I am a runner and using swimming (right now) mostly for crosstraining, please don't hurt me. :D I know what these different zones are for running, but I don't know how they would correspond to actually swimming (putting them in practice). For runners, at least in the basic plan I'm following (Lydiard), you are not supposed to do any anaerobic training in your base phase (which I'm in), or very very little. I want to make sure that I am not going into anything more intense than LT, or at least be knowledgeable of what it takes to go into each zone.
I must add - I love swimming, I am thinking of maybe doing a triathlon one day or perhaps joining a club.
Thanks for the help!
-x
I would deem two 2,000 yd workouts using swimming as cross-training, no matter how easy it is. It's not running, and it is being used to help running, even as just a means of feeling good and recovering more quickly.
If you want to improve at running, the best thing to do is running. However, I think other activities certainly can be useful.
btw, I ran mile, 2mile, and XC (3mile) in HS (pretty much the farthest you can go in most meets), and now that I just graduated, I would guess I will be doing anywhere form 5K to 10K.
Eric, what you said earlier about doing "convoluted" workouts, that definitely sounds interesting. I don't know that much about Igloi but his methods are a rapid departure from most of the well-known, followed coaches nowadays. It makes you wonder how little/much we know.
Give the 2,000 yard workouts twice a week a shot. I've had a couple of young men that ran in college in my class and they felt swimming that small amount helped them. All three of the runners I have mentioned were very thin so the swimming may have given them a little extra power to have a good kick on the end of the race whatever the distance.
I do hope you will consider doing a triathlon. Both the fellows I mentioned took it up and did very well.
I would deem two 2,000 yd workouts using swimming as cross-training, no matter how easy it is. It's not running, and it is being used to help running, even as just a means of feeling good and recovering more quickly.
If you want to improve at running, the best thing to do is running. However, I think other activities certainly can be useful.
btw, I ran mile, 2mile, and XC (3mile) in HS (pretty much the farthest you can go in most meets), and now that I just graduated, I would guess I will be doing anywhere form 5K to 10K.
Eric, what you said earlier about doing "convoluted" workouts, that definitely sounds interesting. I don't know that much about Igloi but his methods are a rapid departure from most of the well-known, followed coaches nowadays. It makes you wonder how little/much we know.
Give the 2,000 yard workouts twice a week a shot. I've had a couple of young men that ran in college in my class and they felt swimming that small amount helped them. All three of the runners I have mentioned were very thin so the swimming may have given them a little extra power to have a good kick on the end of the race whatever the distance.
I do hope you will consider doing a triathlon. Both the fellows I mentioned took it up and did very well.
