Impact of huge running session

[Julien DiBion]

Hello,

I am soon going to go to the mountain for the hollidays, during two weeks. I'm planning to run 5 days each weeks, in alternate for example 5 km and 10 km sessions. I did that last year, I lost some weight. 
I was asking myself if by doing this, without doing calisthenic training, I would lose a lot of my strenght and progress ?

Thanks you in advance

PS : sorry if there is any mistakes, ask me if you don't understand something, I'm french so.. and sorry if I create this topic in the wrong place, I'm new to this forum. 

[Darin Phoenix]

Hello Julien,

Doing no strength workouts for two weeks you will definitely see a regression in your strength and progress. It is nothing that cannot then be re gained with some consistency when you get back it. 

Are you not doing any calisthenic training during that time due to a lack of equipment or is it a choice you are making to take some time off your training?

[Benjamin Nutt]

@Darin Phoenix has a good question there: why not do calisthenics AND running?

[Nick Murray]

i've found that running tends to fatigue my hip flexors a lot, especially noticable in the single-leg squat elements. I can run after doing SLS work, but I'm like Bambi on ice. After a run, I really struggle to maintain any kind of form in SLS/SE1 or 2.

[Darin Phoenix]

I'm pretty sure that I remember reading somewhere that the Chinese Men's Gymnastics Olympic team start with a 5km run every day. So running or any type of cardio can be incorporated into your strength training.

[Douglas Wadle]

It'll help build your work capacity over time doing a run for a warm-up.  If you're running hard or doing intervals it may be too much to do both, at least right after each other.  You could go to morning and evening session to break them up. Great way to increase work capacity.

On the flip side, I've noticed in past when I have missed strength work for 2 weeks I've come back stronger.  I think that would only be the case if you've been really consistent, and perhaps a little overtrained, but that is when I've made some of my best progress, after a couple weeks off.  For me I start to see strength loss around 3 weeks out.  Very frustrating to lose ground, and sometimes that's what keeps someone from getting back into the routine, so I would recommend you keep your time away to a minimum, though a week or so should be ok for most.

[Jennifer Marie]

"Bambi on ice" Haha! That visual reminded me of my first time trying to run with YakTrax. I expected them to handle slushy snow better!

I've taken 10-day vacations with little downside on my progress (lifting/strength-training, non-GB stretching, running). Instead of strength training, I'd swim and walk and hike a lot. I make it a point to take it easy the first day back in the gym -- to get a feel for how my body responds to working after an extended rest -- but otherwise have had little issue. The extended rest has often made me feel better, as if catching up on recovery time.

Now, that being said, if you're really concerned, could you squeeze in smaller sets of a sample of exercises? Perhaps a set or two of push ups and your favorite core work, after your run, and save your legs for the miles?

You have to listen to your body. We all deal with changes and stresses to the routine differently.

PS Your mistakes were minor and no worse than the average native English writer, and your question was clear. Tres bein! Je suis apprendre le francais.

[Julien DiBion]

@Darin Phoenix @Benjamin Nutt I didn't plan to do calisthenic training because I'm not sure that I will have the energy to train after running. Last year it was very intense for me. 
But yes, maybe running the morning and training the afternoon (reducing a bit the intensity or the frequency) could be interesting. 
So thanks for your answers, that will help me ! I'll see the first days if I feel good enough to train. 

PS : @Jennifer Marie Ah ah, thanks, good luck for learning french, I heard It's a really hard language to learn for the "not french native". 

[Winter Phoenix]

Hi Julien,

I think there have been some great suggestions. Unlike Douglas, although I feel great when I take a break from training I recently took 10 days away from all training I definitely don't come back stronger. It will usually take me around the same time period to slowly work my way back to where I was before the break then I may go past my previous levels.

If you have the recovery capacity to handle it short periods of twice a day training can yield some great results. It is very important that you listen to the feedback that your body is giving you to make sure that you do not overtrain.  

Darin and I look forward to hearing how you go.

[Nick Murray]

Winter has a point. Perhaps before you take a holiday, have a big training week so as Douglas says, you go on holiday a bit overtrained and a bit tired....and therefore not only appreciate the holiday more, but come back stronger

[Nicholas Kuhl]

If you can swing the scheduling, try doing your GST in the morning and running in the afternoon (with 6+ hours between the two sessions), as @Winter Phoenix suggests.  Keep the running on your two session days a really easy pace.  I typically run easy 3-5 days a week, for an hour a day, with one harder running session, and one longer running session, always in the evenings after strength training in the mornings.  Just be prepared to eat everything in sight.

[Julien DiBion]

Actually I had to take a break from training during 10 days few days ago, because of an injury, so I already had training holiday. If I have the energy for training after the running, I'd prefer that !
And sadly, I can't swing the scheduling, the guys I'm running with can only do it the morning. 
Thanks for the suggestions, listening to my body is my big rule too