If I told you about my workouta 20-minute warm-up followed by 30 minutes of intense sprint intervals, concluding with a 10-minute cool-downand said my feet would never touch the ground, would you believe me?
Everything about pool running duplicates running on land. Water provides the same resistance to arms and legs, simulating any dry-land training you do from a 100-metre sprint to a 20-mile run.
One of the greatest benefits of pool running is the reduction or elimination of ground forces (also known as gravity) on your body, which reduces the impact on your joints, muscles and bones. In addition to elevating your heart rate, pool running allows you to practise proper running mechanics and neuromuscular coordination because of the weightlessness.
According to Mike Moon, who is one of few accredited experts in pool running, Water resistance is 800 times greater than air.
An accomplished runner with 13 Boston marathon finishes to his credit, Moon is a certified coach at the University of B.C. and author of the book, Deep Water Exercise for High Performance Sport. Moon has helped former Canucks defenceman Mattias Ohlund rehabilitate his injuries in the pool. He also helped masters marathon runner John Moe reach the podium in Boston after hed developed plantar fasciitis less than three months before his 2005 race.
While conceding that little research is available, Moon has been fine-tuning his program since the late 80s. To properly run in the pool, he advises using an upper-body flotation device although not everyone will be comfortable wearing additional equipment.
To obtain the full benefits of interval training, you need to perform high knee running activity, he said. Warm-ups should be done as if you were doing a light jog.
If you were to run 10 miles on land, the rough equivalent would be one hour in the pool, said Moon.
Pool running her way to the Olympic podium was Lynn Kanuka, the middle-distance runner who won bronze at the 1984 L.A. Games in the 1,500 metres event. She suffered a stress fracture while training and began pool running each day through her coach, Doug Clement. She still water runs regularly.
When I talked with Kanuka about why shes stayed in the pool for three decades, she said the training allowed her to keep her fitness, particularly if she was recovering from injury.
Be sure your technique copies your walking or running form, she advised. Use a [flotation] belt or vest when you first start so that you are comfortable in the water and able to stand tall, shoulders square, arms bent at 90 degrees, [moving] forward and back in a running form, legs in a nice wide range of motion. [Be] sure to really pull with those hamstrings and extend toward the back to complete each step.
Kanuka doesnt slack off but uses the sense of weightlessness as motivation. I trained super hard in the water, doing the exact workouts I would have done on land.
Ten repetitions of 400 metres on land is roughly equivalent to 10 reps of one minute in the pool. Recovery time is one minute, or roughly half the time on land, she explained, Because with the water pressure, your heart rate does not rise up as high and the recovery is quicker.
Physical therapist Eric Hoppe knows the benefits of pool running and he saved me the day a pulled hamstring had me off my feet. Hoppe said, Typically, because of the resistance of the water, a persons legs are going to move more slowly. As a result, running in the pool requires a more intense interval type running style to better mimic the dry land running movement. With proper technique a person can recover from an injury or prevent unnecessary injuries while getting a very good workout.
Drop in to the downtown Robert Lee YMCA on Burrard Street for a weekly, impact-free, deep water running course. The class is suitable for injured athletes, elite competitors and people with joint and stress injuries. Sundays from 4 to 5 p.m. Free for members, $15 for non-members.
The Vancouver parks board occasionally holds water running clinics. Water aerobics and aquafit classes are offered at different intensity levels at the citys nine public swimming pools.
Christine Blanchette is a competitive runner with a passion for fitness, health and putting one foot in front of the other. Contact her at [email protected].
