Can Lifting Weights Really Help Your Running? Maybe. Maybe not.

Good article today in the New York Times by Gina Kolata (story) on the question: does weight lifting really boost performance in endurance athletes? It's well balanced and covers most of the bases. In general, the piece comes down on the positive side, which makes sense, but also makes it clear that much of the evidence on lifting's benefits is anecdotal or based on very small studies, which are typical in sports medicine. The article, though, closes by skimming on an issue we at Run Junkie wonder most about when looking at this topic: with limited time to train, should a person cut running time to add weights, or would it be better just to devote all that time to running. The article largely feature athletes who seem to have little pull on their time, which has little bearing on those of us with a full (often too full) non-running life.