Running and Strength Training

I'm beginning to realize that as much as I love running and cardio, I' would really benefit from more strength training. I used to get a lot of body weight training in ballet, but now I'm pretty much all cardio all the time. This will change somewhat as Luke and I have purchased a year-long membership to our local climbing gym, but I could honestly use strength training to also improve my climbing. In college I lifted 2 days a week and was quite strong with the muscles to prove it. I still have a pretty good musculature, but I've lost a lot of strength.

My weight training goals:
-improve upper body strength - biceps, triceps, shoulders, pecs, and upper back - to support arms and rock climbing

-improve core - abs, lats, back, gluts - for stability and strength in all sports, and as a preventative measure for my back as I age.

-strengthen lower body - hams, hips/gluts, quads, calf work only through ballet training) - this is mainly to prevent knee and hip injuries as well as improve efficiency in movement

I read a whole lot on Runner's World and decided that their core workouts looked interesting, but most of their strength training was sort of boring and static. I want something that uses dynamic movements to work a variety of muscles at the same time.

I decided to start with these exercises on Friday night: http://www.womens-running.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-275-559-13652-0,00.html

They're good all around stability/strength work outs, although I'm not used to working out and hot getting my heart pumping.

I added in some other squats and upper body work that I like. While at the gym, I spent a lot of time looking at what other people were doing. I've added and exercise in which you stand in 2nd position (legs apart, hips externally rotated), squat to 90 degrees, rotate one knee  into the body, and externally rotate it back to the squating position using the external rotators, return to standing. Repeat.

I'm also doing ball-core work that my friend Amanda taught me and 3 years later still kicks my ass.

I was sore, but in a good way. I'm going to aim to incorporate at least 3-4 exercises (3 sets of 10 reps) following all of my short runs, with a full body day on Fridays.

Today I did a 4.5 mile run and then the hamstring curls, lunges, the "rotating" squats, and abs.