I just did an hour of aqua jogging as the result of my ankle sprain.
Wow…why have I not done this before? We’ve all been wasting our time with this triathlon thing. All that fresh air, trails and scenery. What a waste when there is the glorious world of aqua jogging available.
My friend the late Doug Stern sort of… “invented” deep water running. He ran Deep Water Running classes in New York City and at his annual Triathlon Training Camps in Curacao.
We would do this class and then swim out past the breakwater into the beautiful sea.
When you’re sore from training, as we were by about the third or fourth day in Curacao, it was a good workout without any impact. It felt good. Sometimes fish would attack your toes.
His training camps were about this time of year.
That sounds lovely, Tom.
I hope I didn’t offend with my sarcasm. I completely understand the necessity of aqua jogging.
No- not at all sir. Frankly, it is a trifle odd…
In Curacao, big fun. In the pool at the local Y, like fun, but different…
I hear ya… stress fracture landed me double duty at the pool… for the past 4 weeks. Last trip, all the lanes were taken and there was an elderly man (I’m talking in his 80s) walking in one of the end lanes. He sees me sitting on the bench patiently waiting my turn when he stops and asks me, “Are you going to walk too? We can share the lane.” Feeling pretty humbled, I muttered something like, “Yeah, walking, running…what’s the difference…” and climbed in next to him.
An hour of “running” in the pool is one of the most mentally challenging workouts I’ve done. Only thing worse was to follow up a “run” with an hour swim.
Ha ha. Yeah, I think brought the average age of the pool down by about 40 years when I got in.
aqua-jogging was substantially more brutal before the adventof the waterproof ipod case!
aqua-jogging was substantially more hardcore before the advent of the waterproof ipod case!
I just had the itch to fix it…
Oh indeed. Mine is en-route from Amazon.com as we speak!
aqua-jogging was substantially more brutal before the adventof the waterproof ipod case!
word.
I have been deep water running several times a week the past 4 months due to a sacral stress fracture. The waterproof iPod case is worth its weight in gold right now (especially after I ruined a couple sets of earbuds and almost an iPod in some lame, cheap-o attempts to ‘waterproof’ them enough for use in the pool- fwiw, I learned my lesson to just spend the $$ on the case 
…)
I have gotten to the point where music is losing its allure, and I am listening to continuing ed. podcasts related to my profession in an attempt to ‘off- set’ how dumb I was feeling from staring at a brick wall for hours per week.
Hang in there on the water running! In my n=1, as I am coming back to running, it is looking like my experience is agreeing with much of the literature that water running CAN maintain fitness!
And, welcome to the wonderful, lonely world of water running!
I deep water ran for about 7 weeks last year at this time due to an achilles injury. I did two days a week in the water, one day on the Alter-G treadmill initially, and then gradually added regular running back in. In the water I would always include some intervals, such as 1:30 hard followed by 30 seconds rest X 7-10 reps. I would do more steady state endurance stuff otherwise, and run up to 90 minutes each session. I had read about studies of track athletes that seemed to establish that you could keep your running fitness if you did the interval work as part of the deep water running work.
While I think the Alter-G treadmill, which allowed me to add more interval work in at less than full body weight, also helped, I’m convinced that the intervals in the pool worked. If you do them right, they absolutely kick your ass and leave you gasping at the edge of the pool during recovery.
When I did my first few races in May and June (which were olympic distance), I was still running on the ground only about 10 miles a week, along with one water run and one Alter-G speedwork session, yet my running speed was right where it was before. I’m convinced that the deep water running regimen helped keep my fitness during this period.
Of course, I had to spend hundreds of dollars on a psychiatrist to bring me down from the ledge after being bored out of my mind while doing so (even with music)…as hard a mental "workout’ as you’ll get.
