I think this will help tons. I don’t think I will have to run outside as much and beat my body up. This improves overall budgeting of time and makes going to the pool that much more worthwhile. If you keep saying going to the pool isn’t worth the time invested, then re-think the way you spend your time at the pool. If this is not good enough, then throw in a good kick set, which gives your legs just as good of a workout as an LT set on the bike.
Heck, you could train for the whole race at the pool:
swim, then HARD kick set, then water running. no impact great cardio, good specificity and you are set.
been swimming 2x3000 a week for the last 3 months… I just hit 25,000 for the week this morning… errrr afternoon… (company x-mas party last night)… HOLY CRAP talk about BOOST!!!.. 1000 free with paddles (and i use really really big paddles)… 10:20 I was like geez where in the world did that come from. Starting masters in January… cant wait!!! Back to structured swim practices!!! That Ralph’s split ought to be Goooooood.
I think aqua running is a great cardio workout. I had to do it when I injured my knee earlier this year. But, I think you should only do it if you are injured and can’t run or do it as a recovery session in place of running. I think I read somewhere that Kate Major does aqua running for recovery so she doesn’t beat up her body as much, but I’m sure she is still running good quality miles in training. I think you are right about not beating your body up, but when you talk about specificity do you mean aqua running is specific to ironman training? If you are training for an ironman I wouldn’t count on aqua running giving you a strong finish.
Aqua running is a great recovery or post injury (comeback) type of training.But it can never replace the way actual running impacts your legs.You have to run in order to prepare your body for the pounding you receive.Same applies to bicycling as well.
1000 in 10:20!!! Shit, I was proud when I did 400 in 8:45 on Friday. Can I draft off of you in the swim?
I haven’t been getting that much pool time in lately, but I went on Friday and it was below 50 degrees outside. I’m becoming more hardcore about swimming. I lost a lot of swim fitness when I went off a structured swim program. I’m also trying to change my stroke based upon advice from Doug Stern so rebuilding my stroke has slowed me down a bit as well.
You still need to show me some things in the pool, BTW.
Both the snow and the cold have hit pretty fast and hard this year so I am at the pool 5-6 times a week. 3 times a week I’ve been doing a 1500 EZ, jump out and hit the treadmill in the nearby workout area at the Y, run for three miles and then head back for another 1000 or so. The first swim gets everything loose, the run is usually pretty decently paced (7-7:30 minute @mile), and then the last set I can get the cold water back on the legs to keep 'em recovered and then go a bit harder on that second swim.
