coach hasn’t said “I told you so” but he did tell me so and I am now a believer. There are five more races in this year’s schedule, culminating with another half marathon in the fall. I feel confident that I will continue to see improvements in my performance if I keep on running but, more importantly, if I keep on lifting!

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Preach on, sister!

Geoff