Running and cross training

[Lizlashley]

I am starting to get back into the groove of things I was wondering how many days people run and how many days to cross train or weight train. I'm wanting to get in overall better shape but I also want to do 5ks and maybe longer races also. Any advice would be good

[ClonedWhyMe]

If you plan to just do a 5k, I would cross train at the same days you run. Training for a 5k shouldn't take much time, because even if you walk the entire time it should be about an hour, so you can work in a cross trainning session in there.  But if you plan to do a longer  distance (half-marathon/marathons) most training plans have 4 days of running, 2 days of cross training and 1 day of rest.  I personally do 3 days of running outside 1 day at the gym to crosstrain and intervals on the treadmill, 1-2 at the climbing gym. Despite what my rating says on this forum,  I have done to date 9 marathons and 15 halfs in the past 3 years 

[emili]

I can't speak to marathon training as that isn't my thing, but I do run and strength train. I run 3 miles when I strength train or box and I do 8 miles on days when its just cardio. Those days I do about 2 miles on the elliptical too. I try not to run every day- I am old and that is too much pressure on the joints. I also have one complete rest day. So M- 3 miles and box. T- some cardio and legs. W- 3 miles and core Th- some cardio and arms F- rest S- 8 miles S-8 miles.. just to give you an idea

[too_spicy]

Since you're starting with a shorter distance, you could try one or two days of HIIT to increase your aerobic capacity, which will make your short distance runs a bit faster/easier. If you're really interested in doing longer distances, resistance training is your friend. Adding in some biking or weightlifting to your workouts one or two days a week will increase your speed if you care about how fast you're finishing your races. And you also won't look like you're wasting away, like some marathoners do, if you're worried about that.

Overall, it depends on where you are right now and where you want to go. If you feel confident in working out seven days a week and you want ultra-fast long-race times, try a split of: 2 days long, slow tempo run, 1 day mid-distance mid-speed, 2 days sprints/HIIT, and 1 day of resistance training. You could also combine elements of these workouts on the same day, like the above posters do. It's extremely easy to do cardio in addition to another workout. 

If that's not your goal and you don't feel comfortable working out that much, adjust it. If you just want to finish and don't care so much about your times, do more long, slow runs/walks and skip the sprints. (I would still recommend at least one day of weight training regardless). You can take three rest days/week if you really want to. Push yourself, but don't push yourself over the edge. Always listen to what your body is trying to tell you.