@marty998 - by not having the legs, do you mean the endurance or general strength? Do you lift weights or do any cross training to help strengthen your legs? I train my legs in the weight room heavily at least once a week and feel it makes a significant difference.
You tend to get a little tired after 3 hours of exercise. It's simply not being used to running that far.
There was a time when I'd get cramp and couldn't walk properly for days after running a 10k. Then that became 20k. Now that barrier has been pushed to 30. Next year it might be 40.
I don't lift weights - gym fees started getting expensive for how often I used it. A full time job and a long commute limits the amount of time I can do things during the week as well. Lifting if a relatively short explosive exercise, but it's the getting to/from the gym, showers afterwards and all that associated extra time that is the limiting factor.
From the sounds of your post it seems you come at this from the opposite side of the street? Too much time in the gym and looking to find enough time for running? Over here it helps that we have decent weather, can run easily at all times of the year :)
I guess my background is largely what caters to the difference. I spent around 3-5 days/wk lifting very heavy from about 14 years old til now (31). About 3-4 years ago I cut down to 3 days/wk. Since I started running last summer, I’ve cut down to closer to 2-3 easier days/wk with 3-5 days/wk running.
Right now, I really like my current routine. Granted, I work around 55-65 hrs most wks. I typically go to the gym every 4-5 days and lift legs hard and then either back/biceps or chest/shoulders/triceps. Then between the gym days, I lift at home 1 day and do whichever muscle group I didn’t do at the gym. I have dumbbells that go to 70lbs, a bench, and a pull up bar.
I’m currently running 25 miles/wk, split up into 4 different runs. I plan to keep my mileage where it’s at now for the month of September as I’m at my peak since I started running and don’t want to push it. Right now I’m on business travel for 3 days in Tennessee and even though we were out til dinner until 10 p.m. last night, I still woke up at 5 a.m. and ran 6 miles before leaving for an audit at 7:15 a.m. I am just really really trying not to get injured right now.. Shin splints, knee, etc.. I’m doing stuff right, but also easing into uncharted territory for myself.
This week my exercise looked like this:
Sunday: 8 miles (easy)
Monday: Gym (legs/chest/shoulder/tris)
Tuesday: 5 miles (harder, 8:15/mile)
Wednesday: Workout at home (back/bi’s)
Thursday: Run 6.2 miles (easy at 9:18/mile)
Friday: Run 5-6 miles in the morning, when I fly back home we’ll hopefully do gym
Saturday: off
The issues that people have, and you mention above, about cramps/not being able to really walk, I have never experienced in regards to muscle soreness. I’ve had injured knees, hips, shins, back, etc. etc. but muscle wise, I don’t know that even my hardest runs have ever even left me “sore” the next day. Right now I’m just limited by 1. The heat (it slows me down but I still run as many miles) 2. My overall cardiovascular endurance. My legs always have plenty left, but my lungs and heart are what run out.
I think we are both on very opposite ends of the spectrum. I have a lot of muscle, which past an extent, is worth than having the extra weight in fat. Fat just weighs you down, muscle actually requires additional oxygen in addition to the weight.
There’s certainly a happy median. While you don’t have to go crazy, if you could fit it in I think you’d benefit from like 1-2 full body workouts a week where you hit everything. You could probably knock it out in 60 minutes if you pushed it.
