I just had to cut another swim workout short due to leg cramps. This has become fairly common when I’m doing an afternoon swim following a morning run.
Anyone else have this issue or found a solution (in the case that switching the order isn’t an option)?
I get them when pushing off in the pool It’s strange
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I get them too. I’ve found that I get fewer leg cramping episodes if I roll out my legs and stretch before getting in the water. Just get on deck about 15 minutes early to do all that…
I just had to cut another swim workout short due to leg cramps. This has become fairly common when I’m doing an afternoon swim following a morning run.
Anyone else have this issue or found a solution (in the case that switching the order isn’t an option)?
After what sort of distance? I’ll start to get some foot cramps around 3k when I run IMMEDIATELY before jumping in the pool. I wrote in a previous post that these episodes were much worse when I was trying really hard to force hydration. I run and bike really intensely and sweat salty and prolifically, so I thought that aggressively replacing both would be beneficial. It hasn’t worked out that way. Moderate fluid intake throughout the day appears to be optimal for me.
I just had to cut another swim workout short due to leg cramps. This has become fairly common when I’m doing an afternoon swim following a morning run.
Anyone else have this issue or found a solution (in the case that switching the order isn’t an option)?
Why do anything other than a cool down swim after a run? Time limitations, pool availabilty?
Even with a cool down swim, I try to avoid things that might aggravate a cramp like forcing a toe point or pushing hard off the wall. Usually they go away if I don’t exaggerate the toe plant or switch to some breaststroke.
There could be a multitude of other reasons; yet, if the cramps only happen after a run, I would swim first rather than run.
This was a huge issue for me when I switched to evening swims and had morning runs/bikes.
It seemed to be an electrolyte issue for me, and I they greatly diminished once I started to replenish them throughout the day/during the swim.
Still not completely gone, but it’s reduced them by 80%+
I have similar issues in the pool, especially when pushing off the wall, so I often will do a lot of work with a pull buoy when I feel the cramps coming. You don’t derive that much power from your legs anyway, so I doubt I am missing that much.
You don’t derive that much power from your legs anyway, so I doubt I am missing that much.
You can derive a lot of speed from your legs if you use them properly.
You don’t derive that much power from your legs anyway, so I doubt I am missing that much.
You can derive a lot of speed from your legs if you use them properly.
This was the best article I could find, but I remember reading several years ago that even the best swimmers get 20% or less of their speed from their legs. We use our legs, but they pale in comparison to the upper body.
https://www.arenawaterinstinct.com/…-freestyle-leg-kick/
EDIT: This article pegs it around ~30%
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2015/563206/
I get them too. I’ve found that I get fewer leg cramping episodes if I roll out my legs and stretch before getting in the water. Just get on deck about 15 minutes early to do all that…
Going to try to work this into these sessions
I just had to cut another swim workout short due to leg cramps. This has become fairly common when I’m doing an afternoon swim following a morning run.
Anyone else have this issue or found a solution (in the case that switching the order isn’t an option)?
After what sort of distance? I’ll start to get some foot cramps around 3k when I run IMMEDIATELY before jumping in the pool. I wrote in a previous post that these episodes were much worse when I was trying really hard to force hydration. I run and bike really intensely and sweat salty and prolifically, so I thought that aggressively replacing both would be beneficial. It hasn’t worked out that way. Moderate fluid intake throughout the day appears to be optimal for me.
These kick in around 1k and the swim is generally at least an hour after I finish the run. Funny that both “hydrate more” and “don’t hydrate more” advice came out of this thread. Freaking cramps ¯_(ツ)_/¯
I just had to cut another swim workout short due to leg cramps. This has become fairly common when I’m doing an afternoon swim following a morning run.
Anyone else have this issue or found a solution (in the case that switching the order isn’t an option)?
After what sort of distance? I’ll start to get some foot cramps around 3k when I run IMMEDIATELY before jumping in the pool. I wrote in a previous post that these episodes were much worse when I was trying really hard to force hydration. I run and bike really intensely and sweat salty and prolifically, so I thought that aggressively replacing both would be beneficial. It hasn’t worked out that way. Moderate fluid intake throughout the day appears to be optimal for me.
These kick in around 1k and the swim is generally at least an hour after I finish the run. Funny that both “hydrate more” and “don’t hydrate more” advice came out of this thread. Freaking cramps ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Oh I know, it’s totally frustrating. And the literature isn’t much help either, which means there are likely a variety of factors involved. And honestly, they can be crippling for days. I was a recreational bodybuilder back in my douchier days and some of the quad cramps I got after running were more severe than even the worst DOMS after the most brutal squat days. It felt like my quads were ripping off of my femurs. Best of luck.
Is the general rule to swim before running?
Is the general rule to swim before running?
I always swim immediately after (as in, get off the treadmill, change and jump in the pool), without much problem. For context though, I’m running a max of 8 miles; 3 miles warmup and usually ~4 x 1 mile at best-effort pace. I’ll only occasionally get a calf cramp during a pull set late in the workout.
I’ve found that is a LOT harder to maintain body position if I swim right after runs. To counter this I’ll just log some pull buoy yardage. Running after swimming works much better for me. Swimming is a form sport, so it makes sense to do it without incoming fatigue from another activity…plus it comes first in races.
I have a lot of calf cramps in the pool from pushing off the wall even when I haven’t been on the bike prior to. My solution is to swim early if I can but getting on the bike too late in the day is a problem as hot and rainy as it’s been this summer.
I’m eating a lot of bananas…
this problem has been absolutely plaguing me this summer. I used to be able to do a long run before breakfast and then knock out a solid swim at lunch but now if I even look at water on a Sunday afternoon I get all crampy. Ughh.
Eric
I just had to cut another swim workout short due to leg cramps. This has become fairly common when I’m doing an afternoon swim following a morning run.
Anyone else have this issue or found a solution (in the case that switching the order isn’t an option)?
swimmers get all of their speed from their legs
You don’t derive that much power from your legs anyway, so I doubt I am missing that much.
You can derive a lot of speed from your legs if you use them properly.
This was the best article I could find, but I remember reading several years ago that even the best swimmers get 20% or less of their speed from their legs. We use our legs, but they pale in comparison to the upper body.
https://www.arenawaterinstinct.com/…-freestyle-leg-kick/
EDIT: This article pegs it around ~30%
https://www.hindawi.com/...ls/bmri/2015/563206/
so simple, thanks
I get them too. I’ve found that I get fewer leg cramping episodes if I roll out my legs and stretch before getting in the water. Just get on deck about 15 minutes early to do all that…
Due to time constraints I often combine a swim and a run session at the gym during the same visit. I started off running first and then swimming as it seemed the more natural progression through the gym. The result was that my swim workouts suffered as my legs dragged along and my swim speed and efficiency declined. Since switching to swimming first then running, my swim workouts have improved dramatically without compromising my treadmill sessions too much. This is a more logical swim-run ‘brick’ approach if you ask me, unless you are a strong swimmer who can maintain technique with that degree of fatigue in the system.