2005 Featured Machine Cervelo R2.5

Benefits of Pool Running

By Dan Proulx

Australian pro triathlete, Greg Bennett, has described pool running as “a full time occupation”. Greg uses pool running to recover from extremely hard training sessions.

A minor foot injury recently sidelined Greg’s running for 4 weeks. He then bounced back and won the Treasure Island US Pro Nationals after only 2 weeks of land running. Greg used pool running to recover faster and maintain fitness. As the injury healed, he decreased pool sessions and increased outdoor running. He soon returned to the level he was at before the injury. Greg also ran with a rekindled sense of enjoyment and purpose. He felt like he “wanted to run all day” upon returning from his first outdoor run.

Triathletes spend a considerable amount of time devoted to building strength, endurance and speed in running. Due to repetitive load bearing movements and impact, running can lead to injury. Increased mileage, frequency and/or intensity are usually the cause.

To recover from injury, many triathletes turn to pool running in order to retain running form and fitness. They soon realize that pool running is a great way to prevent future injuries and boost workout time during a run focus.

What is pool running?

Pool running involves the imitation of running technique in a deep or shallow water environment. In these workouts, you can run as you would on the road without any impact.

Most pool runners do their workouts in deep water with the help of a flotation belt that has been specifically designed for running. With the belt, you can maintain proper body position and focus on duplicating true running form. If you choose to forgo the flotation belt, your running form will be slightly altered by non-running movements used to stay afloat, but likely you can get your heart rate higher.

Plan An Interval Workout.

To make a pool running workout effective, you should plan your workout in advance. Like all workouts, if you have a plan, the time will go by quickly and you will get better results for your effort. Use time and heart rate to measure your effort in the pool.

Try creating a series of intervals that will challenge you. A hard series of timed repeats can become extremely challenging in water. (i.e. 10x2min @ 85% effort on: 2min off) Most workouts should be kept to less than 45 minutes in length. A shorter and more intense workout is preferable to an extended low intensity session.

Running Drills

Running drills, such as A’s, B’s and C’s can easily be performed in a deep or shallow water environment. If you choose to do these drills in shallow water, put the flotation belt aside and do the drills with only the water pressure reducing each foot impact. Use specially designed water running footwear for these types of workouts.

Increased Strength In Run Specific Movements

The added resistance provided by the water will help you to increase your running strength. Normally easy movements, such as arm recovery, become more difficult in water. Increased resistance can allow you to feel stronger and more fluid when the resistance is removed in an outdoor run.

Greg water runs in actual running shoes (find some clean ones!). These provide a bit more resistance, and give your foot a sense of pressure on the bottom (a platform) to better simulate run feel.

Increased Range of Motion

Range of motion is improved with water running. Try drills where you run with the stride length of an Olympic 400m champion. You can move in ranges that would not be possible on land. Increased range of motion is especially important for slower runners who shuffle along without adequate stride length.

Time Effective and Practical

Pool running can be a nice addition for people who travel a lot on business. Sometimes you find yourself in a strange city that doesn’t have safe or scenic runs near the hotel. You may arrive so late that outdoor running is simply not practical. Before they shut the gate to the hotel pool, get in the water for a short and intense running session. In 20 minutes, you can get in an effective and safe workout.

Endless Possibilities

Pool running offers triathletes an endless array of workouts that will increase running performance. If you are creative and focused on the task, pool running can become one of the most enjoyable workouts of your week. At the very least, pool running will make you healthy, stronger and more motivated to get outside and “run all day”. If you love running, and want to stay healthy so that you can enjoy even more running, the pool may unlock the key to your longevity in the sport.

- Dan Proulx, Elitewave.com, 2003

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Dan@elitewave.com

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