Wieghtlifting is VERY important for a runner.
very.
very.
very.
very important.
Are we clear? This has always been a controversy, and I'm just clearing things up if anyone is still confused.
You need to lift twice a week, no more than three times a week. Its best to have a two day break between each session, not one. You need only do one set of twelve for every major muscle group. you need to make sure you focus on the lesser muscle groups to avoid injury. A good session should take no longer than 30 minutes if you know what your doing. Cleans, deadlifts, snatches, etc are fantastic. You NEED to warmup and do dynamic (not static) stretching before lifting.
that pretty much summarizes all the key points. If you need anything clarified just ask.
And yes, I realize there are some of you out there that already know this and have known this for centuries, no need to hassle me about "stating the obvious". Some people are confused about wieghtlifting so I thought i would clear it up for them.