If running or cycling is your sport… double up

In my last 5 years of increasingly regular marathon running, my consumption of running legends lore has been surprisingly minimal. After all, how many sports can one follow? Besides cricket, tennis, squash, and golf i.e. And where’s the written rule that states one shalt follow the sport that thy playeth?

The above is just an elaborate way of confessing that I wasn’t aware of Scott Jurek’s existence until last year. Then his Eat and Run book came out. I read about him and instantly became a huge fan. Then I read his book and became a bigger fan.

There are a hundred reasons why you should read the book. Here’s reason #68:

If you’re going to run regularly, you’re going to need to carve out part of your day, even if it’s 30 to 60 minutes. If that seems impossible, ask yourself: How much time do I spend watching television? Or surfing the Internet? Or shopping? Take some of that time and devote it to doing something good for yourself. If you’re still in a bind, double up on activities. Run to work and back. Many companies have become increasingly helpful to employees who want to exercise, providing showers, changing rooms, and sometimes even incentives; they realize that a fit worker will incur fewer health costs. Run to work and get a ride home. Run to the grocery store and have someone pick you up. Combine errands, running from place to place, and you’ll get a workout in while you’re taking care of business. And if you’re already working out regularly, you’ll be that much more fit.

For that matter, whatever your sport is (a racquet sport like tennis or a team sport like soccer), getting some extra cardio exercise weaved into your routine can only make you stronger.

I once had to dropoff my car for servicing. I dressed suitably and ran the (7km) return journey home. Another time, I had an evening coffee shop meeting – avoided the rush hour madness and met that day’s 5km run quota. A few years ago, after the 10th auto rickshaw refused to go to my destination, I put in a brisk 5k walk and reached home in 45 minutes (toting a laptop backpack). Meeting someone on the seventh floor recently.. ditched the elevator and took the stairs.

Dispatch #68 signing off now. Go on and weave your very own cross-training plan into your weekly regimen.