Cross Training Blues
A necessary evil is still kinda evil
Like most runners, I have a love-hate relationship with cross training. It’s not that I don’t like biking or hiking. In fact, I actually love doing those things, just like I enjoy going for a good walk or getting on a paddle board for a trip down the river.
The difference is that I treat them like activities, rather than training. While all aerobic movement gets deposited into the central fitness bank, there’s an obvious distinction between exercising and having fun. To be sure, we all need more fun in our lives, especially movement-centric fun involving other humans that doesn’t rely on screens or technology to deliver an intrinsically valuable payoff.
Cross training is different. When cross training is on the agenda, that typically means running is taking a hiatus. Either because of injury, illness, or (in this case) icy conditions, jumping on a spin bike for 60 minutes of sustained aerobic intervals takes on a different flavor than, say, enjoying a leisurely bike ride through the countryside.
My dislike of cross training isn’t so much about what it is, but what it represents: The absence of running. For much of this winter, I haven’t been able to run outside. There’s been too much wintry muck on the ground to make it worthwhile.
In between shoveling layers of icy snow off my driveway – an aerobic activity in its own right – I’ve been alternating between the spin bike and the treadmill to get my cardio fix. While not an optimal situation, it sure beats the alternative, which is doing nothing but waiting for the ice to melt.
For paid subscribers, we take a look at several cross training workouts that have kept me aerobically active and mentally sane during what has been a particularly brutal start to winter.