how to balance lifting and running (and other musings on exercise)

Recently I've been alternating between running and lifting each day.

While leaving Sunday as a holy day of rest.

I've been enjoying this schedule. It doesn't feel like a strain. When I miss days (cuz life), I make sure it's a running day cuz gains 💪

The other option is to run and lift on the same day, some number of times a week.

That might mean lifting in the morning and running in the evening (or vice versa). It might mean doing both one after another (and doing the one more important to me first).

Personally, I like my schedule more since it's simpler.

But if I wanted more training, I'd have to do at least some of this second option.

Truthfully, I don't want more training right now. I'm running for health and fun, rather than any results. As long as I'm seeing progress on my lifts.

recovery

I am trying to eat and sleep enough so I can recover from all this 😴

yoga

I also want to make time for yoga.

Currently, I'm just doing short bouts of yoga "when I feel like it". It's not much of a priority for now, since I'm more focused on lifting.

Thankfully I find yoga such a treat and I'm able to get in at least a session a week. I hope to get to a point where I do yoga as part of my day, casually, like while I'm brushing my teeth or thinking about work.

If I want to do more dedicated yoga sessions, I could lift and run in the mornings and then do yoga some evenings. I'll trial that again, though I personally struggle to get enough sleep when I'm on morning workouts. But I'll keep trying.

At some point I want to do stability training (as defined in Peter Attia's book Outlive) though I'm still trying to research and understand what the latter entails. Maybe it's more like pilates? Maybe yoga isn't quite stability training, but fuck it, I like yoga

stability training

I'm still learning what is helpful here, but I'm bullish on the mobility routines for lifting Limber 11 and Simple 6. They're supposed to help lifters avoid injury.

I'm also reading Kelly Starrett's book Ready to Run, which is supposed to help runners avoid injury. I will also have to try his other books, especially The Supple Leopard and Built to Move.

I am 100% overthinking this subject when I could actually just start exercising lol. But I enjoy this research

myofascial release

I started foam rolling and using a lacrosse ball for some self massage.

I don't know how much benefit it has for recovery, but it feels sooo good.

future seasons

Once I'm OK focusing less on lifting, perhaps I will spend a season focusing more on cardio. I'd probably do the base-building program in the book reviewed here. That'll be nice.

And then one season focusing more on yoga. I want to do a lot of ashtanga.

And then a season focused on dance...