What's are your favorite crosstraining activities? Do you like it for general overall fitness or because it specifically benefits your swimming? Explain.
Parents
Former Member
I started out as a full fledged twice a day runner/competitive racer. Due to stress fractures, I took swimming lessons. Now, 25 years later, I have stopped running for many reasons: calves would get tight and cramp in the pool, toes would cramp, legs always felt too heavy, my kick was nonexistent. I realized when I HAD to stop running due to health problems that my swimming/kick/feet/calves felt soooo much better! However, if I had a choice (sorry swimmers:rolleyes:) I would run every day. Why? It's easy, you only need running shoes, (well, of course, shorts and top), you can run any time, anywhere, you are always thin. you are NOT ravenously starving 24/7, you don't smell like chlorine, you're not a slave to pool hours, your hair isn't always semi-dry and your skin doesn't feel like paper. And the extra bonus--you always feel euphoric while running and energized when done. It's a very spiritual activity for me. Spinning has been able to keep my heart rate up, but is no replacement for me like running. However, I am totally in love with swimming, I just hate all the issues that come with it - pools too hot, hours stink, noodlers in the lanes, classes in the lanes, etc.
I started out as a full fledged twice a day runner/competitive racer. Due to stress fractures, I took swimming lessons. Now, 25 years later, I have stopped running for many reasons: calves would get tight and cramp in the pool, toes would cramp, legs always felt too heavy, my kick was nonexistent. I realized when I HAD to stop running due to health problems that my swimming/kick/feet/calves felt soooo much better! However, if I had a choice (sorry swimmers:rolleyes:) I would run every day. Why? It's easy, you only need running shoes, (well, of course, shorts and top), you can run any time, anywhere, you are always thin. you are NOT ravenously starving 24/7, you don't smell like chlorine, you're not a slave to pool hours, your hair isn't always semi-dry and your skin doesn't feel like paper. And the extra bonus--you always feel euphoric while running and energized when done. It's a very spiritual activity for me. Spinning has been able to keep my heart rate up, but is no replacement for me like running. However, I am totally in love with swimming, I just hate all the issues that come with it - pools too hot, hours stink, noodlers in the lanes, classes in the lanes, etc.
