Swim Training

[riley96]

I am Just wondering why more swim training is not used for up and coming track athletes in running programs. Swimming can so help long distance runners. You do not have to be a great swimmer to add It to a program. any comments

[riley96]

I am Just wondering why more swim training is not used for up and coming track athletes in running programs. Swimming can so help long distance runners. You do not have to be a great swimmer to add It to a program. any comments

[coachfaulds]

Apr 24, 2010 13:26:21 GMT -5 riley96 said:

I am Just wondering why more swim training is not used for up and coming track athletes in running programs. Swimming can so help long distance runners. You do not have to be a great swimmer to add It to a program. any comments

One reason is that swimming is very technical and a lot of running coaches wouldn't have the first idea of how to get their runners doing it properly. I know that you can go thrash in the water and get some good cardio but it won't last for long without some semi-decent technique.

When you can do it properly it is a great way to add conditioning without pounding the body (although too much can cause upper body problems .... my daughter is a swimmer who runs and is currently having problems with rotator cuff tendonitis which has hurt her swimming and running since she tightens up in her shoulders when she pushes the run too hard). I decided to take up traithlons after running competitively for many years. My first "workout" involving swimming was about a dozen lengths of a 25 yard pool before I was hanging on the end sucking wind and I was running 31 minute 10ks at the time so I was in shape I ended up joining a masters swim club to get some instruction on proper technique which I'm still trying to figure out 20 years later!

[jdome]

Apr 24, 2010 22:25:20 GMT -5 coachfaulds said:

My first "workout" involving swimming was about a dozen lengths of a 25 yard pool before I was hanging on the end sucking wind and I was running 31 minute 10ks at the time so I was in shape

Classic case of failing to exhale in the water... though I'm sure you've realized that after 20 years.

[riley96]

you were sucking wind because your lungs could not take it. this is what I an talking about. When you run do you hold you breath. No. When we swim we hold it and control it. Its all about under water training and a few other techniques. Even with upper body problems you can add water training to a program

[riley96]

you were sucking wind because your lungs could not take it. this is what I an talking about. When you run do you hold you breath. No. When we swim we hold it and control it. Its all about under water training and a few other techniques. Even with upper body problems you can add water training to a program

[riley96]

you were sucking wind because your lungs could not take it. this is what I an talking about. When you run do you hold you breath. No. When we swim we hold it and control it. Its all about under water training and a few other techniques. Even with upper body problems you can add water training to a program

[riley96]

you were sucking wind because your lungs could not take it. this is what I an talking about. When you run do you hold you breath. No. When we swim we hold it and control it. Its all about under water training and a few other techniques. Even with upper body problems you can add water training to a program

[riley96]

you were sucking wind because your lungs could not take it. this is what I an talking about. When you run do you hold you breath. No. When we swim we hold it and control it. Its all about under water training and a few other techniques. Even with upper body problems you can add water training to a program

[riley96]

you were sucking wind because your lungs could not take it. this is what I an talking about. When you run do you hold you breath. No. When we swim we hold it and control it. Its all about under water training and a few other techniques. Even with upper body problems you can add water training to a program

[riley96]

you were sucking wind because your lungs could not take it. this is what I an talking about. When you run do you hold you breath. No. When we swim we hold it and control it. Its all about under water training and a few other techniques. Even with upper body problems you can add water training to a program

[riley96]

you were sucking wind because your lungs could not take it. this is what I an talking about. When you run do you hold you breath. No. When we swim we hold it and control it. Its all about under water training and a few other techniques. Even with upper body problems you can add water training to a program

[riley96]

you were sucking wind because your lungs could not take it. this is what I an talking about. When you run do you hold you breath. No. When we swim we hold it and control it. Its all about under water training and a few other techniques. Even with upper body problems you can add water training to a program

[speedgoggles]

easy there riley96... no need to get excited...

[F.T]

I think you may have held your head underwater a little too long in your last swim session riley96

[coachfaulds]

Wow ... I guess I know what my problem was now

After 20 years, I do have it figured out though. I just can't seem to match the swim times of most 10-12 year old girls that swim with clubs and my 14 year old daughter embarasses me in the pool

That said, if you are run training and can get to a pool for some swimming to add to or replace some workouts it is definitely worthwhile. After running the 1500 at the Rowland games on Saturday, my daughter had an easy 5k run Sunday morning then a hard 2 hour swim practice late Sunday afternoon (she is a swimmer first so the running is just an add on for her at this time). Because you don't pound your legs with the swimming, swimmers are able to crank out quality workouts back to back without the same recovery times needed from a tough run session. If you have access to a pool and some basic technical skills to get started some quality swimming in between hard runs does a great job of increasing fitness and loosening up the legs (just be careful not to overdo it).