Is weight lifting a good weigh to prevent injury? I hurt my knee a while ago and would like to make it stronger so I won't get easily injured. Also, would lifting make a middle/long distance runner faster?
Thank you coaches

Sara Hall

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Yes, I think weight lifting is a good idea to make runners better overall athletes! We run in a straight line, but sometimes the muscles used in side-to-side motion and other motions get weak. It's good to have a total body strengthening program, and then target certian areas that need more attention.
You mentioned your knee. First of all, they area that experiences the injury is not necessarily the problem. Sometimes knee injuries can come from weak or tight IT bands (running along the outside of the quadricep muscle), form imbalances, old running shoes, etc. There are a number of things that play into injuries, so you first want to identify the culprits and not just strengthen the area itself. I would talk to a trainer at the gym where you workout to get some specific exercises.
And yes, I think lifting will make any runner faster, from the 100m to the marathon! My husband does the marathon and he does the same exercises that I do, training for the 1500! Everyone needs to work on their explosiveness for the final kick in a race!