Swimming VS Running

This is one area where Shaky and I disagree...I simply love running, and am a former marathoner. Due to inflexability, and muscular imbalance, I am in physical therapy for my knee. At the same time, if I pushed swimming too hard, I would be in pysical therapy for that too! (shoulders) The reason why I love running, is that it is very meditative...it is like active sleep in a way. Plus, all I have to do is lace up, and go out the door. It is so easy to go run. Most people run to get in shape--this is a mistake, and will make a person miserable. But, if a person is already in shape, and then runs, the experience is much more enjoyable. I cannot wait to run again...and am doing the underwater treadmill to get back. At the same time, I am gratefull for this last year of running and cycling injuries. A bad bike crash (darn clips!), and the knee thing are what brought me back to swimming and to the usms org. My goals are to loose 20 pounds (which running will do for me, regardless of what beer I drink--even Guiness), and compete in sprint distance tri's next spring. The bottom line is that running is awesome...it is so therapeutic (sp?), and the relaxation couln't be replicated any other way (unless I smoked grass or something...which I don't). So--running vs. swimming? there is no need to set them up against each other in my opinion...they're both fantastic! I will say that while running (and eating pizza ALL the time, and drinking beer the same amount of time, I was much slimmer in comparison to swimming...this could be due to other factors besides the activity itself...not sure. ) Have fun! Swim fast (or far!), Jerrycat ;)

This is one area where Shaky and I disagree...I simply love running, and am a former marathoner. Due to inflexability, and muscular imbalance, I am in physical therapy for my knee. At the same time, if I pushed swimming too hard, I would be in pysical therapy for that too! (shoulders) The reason why I love running, is that it is very meditative...it is like active sleep in a way. Plus, all I have to do is lace up, and go out the door. It is so easy to go run. Most people run to get in shape--this is a mistake, and will make a person miserable. But, if a person is already in shape, and then runs, the experience is much more enjoyable. I cannot wait to run again...and am doing the underwater treadmill to get back. At the same time, I am gratefull for this last year of running and cycling injuries. A bad bike crash (darn clips!), and the knee thing are what brought me back to swimming and to the usms org. My goals are to loose 20 pounds (which running will do for me, regardless of what beer I drink--even Guiness), and compete in sprint distance tri's next spring. The bottom line is that running is awesome...it is so therapeutic (sp?), and the relaxation couln't be replicated any other way (unless I smoked grass or something...which I don't). So--running vs. swimming? there is no need to set them up against each other in my opinion...they're both fantastic! I will say that while running (and eating pizza ALL the time, and drinking beer the same amount of time, I was much slimmer in comparison to swimming...this could be due to other factors besides the activity itself...not sure. ) Have fun! Swim fast (or far!), Jerrycat ;)