Running. Does it help your swimming or is it an interesting diversion? A lot of people here seem to cross train with running. (Some are obviously triathletes). USS teams now have their swimmers running. But does running really help swimming?
For me, I'm not so sure. I think it helps a bit on the cardio side and may build leg strength. I do it to tighten everything up, because I like being outside and it gives my shoulders a break. But I'm not sure I wouldn't be better off with more pool time if my body could take it.
Former Member
Must I answer to you about my posts, are you the rules dictator? Swimmer lisa this note not meant for you.
Let me ask a different and more civil way.
The discussion about cross-training has been a good one with lots of useful information. I want to be sure I didn't miss your point within the quote. Was it meant to relate to cross-training or did you just think it was a good quote?
The quote refers to the fact you must apply yourself to training whether cross training, specific training, or you will not accomplish anything. To relate to my past I did not accomplish all that I wanted but do not feel cheated.
Only if you are runnig with scissors. It is a great movie. I think everyone should go see Running with Scissors.
Scissor Sisters? Are we talking about music now as well?
My goodness, this thread has taken some truly bizarre turns.
:laugh2:
The problem with running as a means of improving swimming, is that ideally, one has to prepare carefully for a run training regiment.
Here are few recommendations :
- Ideally, consult a specialist. My english isn't good enough to tell you which specialist. But it should be someone specialized in shoe insole. This is in case your leg isn't in perfect alignment.
- Buy new running shoes. Don't take an old pair that you have in the basement. You need specialized shoes. The aforementioned specialist should be able to tell you if you need neutral or self-corrective shoes.
- Replace them on a regular basis
- Start a run training regiment by gradually building up the volume. You may start by as low as 15min 2 or 3 times/week. And add let's say 5min every week.
- Should you ever feel the slightest pain, lower the volume and/or perform some running in alternance with walking (www.jeffgalloway.com/.../marathon.html)
Bare in mind that running is biomechanically opposite to swimming. Great runners don't usually make good swimmers vice-versa. More specifically, the problem is the ankles. What you expect from them as a freestyle swimmer is totally the opposite as what you expect from them a runner.
Too many people recommend running as a means to improve fitness regardless of those important details. It's the case of most physed teachers, and poorly paid gym kinesiologists who don't hesitate to recommend it to overweight people on a treadmill, 30min in a row at the time with poor running shoes. A shame really !
Clearly, Ian has a well rounded training program (as i imagine most athletes of that caliber do), but running three miles a couple of days a week is one activity that i cannot identify as having specific benefits (or that are not made redundant by other activities on the list)
Am I wrong?
I doubt he is intentionally wasting his time. Obviously he finds it of some benefit.
As a controled experiment:
Take two weeks off from swimming and spend that time on the track or the road, or on trails, or on stairs. If you enter the water a better swimmer after that, I will go buy a pair of running shoes (and a singlet too).......deal?
This isn't a controlled experiement. No one would argue that taking two weeks off from swimming and doing anything else would be of value to swimming. Everyone knows that time away will be detrimental. C'mon, get real.
I think what some of us are saying is that we find swimming, in conjunction with running, is providing us value with swimming. None of us is alleging we would improve by quitting swimming and running only.
The singlet ...also known as a man-kini....or man-bra ....must be worn in the water as well.
Now this really cracked me up. Unfortunately, I was on a conference call at the time.
What is the point of this man-kini? Is it a vanity thing for biking and running?
Many years ago in Sports Illustrated I read about the new superstar swimmer that was starting to turn the swimming world upside down. His name was Michael Gross and was nicknamed "the Albatross". He set World Records that year in the 200 Fee, 400 Free, and the 200 Fly and was the Olympic Gold medalist in 1984 in the 200 Free, 100 Fly, and was upset by Jon Sieben in the 200 Fly and got the silver. They decribed his days activity and workouts. One of things that surprised me was how much running he did on the roads and trails as part of his workout. He was 6' 7" inches and weighted between 170 and 175. He had a wing span of 7 feet and 5 inches. He had the most unusal body I had ever seen for swimming until Ian Thorpe and Michael Phelps came along.
I believe the article said he ran between 10K and 15k about 3 times a week at a fairly fast pace of 6 minutes per mile or faster. I remember the explanation for this was that it was good cross training for himself just like the dryland work he did as part of his routine. He said it really didn't help his swimming technically but in ways helped his overall endurance and cut down on the massive volumes of work that he was doing in the pool. That he was able to punish his body in a different way aerobically and adapt to a different level of physical stress overload worked for him and thus increase his endurance fitness to maximize anaerobic and speed development later in the training cycle for swimming. As he got closer to his peak meets he would back off on the running and then not do it at all. That the running, just like the dryland and weights was only part of the training in the early period cycle and that they are not substitutes for swimming but complement the swimming training.
Another study that I remember reading in Swim Technique was a substiute of running for swimming during a 2 week time period. I believe the study was done by David Costill and the results of the study revealed that VO2 max may have increased but swimming performance did not compared to the swimmers that did not run but just swam. My believe here is that this makes complete sense. Because swimming not only requires training the different systems but technical water training that you would not experience in running. Another words the constant repetition of body movements contibutes to skills while you are swimming developing specificity to that particular stroke, drill, or sets that you do while developing the body to be swim specific and not just building endurance aerobically.
Wow, I don't look at the USMS forums for a few days and then it takes me an hour just to catch up on this one thread!!
I am running now and not swimming because my team's season does not start until mid-Nov (we take the SCM season off) and I suck at swimming on my own. Actually, I suck at training any sport without a team/group.
So... the running is for a 10k I'm doing with my sister Nov 11 (running on my own, but fear of utter humiliation by baby sister keeps me going). Swim team starts back up Nov 15th. The running will help my swimming simply because if I wasn't training for the 10k I'd probably be sitting on my butt. As soon as I finish that 10k I don't plan to run again until after IL States (April). Then I'll run enough to respectably finish the local triathlon I do.
In the past, I have run before during the swim season. Didn't notice anything wrt freestyle, but running destroys my breaststroke. My legs are pooped. The breaststroke times really drop when I stop running, but I get the same effect by tapering too (50 *** dropped over 3 sec last season from in-season meets to tapered meets), so dunno if the time improvement is from running or just tapering.
Regardless, the only thing I really believe about running is QUIT RUNNING at least a week or 2 (or more) out from your big shave-and-taper meet!
