Should You Cross-Train?

So what about my old buddy Tom Fleming’s point, that if you want to be a good runner, then you should run? After all, you don’t become a better cook by washing dishes. First of all, remember that he’s talking about runners who are trying to be among the best in the world. These people live by their running mileage, much as a factory lives by the number of widgets it produces per day. (I should know. Having averaged 130 miles per week for most of the ’70s and ’80s, I was one of these people.)
I’m not suggesting that you replace running with other aerobic activities, but that you supplement your mileage with them. Among the benefits of doing so are the following:

• Fewer muscle imbalances, which are a leading source of injury. For example, running strengthens and shortens your hamstrings while pretty much neglecting your quadriceps (thigh muscles). But cycling does just the opposite, so combining running with riding helps your legs to keep the proper ratio of strength between front and back muscles.
• Greater aerobic capacity. A lot of runners can take only so much pounding from running each week before their bodies start to break down. If you find what that level is for you, stay just below it, and add other activities, you can continue to develop your aerobic base beyond what you could just through running. To a large degree, your heart doesn’t distinguish what exercise is making it pump more vigorously.
• Greater weight loss. Because you’ll be able to work out more often without getting injured.
• A more interesting exercise routine. Some people love running so much that they don’t need other activities to stay motivated. But a lot of runners find that they look forward to working out more if they alternate among a few sports.
• The chance to work out with non-running friends. You probably have friends who aren’t going to join for a five-mile run, but they might go for an hour’s bike ride with you.

Finally, even the most hard-core runners become cross-trainers when they’re injured and are desperate to maintain their fitness. If you can run as much as you like without getting injured, can meet your weight goals through running only, are endlessly fascinated by doing just one activity, and regularly do stretching and strengthening exercises that develop whole-body fitness, maybe you don’t have to worry about cross-training.