We realize snow is starting to fall around the U.S., but this post, originally published two years ago, gives you ideas to mix up your runs–and honestly, make them much more fun.
Headed to Denver last month for one of our parties, I knew I wanted to try one of Dimity’s special runs-with-a-twist. No, it’s not an eye-opener of a cocktail with a curled strip of lemon peel. (Get it: a twist. Oh, I crack myself up.) Instead, it’s a workout that’s a run with strength and agility–and a good dose of fun–thrown in. Unlike some frou-frou mixed drinks, a run/strength combo workout has an easy-to-follow recipe: Round up some pals (or you can fly solo, if you’re okay with a few stares), appoint someone as a leader, decide on a four- to six-mile route, and set off.
Some knees drop lower than others during lunges. (Guilty as charged: That’s me in the capris and blue BAMR tank.)
Dimity recruited a bunch of her always-game neighborhood running pals, and Dim and I trotted to meet them at 5:45 a.m. Dimity filled the leader roll capably, telling us we’d be running five miles, stopping every mile to do a variety of four moves. And we were off. My glutes were just starting to feel warm-ish when we stopped at a dusty open space to do walking lunges, squats, dusty push-ups, and a core-quivering, minute-long plank. Up we popped, and we were off again, running another mile.
Giving new meaning to, “copping a squat on a run.”
The next stop had us working on balance–one-legged pistol squats–and agility, with grapevine and another 1980s throwback fancy footwork drill. Then time to work the upper body with push-ups.
Germ-phobes can debate which is more grody: a paved footpath or a gym mat.
Another mile (including a turnaround at the halfway point) and it was time for four more moves, including burpees, which my knees (and quads!) didn’t love.
Hand-slapping camaraderie on the grapevine.
One final mile, then the final station of squats, tricep dips, push-ups, and more walking lunges because, come on, who doesn’t want an extra dose of quad-burn at the end of a run?
A bunch of dips (tricep dips, that is)
The whole workout took us a little over an hour, and it included far more laughs and group interaction than a regular 5-mile run. If you want to get in on the action yourself, round up some friends and head out. There are no hard-or-fast rules about which exercises to include or how often you throw in the moves. Just try to pay attention to various parts of the body, not just your lower half, which is already getting a workout from running. If you’re more of a time gal than a distance chick, stop every 10 minutes; if you want to bulk up the strength training, stop every five minutes or every half-mile. The choice is yours.
Tell us how you’ve mixed things up on a run. And if you’ve done a run like this one, with strength moves thrown in, which exercises have you found work best?
Happy, glowing gals post-run.
Going to do something like this today!~ I have had to spend much time on my spin bike in the basement and have tried to add as much strength training as possible. Pinterest has been great for some ideas of strength workouts that have been easy to mix in.
Love these photos! Must be great to have such a game group of gal pals. My fave workout is the deck of cards: I shuffle a deck of cards and divide it into 4 groups of 13. I assign an exercise to each suit. i.e. hearts are push-ups, diamonds are mountain climbers, clubs are kettle bell swings and spades are lunges with a bicep curl. Then I draw a card and complete the number of reps shown on the card of the exercise represented by the suit. For example, if I draw a 4 of hearts, I do 4 push-ups. In between each set of 13 cards, I sprint either 1/4 or 1/2 mile, depending on how much time I have. It takes me about 40 – 45 minutes to complete and you end up doing 100 reps of each exercise. At the end I will add a plank and maybe some sit-ups, again depending on how much time I have. It’s a great workout!
That’s a great workout!!
Hip hitches and calf raises…