Rob Lawrence
Level 3 Valued Member
Ten years ago I was a 100% strength-focused guy and hated running. I picked up a taste for running while boxing. Boxers aren't very good runners. They mostly do slow LSD, and even as LSD it's slow. Some boxers run sprints and intervals. While some trainers would applaud this as an example of "developing strength and power," I totally disagree. It doesn't develop your punching power and it develops an energy profile that has little or nothing to do with boxing. It also exhausts you and takes forever to recover from. If a smart boxer avoids LSD, they're more likely doing something like fartlek, not sprints.
When I started running, I ran in flat Adidas Sambas like a good party member. I also trained myself to run on the balls of my feet. Americans who pound their heels and wear padded shoes always looked ridiculous and unathletic to me. I had about a month of soreness while I got used to running that way. A few years later I felt pretty validated when the barefoot running movement came into vogue and I read "Born to Run."
I learned a few things about running during my boxing period. First, it gets you out of your house and gives you some peace and quiet, which when you have three kids is no small deal. Second, it develops your feet and ankles and your ability to form a base of relaxed power, particularly if you do it the "Born to Run" way. When I bruised my trainer through his headgear with a left hook (he was so happy about it - quite an odd sight) I knew I was onto something. I learned to "sit down on my punches" without sacrificing mobility. I totally credit this style of running, as well as footwork drills, for those improvements.
Now I'm back to strength but I like running too much to quit. So yes, I'm doing LSD. I think many people see muscular sprinters, confuse cause/effect at multiple levels, and conclude that if you want to be a muscular runner, you should sprint. I'm not so sure that's correct. Those people are genetic freaks first of all, and they're young. They are looked after and recover well. They only sprint. A lot of the weight they put up in the squat etc. is due to who they are to begin with, and the speed-strength they manifest in all athletic activities.
I put up an article about a month ago about strength training and distance running - look for it. The basic principles were indeed, do slow LSD, get plenty of time to recover, and eat enough carbs to fuel your recovery (which I'm doing despite various paleo starch-avoidance experiments). This makes sense to me and so far I am getting stronger and running 3-5 miles three times a week with no feeling of exhaustion or weakness.
I labeled this post with the caveat "uninformed" and stand by that. I am not that wise in the ways of exercise science. In my personal experience the above is working for me, so for the moment I make no broader arguments.
When I started running, I ran in flat Adidas Sambas like a good party member. I also trained myself to run on the balls of my feet. Americans who pound their heels and wear padded shoes always looked ridiculous and unathletic to me. I had about a month of soreness while I got used to running that way. A few years later I felt pretty validated when the barefoot running movement came into vogue and I read "Born to Run."
I learned a few things about running during my boxing period. First, it gets you out of your house and gives you some peace and quiet, which when you have three kids is no small deal. Second, it develops your feet and ankles and your ability to form a base of relaxed power, particularly if you do it the "Born to Run" way. When I bruised my trainer through his headgear with a left hook (he was so happy about it - quite an odd sight) I knew I was onto something. I learned to "sit down on my punches" without sacrificing mobility. I totally credit this style of running, as well as footwork drills, for those improvements.
Now I'm back to strength but I like running too much to quit. So yes, I'm doing LSD. I think many people see muscular sprinters, confuse cause/effect at multiple levels, and conclude that if you want to be a muscular runner, you should sprint. I'm not so sure that's correct. Those people are genetic freaks first of all, and they're young. They are looked after and recover well. They only sprint. A lot of the weight they put up in the squat etc. is due to who they are to begin with, and the speed-strength they manifest in all athletic activities.
I put up an article about a month ago about strength training and distance running - look for it. The basic principles were indeed, do slow LSD, get plenty of time to recover, and eat enough carbs to fuel your recovery (which I'm doing despite various paleo starch-avoidance experiments). This makes sense to me and so far I am getting stronger and running 3-5 miles three times a week with no feeling of exhaustion or weakness.
I labeled this post with the caveat "uninformed" and stand by that. I am not that wise in the ways of exercise science. In my personal experience the above is working for me, so for the moment I make no broader arguments.