Due to my general penchant for breaking parts of my body…I pool run a lot. I ran a 10-mile PR off of virtually no land running a couple years ago when I broke my foot. I actually bought a cheap waterproof MP3 player, which is a valuable tool (even if I only have 5 albums on it, and just listen to them on repeat :p). My pool is pretty shallow, so I have to be content with doing tiny little laps that are about 15 feet long, as that is the only spot that’s deep enough. But it’s a great workout, and is also good for helping cadence/turnover and an efficient footstrike. I generally use a modified version of the Pfitz plan.
My longest training session in the pool was just over 2:30. The lifeguards, I am sure, thought I was nutz.
Replied to mmrocker, but this is kind of an open-ended question…
I just had hip arthroscopy to repair a torn labrum and correct an impingement so I’m unable to run for the next three months…does anyone have any suggestions of pool running workouts or training plans you’ve found helpful in maintaining fitness or that are just fun to do? Any suggestions would be appreciated, I’d rather hang out in my pool for a couple hours than deal with the elliptical at the gym.
Thanks!
…does anyone have any suggestions of pool running workouts or training plans you’ve found helpful in maintaining fitness or that are just fun to do? Any suggestions would be appreciated, I’d rather hang out in my pool for a couple hours than deal with the elliptical at the gym.
Thanks!
Hello, I’m a runner (not a triathete, I just lurk to benefit from the knowledge here), and recently spent 7 weeks exclusively pool running due to a broken foot, without too much loss of fitness.
I essentially just replicated my running schedule in the pool. My weekly track workout was replaced by 10 intervals of 3 minutes very hard, 1 minute recovery. I also did a 40 minute “tempo” each week (trying to hit that perceived effort), and a “long run” of 2:30 - 3:00 (company helps for that one).
It’s shameless self promotion, but I maintained a blog about my injury/pool running experience – you might find my weekly training or observations on pool-running helpful.
I don’t have any particular workouts or programs to recommend but, in terms of equipment, I would highly recommend these: http://www.amazon.com/Aquafins-Aquatic-Exercise-Fins-Kit/dp/B000VVLY2G. Like a number of others responding to this thread, I’ve had several months off running with an injury. I’ve found these aqua fins to be great, in terms of adding extra load to the lower leg and enabling a tougher workout. I also agree that a waterproof iPod case (otterbox or similar) is essential sanity-preserving equipment.
Replied to mmrocker, but this is kind of an open-ended question…
I just had hip arthroscopy to repair a torn labrum and correct an impingement so I’m unable to run for the next three months…does anyone have any suggestions of pool running workouts or training plans you’ve found helpful in maintaining fitness or that are just fun to do? Any suggestions would be appreciated, I’d rather hang out in my pool for a couple hours than deal with the elliptical at the gym.
Thanks!
I use this one (or variations of it): http://www.pfitzinger.com/labreports/water.shtml
My longest training session in the pool was just over 2:30. The lifeguards, I am sure, thought I was nutz.
WOW. Maybe the most impressive workout I’ve ever heard. The thing with water running is you have to look at the clock because it is impossible to judge time when it doesn’t move.
After my hip surgery I was a straight-up pool runner (what is this ‘jog’ thing you’re talking about…? ) for a good three months. It can be about as exciting as watching water freeze (mmm… bad analogy. pool is cold enough as it is) but you can get a good workout! As you’ve already figured out the music part, that definitely helps, but even better if you can drag another injured athlete with you.
If you need any ideas for intervals or something, I did a long blog post about it after that injury. I still try to pool run occasionally in attempts to even out the pounding, but now that I do the whole ‘triathlon thing’ I usually just swim instead. 
Another option to bump up the intensity is ditch the belt (if you’re using one), or take it off for intervals. You can find the posts here: http://www.drtrirunner.com/train-on-top/ (pool running part 1 and part 2)
Just another tid-bit on history of running in the water … horse trainers have long used water running for horses for rehab as well as general training.
I have been water jogging for the last 6 weeks, with 8 more weeks to go…I find it tough, but sometimes fun as I marvel at just how slow I actually move. My wife says I look like a dog swimming with my head poking out of the water!
Cheers,