Cross training As Part Of Your Marathon Training Schedule

Cross training can be a fun and important part of your marathon training schedule. It's important to realize it's benefits and potential downfalls, to make sure that it becomes a beneficial part of your schedule and does not lead to injuries.

The activity you choose is the most important part of including cross training. The level of intensity is the second consideration. Most endurance sports work well for cross training, but few keep your heart rate at the same level as running. This is fine, and you shouldn't expect to have as high of a HR when you swim or bike.

Other sports, like soccer and basketball, give great anaerobic workouts, but also have a higher rate of injury. If you have not played these sports previously, it's not advisable to start them when you are training for your marathon. Also avoid gym machines that stress the lower leg, such as stair climbers. In general, you want a cross training activity that is lower impact than running, but still keeps your heart rate up. Other more social activities, like hiking can also be used on your easy days.

If you are replacing a high quality running workout with cross training, it's better to use another endurance sport like biking, rowing or swimming, where you can more closely emulate a running workout. Focus on time and effort, not distance when doing another sport.

Cross training can enhance your marathon training schedule and add variety to keep you motivated. For more great information, The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer is a great read with fantastic reviews.