Can CrossFit Aid Marathon Training?

Since I was awake yesterday at 5 AM, I had time to go through all of the emails I receive and never read. One was from Runner's World and it had an article about adding CrossFit to marathon training.

Read How to Add CrossFit to Marathon Training

Runners are usually strong proponents of running. Crazy right? I'm actually not. Out of all the races I have run, from 5Ks to 50 miles, I have felt best when I focus on high-intensity interval training (HIIT). I am leaner, stronger, and have more stamina from pushing myself through full-body workouts than when I am putting in the miles multiple days a week.

In order to run a marathon, you have to be able to spend that much time on your feet. Your bones needs to be strong enough to pound the pavement for hours and the only way I've found to do that is through weekly long runs. I firmly believe that the best preparation for my 50 mile race was standing at my desk for more than 8 hours a day, but the 50K I ran certainly helped. But that's a weekly long run.

The article recommends that CrossFit lovers follow the schedule below for marathon training: 

Monday: Easy effort run

Tuesday: CrossFit workout 

Wednesday: Easy effort run

Thursday: CrossFit workout 

Friday: Rest or easy effort run

Saturday: Long, slow run 

Sunday: Rest/light recovery work (foam-rolling/flexibility/restorative yoga)

I think that's a ton of filler runs and as sausage lovers know, you want meat not filler. (Speaking of sausages, I had amazing spicy Italian sausage up in New Rochelle on Thursday at the 4th of July BBQ.) If I were to run another marathon, and let's be honest, my retirement from long distance running probably won't last through 2014, I'd follow this training plan:

Monday: CrossFit

Tuesday: CrossFit

Wednesday: Soccer or Spinning

Thursday: Yoga 

Friday: CrossFit

Saturday: Long, slow run 

Sunday: 3-5 mile walk, Yoga, or Sitting on the couch watching Y&R

If When I run another ultra, I will definitely continue CrossFit.

I am not a running coach, doctor, or licensed anything so please do not follow any training plan without first consulting your physician. Based on my own experiences, I think that building strength and agility does more to keep me fast and injury-free.

Another option for combining CrossFit and marathon running is CrossFit Endurance. I attended a panel at JackRabbit Sports on the UWS featuring some awesome ultra-runners and Lisa Madden was there. Lisa trains using CrossFit Endurance and she's a badass runner so there must be something to it.