Despite my optimistic enthusiasm, two months from now I will need to swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles and then run a half-marathon on legs that are just a bit tired! I have often found that after a long bike ride, I have good energy, I am not out of breath, but my legs either feel dead, or are cramping – or both. This is making me a little worried about trying to run a half-marathon on dead legs. According to the instructions (read, Tom Holland’s book), this is where strength training can be helpful. The training program that I am following suggests a short session of strength exercises twice a week. When I first read this, my thought was, “I don’t want to lift weights, I want to run and bike faster!” Of course, as with most things in life, a little variety can pay big dividends and this is especially true with athletics. Just riding or running all the time is certainly good for you, but you won’t reach your full potential, and you risk getting hurt. For example, I have been cycling for a few years, and my quads have become very strong but my hamstrings don’t get much of a workout. When I started running, I quickly realized how unbalanced my legs were – my hamstrings and gluteals were killing me! Unbalanced muscles put your joints under extra stress, which is why many of us older weekend warriors are limping around all week!

The program I am following is very simple, using an exercise ball, bench and a few dumbbells (wife gets to insert joke here). I run through a few sets of crunches and lunges and curls – all very simple movements. My upper and lower body gets a great balanced workout, but most importantly, my core body (back, torso, abs) are getting stronger. This is important because the bike doesn’t work the core very much, but a strong core will help you ride faster!

Dr. Jim

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