Running w/ P90X??

I know many people out there wonder if you can do P90X with running, but most of all if P90X will improve your running. Here is my personal running story below.

I was a runner in high school and college. In high school I had a cross country 5k PR of 21:30. I have always thought of myself as a runner but after having my son and not taking time for myself I was up to a weight where my knees could not handle me running. I wanted to run because it has always been a time for me to be out and just de-stress from the day.

My husband had seen an infomercial for P90X but we were not ready to tackle P90X so we started with one of the less intense programs Power 90. After 90 days of Power 90 my weight was back down to a point that I could start to run. I completed another 90 days of power 90 with running 3 miles three times a week.

I was ready to tackle P90X and set a new running goal for myself. I signed up for the Big Lake Half Marathon in Alton, NH in May of 2008. At that point I had never run a race longer than a 5k (3.1 miles). That day was also the 90th day of P90X for me. I completed the full P90X program with running three days per week plus my long run on Sundays. When it came to race day my goal was to finish in a time under 2 hrs.

I went out in the race at a steady pace and I wasn't sure what to expect, I had never run a full 13 miles. The first 4 miles went by easily but at mile 4 began the steady up hill climb to mile 6. I surprised myself to find the strength in my legs and the stamina to actually pass people going up the hill. The second half of the course was flatter than the first but I did begin to feel the toll of the miles around mile 12. I was shocked to finish and find out my finishing time was a whole 7 minutes faster than my goal. I was able to completed the course in 1:52:34!!!

Since that first half marathon I have completed another at the Manchester City Marathon this past November in a PR of 1:49:46. I was also part of a 200 mile relay team that ran from Northern NH to the Coast of NH in just over 28 hrs. I completed a total of 17.5 miles over 3 legs at a pace of 8:04.

I am currently training for my first full marathon in Vermont on May 30th with the help of P90X. In my experience P90X with running is a great combination. Many times (I know this from experience) runners neglect to incorporate weight training with their running or only train their lower body. Weight training combined with the flexibility training of yoga and running is the ideal training recipe. Just remember to listen to your body for any signs of overtraining and take those rest days when needed.

If you have any questions about combining P90X with running just send me a message.