Running and NROL - JP Fitness Forums

WhoDeyDave82 · 03-18-2008, 09:26 PM

I have been toying with NROL, MH Powertraining and other lifting styles for the past 2-3 years. I have been lifting and running for about 5 years now. I am 5'8 and 160-165 pounds depending on the week (and my eating habits!). I have been lifting 3-4x/week and running 2-3 x (usually 2 HIIT and 1 steady state tempo run) and gotten great results. My question is, does anyone have experience doing the NROL workouts (which I completely intend to stick now through their completion) and training to run a marathon?

I intend to run the Chicago marathon this october, but absolutely refuse to give up lifitng and do not want to lose weight. I plan on training for this by running 3-4x per week (I have a great plan from runnersworld.com that involves speed work, tempo run and 1 distance run per week). Can anyone comment if they think I am making a bad decision in pursuing NROL while running 20-30 miles per week? Any danger in overtraining? Am I setting myself up to think the NROL workouts arent good because I am not seeing gains?

All responses are appreciated!

Phaedrus49er · 03-19-2008, 01:38 AM

My $0.02: It depends on your NROL goals. Apologies for lack of citations, but several studies have suggested that endurance training hinders strength/hypertrophy gains from lifting; however, strength training has been shown to improve endurance activities. That being said, I'm in the middle of NROL (Strength II, four workouts per week), and I do well to get one running day in per week (HIIT on Saturdays), so beware of overtraining, which sounds entirely possible on your suggested schedule (unless you decide to make each phase last eight weeks on two workouts per week). I wouldn't expect to see many gains from NROL with that much running involved, but only you know your body.

BamaDave · 03-19-2008, 06:38 AM

Dave, you can always give it a try and cut back to 2 workouts per week when the running is intense like Phaedrus mentioned. I've run 5 marathons and kept up weight training while prepping for all of them, but I usually focused in on the marathon training as my primary goal ahead of the race. For most people, it's probably best to periodize your training and focus on one or the other - that way you don't wind up disappointing yourself over both. It's always good to have another runner around here!

BamaDave · 03-19-2008, 06:42 AM

P.S. Your running training plan sounds fine - a lot of runners will try to tell you otherwise and advise you to run gazillions of miles per week. I ran my first one on 3-4 days per week of training.

papperclippy · 03-19-2008, 07:45 AM

How many miles a week are you running now? I also ran my first marathon with only 4 days a week of running. I think you have to pick one priority because I think you have three options 1. Your running will improve but your lifting will suffer 2. Your lifting will improve but your running will suffer 3. If you try to train as hard for both, both will suffer. Training for a marathon isn't an easy routine, you could get injured very quickly and running injuries usually take weeks to heal.

I personally wouldn't lift the day before or the day after your long run. I would say don't lift the day of the long run, but I would love to hear somebody that ran 20 miles in one day say they feel like doing squats later on.

If this is your first marathon, focus on the marathon and lay off of the lifting for awhile. Marathons are awesome, but they hurt when you finish. You can always go back to lifting later on, especially if you got the time to do three hours of running now.

My two recommendations, pick a priority, I wouldn't try to focus on improving on both. Second, pick up a new pair of running shoes if you haven't already. Most running injuries happen because of worn out shoes or wearing the wrong type of shoes. Good luck, I always wanted to do the Chicago marathon.

tcoy777 · 03-19-2008, 08:36 AM

Dave

I too am running the Chicago Marathon this year. It will be my first Marathon. I ran my first Half this past weekend. I have used NROL since the first of the year and have loved it. Now I although I have made gains in muscle mass and strength, I have not seen the results that others or even myself could have had if I did not run so much. With that said, I have increased my leg strength and stamina a ton. I credit a lot of it to NORL. I had never done dead lifts and squats before. I am just finishing Hyp 2 and then moving on to the Strength workouts. During this time I will slow my running down a bit. Drop a few miles a week ( I average around 25) and keep my runs at a easy pace. I don't want to lose my running base but I will be focused more on the weights. Once June hits and its time to concentrate on the Marathon I will be doing Hal Higdon's Marathon plan. I can probably keep doing NROL for most of the training. By the time I hit the real heavy training for the marathon I should be in the Fat Loss workouts, which to me seem to be perfect to add strength training to the marathon training. But if my legs or body can't do both then I will drop the weights and just run.

Good luck and set up a log so we can keep up with your progress!

tcoy777 · 03-19-2008, 08:41 AM

P.S

You will see gains using NROL, just more lean muscle and more fat burned. At least that is the way it is for me. Just make sure you eat a ton. Plan your weeks out correctly when doing intervals and tempo runs with the leg days. They can be brutal. The Hyp 1 3x15 with 30 sec rest and Hyp 2 2x25 with 30 sec rest are no joke!!!

WhoDeyDave82 · 03-19-2008, 02:24 PM

Thanks for the good responses. I appreciate it

Currently I am running between 10-15 miles a week. I know, not much for contemplating a marathon. However, I ran a 10K in November, and have run 1/2 marathon in the past running only 15-18 miles/week.

I guess I will tend to focus on the running more than lifting since I have never completed a marathon before. I am thinking that as the marathon training picks up in intensity (i.e. long runs of 12 or 14 or more miles) I will weight lift 2 days a week or switch to use Bodylastics bands, something I have heard some of my friends rave about.

As for now, I will once again start with Hyp 1, followed by Str. 1, and just start to get my running legs back underneath me as the weather warms up. I plan to start my actual marathon training ~18 weeks before October marathon (June-ish), so until then, lift hard, run easy (15-20/week) and see what happens. Thanks for the help guys. Ill try to keep you posted on my success/progress.

One more questions for the marathoners...any ideas as to the pace you want to aim for? I know I definately want to be under 4 hours, but how far under remains to be seen. I ran 7:17 miles in Novermber for the 10K, and my previous half marathon (3 years ago) was 7:41 pace. I was thinking 8:00-8:30, somewhere in there.

papperclippy · 03-19-2008, 05:24 PM

I think runners world has a chart of what your pace should be after you plug in your last race information. See how your training goes in the summer to figure out what pace you will be at. I think 8-9 mile should be good for you. I would start at around 9 min/mile in the beginning just to be alittle conservative and then pick it up later in the race if you felt better.

tcoy777 · 03-19-2008, 08:25 PM

go to mcmillianrunning.com. They have a pace calculator on the site. Why are you skipping Hyp 2 ? I really liked it while training for the 1/2. Only one leg day gave me plenty of time to focus on running while still gaining of the lifting.

WhoDeyDave82 · 03-19-2008, 08:53 PM

Im not, I figured I get through Hyp 1, Str 1 (two that I have actually completed before, I always seem to get sidetracked and have lifting ADD and after Str 1 decided to do something else) and then Hyp 2 would be more towards the middle of marathon trianing, when I am picking up the milage.