Running is an excellent way to get in shape and stay in shape. The reality of the sport though…

It sucks!

I’m fairly confident that’s the sole reason why my training regimens never seem to last, despite the fact that I know I have to train if I want to get any better.

Luckily though, Paige has developed her own system of doing things. One that was born after doing 10k Tuesdays and 5-mile Fridays, and discovering how awful an hour on a treadmill is.

Thus is the birth of Cross-Cardio.

I joke and ask what the difference is between the new method and traditional cross-training, but Paige pushes on, focused on feeling awesome for our wedding. With her drive, it was dumb to argue with the process, so now I too have adopted what most would think is lame triathlon training without the swimming portion.

Essentially, it’s this:
1) Run for 10-20 mins, get your heart rate up.

2)Bike for 10-20 mins, if you aren’t pouring sweat by this point, you aren’t working hard enough.

3) Elliptical or back to the treadmill for a final 10-20 mins, your option, but you should be feeling it by now either way.

Instead of mixing in workouts to improve core strength or balance, the focus is purely heart rate and recovery, even if you aren’t actively monitoring it.

Will this system have you looking like an Abercrombie model? Probably not. What cross-cardio can offer though, is a fairly simple way to lose and manage your weight. Whether it’s treadmills, bikes, or ellipticals, you get to choose how long and how hard you are going to work. With you at the helm, the sweat equity that you gain from taking control is unmatched, because you know how much you’ve done to make yourself healthier.

In the end, it’s all about the sweat. If you don’t like that, then you won’t like this process, but if you find yourself dripping sweat after 30 mins you’ll find that in 30 days you feel a whole lot better.

Even though I mocked it, I promise it’s worth a try.