Running and protein powder taking?

[Satoushi]

Hi! I am a washed up track and cross country athlete who has since lost much of his running ability, but has exchanged it for a(in my eyes) decent amount of muscle. My question is, if I want to get back into running-shape(nothing crazy, like half-marathons) without losing the muscle I had to struggle to get, what should I do, particularly in terms of taking protein supplements(when should I, for example)? Also, if my goal is to be a strong, lean guy who can still be pretty damn aerobic, what kind of a balance between lifting and cardio should I opt for? I know that last one is no easy question, so feel free to ignore it [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[BamaDave]

There is a school of thought that you should consume protein and carbs in a 1:4 ratio (P:C) immediately after finishing a run -- especially fast-acting carbs to spike your insulin to facilitate getting amino acids to your muscles when they are ready for repair immediately after a run. Then a decent meal with protein and carbs soon afterward.

You can train really well for a half-marathon on 3-4 days per week of running. 3 days of running per week plus a 3-day per week weight training program gives you six workouts plus a rest day and would help you retain muscle but still give you enough days to build up your running. If you run three days per week while training for a half, you probably want one longer run per week plus some pace work in at least one of the other two runs (once you get used to long distance running again and have your mileage endurance back up).