i've posted a few times in here about ruptured achilles i
suffered and how whenever if tried to run distances, i'd get
funny pain in back, outside of lower leg.
anyhow, pretty much gave up running in the toronto winter.
got a membership at a really good gym downtown. been doing
an hour on flat and inclined elypticals. and doing alot of
quad, hamstring and calf work (for calves/ankle/achilles,
that machine were you put sit and put weight on your knee
and then lift - calf raise).
well, went for first run (6 KM straight up hill although
gradual) in 5 months today, and was quite fast, good cardio
and amazingly no leg pain, in fact everything felt
fantastic.
i think runners should really look into weight training,
both moderate weight for 10 reps and light-moderate reps
until exhausted muscle.
i'm a special case with my achilles, but for most people i
would think that quad training would be most important as
that seems to be where you break down when you get tired.