Runner's World Guide to Cross-Training

Cross Training has historically been the last refuge of the injured runner, something to do to maintain a modicum of fitness until the injury has healed and running can be resumed. Cross training has gained greater respect in recent years as its value in preventing injuries and developing greater fitness than is possible with merely running has been recognized. In this volume, the prolific Matt Fitzgerald, a triathlete himself, provides an in depth look at the uses and benefits of cross training. Interspersed throughout the book are 14 profiles of world class athletes, mostly runners, who have benefited from cross training. The book provides valuable information about the importance of strength training.It emphasizes the importance of maintaining balance in muscular development and identifies which muscles are most likely to suffer as the prime movers become overdeveloped.It illustrates a variety of exercises for strengthening every muscle that will contribute to running improvement. The chapter on stretching is a valuable synthesis of the different types of stretching with recommendations on what muscles and connective tissue need to be stretched and what are the most effective stretches. Included within the text are training schedules that demonstrate how to integrate cross training within a running program. This book is an important resource for any running program.

This is an interesting book. As a runner who recently picked up training after about 20 years of (more or less) inaction, this book has brought back old skills and helped me see the importance of cross-training. At the same time it has shown me that I need to keep up my stretching and strength training. The author does not really help you pick a new sport, but explains why cross training is important. There are some suggested programs but this is more an introduction to cross training than a manual. You have to be dedicated to put the suggestions in the book to good use, but if you're not dedicated then you probably don't bother with this book anyway. It's a good book to have in your library, and the writing is good enough to read from cover to cover. But you will want a more focused book when you choose your xt sport, for example cycling.