First of all, weight training is not a bad thing. I think weight training can be helpful. It has the opportunity to keep your muscles in balance and to help keep a person toned. Which is a good thing. The problems with lifting weights, for a runner, is when you begin lifting to get stronger, so that you see how much you can lift. This is the goal for athletes in sports such a football and wrestling, and usually weight events in track. A distance runner should be slight in build, not muscular. Yes, it can be said that by being more muscularly strong, that you may be able to have a better finishing kick. I'm not sure if that is completely accurate. The question of the benefit of lifting can be seen more clearly when you look at all the runners that have great kicks and run super fast, and don't lift at all. There are to many to say that lifting will make you faster. So, that being said..... Do lifting as a form of entertainment. That's right, do it for fun. Lifting can be fun if you approach it correctly. Try to develop a lifting plan that will fit in a form of circut training. What that means is that you try to lift for the muscular endurance benefit. Start with one lift, upper body, and do sets that are larger in number, with lower weight. Then when you finish with that lift, go immediately to another lift for the lower body. Repeat the process. Then upon completion, immediately go to the next upper body lift. The goal is to use weights low enough to complete without the use of a spoter. This is where machines are nice rather than free weights. Try to set up a plan to be able to lift individually, because, I'm afraid this is the way it's going to be for the rest of your life, once you leave school. You'll want to use this class to educate yourself to be able to do the activity later in life, not just for now. Now, the fact remains that you have an instructor. Just like coaches, all instructors are different, and they will handle situations differently with each student. You will need to listen when they give class instruction, and then when the opportunity arises when you can speak to them alone, that would be the time to explain what benefits that you would like to acheive with the class. Remember, you are pretty much expected to do what the instructor wants. That's what makes a lifting class so tricky. Of course, you know this. The bigger question may be that of why you would sign up for the class after already having problems with one in the past. You should always have the following in your mind when making decisions. "those who fail to remember the past, are condemned to repeat it." (I'm sorry that's not a direct quote, but it's somewhat close) Bill

well, i signed up for weight training because i thought it would help me with my running which it has tremendously. My teacher mr. stang is nice , but he has our workouts set weird. Like on mondays, we do squats and towel bench, so a lower and upper workout, on tuesday, its auxilary, with dumb bells. Then we have push press and power cleans. Im really not worried about the lifting in a way, i am though because he wants us to keep adding weight to improve, but its also a grade, and i have talked with him and i cant drop the class, i have already checked into that. He also told me lift what i can. So, i could discuss with him doing less weight, and by myself , when i do need a spotter , then i could ask someone. There are no runners in my class , so i cant work with any of them! In a way, im scared!! because running is the biggest part of my life,and i dont want to ruin it. I will talk to my teacher tomorrow in the morning and discuss my situation , then i will get back to you!! Thanks as always , for the advice and support! LOni