Weight Lifting?

Tuesday's on the Run asks:

Strength Training: Yay or Nay?  I mean, obviously Yay.  I started over a year ago with a 'just go do something at least 3 times/week' and 'experiment, find what works, most important thing is to get into the habit of doing it 3/week' attitude. From there I had help from a trainer, classes, and some programs from the internet. 
Now I do a rip off of the 5x5 program two days/week (A and B days) and one day of single leg/single arms stuff with kettle bells.  All days have a push, a press, and legs components.  Workouts are 20-30 minutes. 

What's Your Favorite Thing?  I hate them all? No, that's not true.  I kind of like them all.  The most improvement I've seen is my confidence in the bench press.  I used to use dumbbells.  But I've started using the bar and generally am not afraid of strangling myself with a weight too heavy to lift.  Progress, right?

Have You Seen the Benefits in Your Runs?  Yes?  I made a bunch of changes around the same time last year including weights, changes to my diet, and some speed workouts last spring.  So it's hard to attribute cause to one change or another.  What I remember was a total lack of soreness after last year's Flying Pig Half Marathon. Usually after that I'm so sore I can't walk for a day or two. By the time I got to the 10 miler I was in some of the best shape of my life and the race reflected that.