As promised, here is my follow-up post on deep water-running. Today I did my second one-hour water-run session in as many days, so I am definitely an expert.
Technique: Not quite as straightforward as one might think. Water-running technique is actually somewhat of a controversial topic amongst the experts. As I talked about in my prior post, I am not content to use my quads to stomp downward like I'm squishing grapes as this website (among others) espouses, even though that technique will more easily allow you to maintain a fast (90 spm) cadence. Exactly simulating running technique is on the other end of the pendulum - with the resistance that water provides, it is hard to get up to a properly high cadence and a high enough heart rate to stimulate cardiovascular benefits.
Fortunately I found Pete Pfitzinger's excellent website which answers this question perfectly. Basically, Pete suggests to find some compromise between the two (grape squishing and land-running techniques) that works best for you in terms of muscle recruitment and effort/HR.
I've been staying closer to the land-running technique and it's been working pretty well for me. My cadence is lower, between 60 and 80 for the most part, but my HR is definitely high enough for some good aerobic benefit. And man, my hamstrings are getting WORKED!
Workouts: I have one word for you: intervals! Water-running without intervals is one of the most boring activities known to man, right up there with watching grass grow and paint dry. Intervals give you that much-needed mental and physical stimulus/break, and as a result the time goes faster and you get in a much better workout. I find that I can concentrate much better on my form and intensity when the workout gets broken into little chunks of time.
Here are two sample workouts:
The Pyramid:
10 minutes warm-up
1 min "on", 1 min "off"
2 min "on", 2 min "off"
3 min "on", 2 min "off"
4 min "on", 2 min "off"
5 min "on", 2 min "off"
4 min "on', 2 min "off"
3 min "on", 2 min "off"
2 min "on", 2 min "off"
1 min "on", 1 min "off"
That leaves about 9 minutes of warm-down to get to a 60 minute workout.
The Beast:
10 minutes warm-up
3 min "on", 1 min "off"
5 min "on", 2 min "off"
repeat 4x, warm-down six minutes for 60 minutes of workout time.
Ironman Coeur d'Alene RR, part 3
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7 comments:
Don't you have to wear those special shoes so your feet grab the water? I hope that I can aqua jog the entire 1.2 miles of the Vineman swim - unless it's easier to paddlewheel than it is the aquajog.
I'm not sure about the shoes. One of their supposed benefits is increased resistance. but that is definitely not needed when it can be tough to maintain even a 60 spm cadence doing actual land-running technique with just my size 13 feet!
My verdict is they are unnecessary.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
Now I feel like a dork, because I just bought the stupid shoes. Ach, oy vay! Oh well, I can write a review or something. :O)
Thanks for the info, my freind. I haven't been cleared (yet) for intervals, as I'm still stuck walking around the shallow end. But soon, oh so soooooonn!
Any other great workout ideas - feel free to share! I'm learning tons - thanks!
That's funny, I did the exact same ladder a few times last fall when I was supplementing with aqua jogging. I never really read into the science of aqua form, but since I was able to run on land, I would run a couple miles, then get in and aqua jog, then get out and run another mile or two. My thinking was that the warm up run would wake up my neurological pathway so that I would fire the right muscles once I was in the water, then running at the end I would solidify proper technique with the muscles I'd just trained. My coach also suggested getting out and running a short distance between each interval, running around a pool deck is strictly forbidden (it's on the sign).
I think the water-shoes are good for shallow water, so perhaps your purchase won't be in vain, Marit. Plus the purchase will probably be motivation to get in the water and use them (not that you need extra motivation!).
Good idea Ben about running before and/or after water-running. When I'm ready I'll try that.
There's evidence, both scientific (check out Pfitzinger's website) and anecdotal that shows water-running can enable you to maintain full running fitness, and even improve your running fitness.
One of my anecdotes is that I did a fair amount of water-running combined with a modest 6 weeks of land-running in the Winter/Spring of '05 leading up to St A's, and I had a great run there. I was planning on continuing the water-running regiment even as I had full health, but then the Flatirons Club in Boulder didn't have a pool deep enough for me to run in, so that idea fell by the wayside. But now I'm planning on maintaining the water-running this whole season, at least 1-2x a week.
Loren too bad your your start time is before mine, well actually that is good for me, then you can't use me as a tow rope.
Aqua jogging is supper tiring, I joined my brother during his rehab last summer for some sessions and man I was tired after. It might have been that he got the belt and I had to support my own big butt.
I think at this point I'm intrigued enough to give this a shot. Given that I have athletic ADD and get bored of doing the same thing all the time, this would give me something new to try.
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