Occasionally (when the pool is closed, or full of 8 year olds, or I just want to get outside but it’s too cold/choppy for an open water swim) I’ll swap a swim workout for kayaking. I’d never do that for a key workout, just if I had a hour straight swim scheduled. Recently I had LASIK and that kept me from the pool for 6+ weeks (3 weeks before, 3 weeks after) and during that time I was only kayaking- no swimming. I was able to come back feeling nearly as strong as before (and I could see a whole lot better!) This leads me to belive it works the same muscles, and in a similar enough fashion to reap some endurance and strength gains. Of course swimming is, in my opinion, more about technique then anything. This this is where my argument falls apart.
No specific question here. I just want to hear some thoughts and ideas about kayaking, surfing, SPB’ing, and other forms of cross-training for swimming…
My thoughts: I dont believe there can be any empirical conversion from one cross-training sport to another. For example, and hour of xc-skiing is and hour of xc skiing, sure it will help cycling (a lot) and may prevent an injury, but you weren’t cycling and therefore you can never say there is a golden rule for cross training conversion.
I am no expert. I do have a background in flat water sprint kayaking. I stopped competing in 1990. I never had any formal swimming coaching. Little more on kayaking.
I have competitively raced at elite level for 8 years. One World championship, one European championship. Distances were from 500m,1000m to 10000m and a few 42k marathon races. I trained 6 days a week avg about 40-50km/day. Fast forward 2007/2008 winter.
For the first time I follow a structured swim program, mostly from Triathlete’s Guide to Swim Training, some from Training Peaks VC…I swim 3 times a week.I had a swim split during sprint tri that avg 1:15/100y( 600y distance). I competed in 3 triathlons, all sprint, 500-600y and have always got out of the water in top 5. Probably the real competitors were somewhere else.
These are the facts from my personal experience. Yes there is a correlation between the two as Eastern European kayaking coaches used pool to some degree with athletes during months of inclement weather. Pull part of the stroke in kayaking has some similarities with pull during swim. Keep in mind however that due to principle of specificity it is never the same benefit. Kayaking hardly utilizes legs among other things. Many other obvious differences. But it may work for some when you can’t swim, I guess it will substitute. It is always better than nothing. There is also an argument that if you can’t swim, you can work on another sport that is a limiter for your performance in triathlon. Run or bike, time invested better, probably.
i would say there is some correlation. I have been doing some adventure racing and paddling 2-3 times per week for that. Each year I barely swim until about 8 weeks out from the adventure race (which has a swim leg) and then I do 2 x 2km swim sessions per week, after 8 weeks I am swimming as fast as when I used to do 3 squad sessions per week all year round. So I think the paddling helps, having said that first swim session back I suck, so it is not direct substitute.
I have done both sports competively, and definatley kayaking will help your swimming. It is probably a lot like water running is to road running. I’ve heard of people that have to lay off the roads for a month or more, but lost nothing while in the water. I’m a better swimmer when I’m paddling, probably the strenght aspect of it as well as endurance. You are pushing and pulling with the arms, so a lot of the same muscles as swimming. I suppose if you already are a good swimmer with good strokes, it would be a better alternate workout when you are injured, as compared to a non swimmer who trys it…
Wow, I thought this thread had died. Thanks for the feedback.
I can’t possibly imagine kayaking 50k. I mean, I’m sure I could if it was life or death. Man that’s a lot.
Anyway, that’s pretty much what I expected. My feeling is that one can attain an acceptable level of swimming proficiency w/ a few weeks of training. If you have the base fitness you can (re)learn the technique. Not ideal, but laps suck. Kayaking is way more fun, for me anyway.