I have read a lot about deep water running and have gained some valuable info from the archives…My question is…most articles/info discuss the benefits as it relates to water over 8 feet (above your head…meaning you need the flotation device)…Has anybody been training using 4-5ft depths in a pool? My pool doesn’t have a deep end…
Can you achieve the same benefits - less impact, decent fitness, good alternative to running?
I have tried several sessions recently and it seems to be working fairly well (still on Dr’s. order not to run outside)…I have been able to keep my HR in Z2 (much tougher to keep the heart going than I would have thought)…and the best part…I have not had any knee pain after these sessions…
Curious on anybodys thoughts…could be a nice additional run session for longer Ironman weeks…other than the road or dreadmill!
You mean running in place in the water where your feet touch the bottom of the pool? There have been a couple of studies recently showing good results with plyometrics done that way. I can’t see that there would be any harm in it, although you wouldn’t get the hamstring / gluteal work that you would in deep water with a complete follow-through.
Edit:
You should expect your HR to be lower in the water because the hydrostatic pressure improves venous return. Let perceived exertion guide your effort instead of HR for water running.
I travel a lot and have to aqua run in hotel swimmng pools (depth < 6 feet). It works pretty well. I have to incline on my back (lay more on my back) a bit vs. upright. But, it seems to give me just as good of a workout (perceived exertion) as when I aqua run in deep pools.
Assuming you can touch bottom, with your head out of water, some skill training might be appropriate. Skips, high knees and some short runs. Kick outs and butt kicks maight be good as well. The resitance due tot eh waer will make your motion slower so you can really concentrate on proper form and proprioception. Also good way to work the hipflexors, since you don’t get much resistance with upward leg motion in air.
Also if you have an aquajogger, you should be able to run in about 5 feet of water without touching bottom, unless you are like 6’6" or something.
Yes…I think…I mean running from one end of the pool to the other end…plowing through the water…seems to be much less impact on the knee’s and my legs feel like they have had a good workout afterwards…not sure yet how it really compares to “real road” running…
Like you said…I may be missing some of the hamstring/gluteal work that you would acheive with a complete follow-through in the deep end…
What is the nature of your injury? Does it preclude pushing off the ground? If it does kick on your stomach and back instead of running. You will also reap huge benefits.
Running in shallow water changes the form of the run and it is more bouncing up and down with a pronounced knee lift as opposed to sweeping your legs in deep water.
I do train about 90-100 people a week in deepwater running.
Injury could be just an overuse knee injury…I developed slight knee pain about 3 weeks ago from some of my longer runs (13 miles or more)…Doctor prescribed cortizone and said stay off for 6 days and see what happens…If after 6 days I still have knee pain from the runs…than I will get reffered to a specialist.
So a thought I had was to try and supplement my runs with running in the pool…Problem is our pool is not very deep (4.5-5 feet at it’s deepest part). My question is more of…is this a waste of time…and possibly a bad thing by plowing through the shallow water (4-5 ft), keeping good running form (which i have noticed is tough to do…esp if you are a midfoot/heal striker), and heart rate in Z2…
Would I be better off…trying to get in the deepest part of the pool and use the aqua belt to sweep the leg across the water as opposed to running through it? I am 6ft2…so not sure if my form would be pathetic in 5 ft of water…
Stay off your feet for a few days. Running in shallow water at this point in your recovery will not help you. YOu can get your cardio workout from kicking and it will help your swimming as well.
What type of knee injury do you have? I recently developed patellar tendoinits and found the following on steroidal shots;
“Steroid injections into the patellar tendon should be avoided at all costs. Cortisone weakens tendinous tissue and can lead to patellar tendon rupture. This is a devastating and career ending complication. Patients with very resistant cases in which a steroid injection is considered, must be counseled about the possible complications.”
I use a noodle under my arms and keep my body at a 45 degree angle so that I do not put any stress on my injured back. In fact I am doing all my training in the pool (strength,cardio, and endurance) and I have been receiving great benefits