Just curious on what your opinion is on running during swim season. I had a coach one time tell me that it did more harm than good to run while training for swim because it reversed what you do in the water. Have found no evidence of this...
I don't run. Plain and simple. Running does aggrevate my left knee, and my ankles get sore from doing it too. I will occasionally go out to play soccer/practice soccer with my wife's city league team, or with my kids in the schoolyard. But running from Point A to Point B doesn't happen for me. :afraid:
Just curious on what your opinion is on running during swim season. I had a coach one time tell me that it did more harm than good to run while training for swim because it reversed what you do in the water. Have found no evidence of this...
"Reversing" seems a little strong.
I used to run a fair amount. But I found it hindered my swimming. I'm a sprinter and my swim practices are very kick dominant. Between that and drylands, my legs were too fried if I also ran. And I kept spraining my ankles. I got faster when I eliminated running and started yoga -- but this could be a sprint specific phenomenon. That said, many swimmers run as part of their cross training, as some of the mid-D types here have noted. There was just a blurb on this issue in Swimmer magazine. It is certainly the best exercise for weight loss or weight control.
The main detriment of running IMO is that it tightens up your ankles when they need to be as flexible as possible for swimming. And it's much easier to get injured.
Running makes my ankles less flexible, and it makes my calves tighter and more prone to cramping. It also improves overall cardiovascular fitness and mental toughness, and it lets me get outside in the open air during the non outdoor pool season.
Since I'm a triathlete I have already come to terms with mediocrity in any one sport :D. If I were a pure swimmer with some chance of winning things or breaking records, then I probably wouldn't run more than twice a week.
One thing I recommend when doing both hard running workouts and hard swims is to spend plenty of time stretching after each run. You might also want to invest in The Stick.
I believe Natalie Coughlin incorporates running in her year-round training, and I read that in her off-season it's her principal method for keeping aerobically fit.
I usually do a lot of running to get in cardiovascular shape for swim season. Then I begin to phase it out and spend more time in the water. I prefer to run outside so it also just kinda happens as the weather gets colder and winter sets in. If you enjoy running though or find it beneficial then go for it.
I use it as a means to an end. First, it helps me get a little leaner, slim down. Second, good for more cardio. Being middle distance I found that it helped me quite a bit in my training up to Nationals last Spring. Also, it breaks up the monotony of just swimming and drylands, especially when the weather is nice.
That being said, I only run a couple times a week, maybe three times in a big week. I'll go for about 30 min-hour a session
A typical run right before swim practice for us is anywhere from 6-8 miles... Then we're in the water for 2,500-3,000 of drills and sets. A lot of us are triathletes, so I suppose it can be chalked up to part of the normal training regimen... The same as group rides after Saturday practices.
This is not part of the Masters workout; it's something that some swimmers opt to participate in.
Does it help? I don't know. Does it hurt? I can't answer that either. Is it nice to have two solid hours of vigorous physical activity done by 6-7:00am? Absolutely!
I am currently recovering from a stress fracture, so no runs for me at the moment:cane:
Just curious on what your opinion is on running during swim season. I had a coach one time tell me that it did more harm than good to run while training for swim because it reversed what you do in the water. Have found no evidence of this...
I swim and run year-round, I don't follow any kind of seasons; if it isn't too cold (rare here in the Phoenix area) and I'm not sick, I typically swim 4-5 days a week, and run 3-5 days a week. My swims are usually 3,000 to 4,000 yards. Runs vary from a 2 mile recovery to 15+ miles, more if I'm training for something specific.
Agree with most of the others that running just gives a quick bang for your time as far as shedding weight. I ran when I was younger, got back in for some triathlons in my late 20s, then got back again about 5 years ago. I've been swimming for the past 15 or so years.
I certainly wouldn't say running reverses anything. Yes you can get injured, I've gotten injured from running and swimming too. Yes you can cramp up from running, and that's happened to me when I was only swimming also. Keeping some sort of balance is key, and there are many leg exercises you can do (step ups, box jumps, ladder drills, etc) that may help avoid injury. You may want to avoid swimming kick sets just before and/or after a run.
It mostly depends on you. How old you are, what you want to focus on, how much you do of either, if/how often you're racing (then what events you're racing), and I'm sure I can think of many other things.
Feel free to check out my blog if you want to see more of how I incorporate running and swimming.
Great for cardio! Distance needs more of that than sprinters!
Very true...but I've seen some sprinters that could try a little cardio too!! :) :afraid:
