How Insanity Made Me a Better Runner!

One of the questions I'm most often asked is, "How do you incorporate your Beachbody programs into your running schedule?"

My answer is based on your fitness goals.  Are you training for a marathon or are you more interested in shorter training runs?  Are you running to become fit or are you trying to become a more fit runner? 

When I'm training for a marathon, my focus is running four to five days a week with one or days focused solely on cross-training.  When my goal is geared more toward fitness, I flip this schedule.  I have six days of cross-training fitness with one or two days a week devoted to shorter runs to maintain my base of running.

In simplest terms, a weekly schedule would look like this.

This schedule works for me.  It allows me to focus on my main objective (i.e. a marathon) without completely losing the fitness I've developed from Insanity, The Asylum or any other Beachbody program.

I believe that it is so important to always incorporate some level of cross-training into your weekly schedule for injury prevention, to develop strength and a strong core and to keep your routine fresh.

Since I have really made this a part of my overall fitness, whether the majority of my time is spent running or cross-training, I have become a much more efficient athlete.  In May of 2010, I ran a lot and spent time in a gym, but I wasn't efficiently working the way my body needed to be.

By incorporating Beachbody programs into my routine, I've learned how to work more efficiently and eat more effectively.  The programs allowed me to lose 4 percent body fat and by becoming leaner, I've become a better runner.  Last year, I took 16 minutes off of my previous marathon time and qualified for the Boston Marathon.

If I can do this. Anyone can! Trust me!