Water Running- an under-utilized form of cross-training

Water running is perhaps one of the most under-utilized forms of cross training. As a zero-impact activity, it can be a great way for injured athletes to stay in shape, or a great supplement to a training program for healthy athletes.

i wish this is what i was talking about

Water running is the closest form of cross training that you can get to running, mimicking the same arm and leg movements as you would do running on land.  Also, due to the fact that there is zero-impact (you do this in the deep-end) it is possible to do many interval workouts on successive days, whereas on land this would significantly increase your risk of injury and lead to increased fatigue.

One of the most important things to focus on when pool running is proper form. It is easy to over-stride with a low cadence which won’t raise your heart rate, or to lean forward such that you don’t need to work as hard. It is important to keep the back straight and drive the knee up and then the foot down- it may feel more like cycling than running but that’s okay. Many articles will tell you to use a floatation belt, which is probably a good idea if you are new to water running or don’t find yourself to be particularly buoyant- personally I basically have a built in floatation belt (if you know what I mean ;) ) so don’t bother, but it is really about what works for you.

One of the key things with water-running is that it is supposed to be hard. Due to the fact that there is no impact, air resistance, hills, etc. it is very easy to get in the water and barely raise your heart rate, which provides little to no training benefit. One of the best things to do is to bring a workout with you. This doesn't have to be much different than what you would do on land either. You can vary efforts between tempo, hard, and sprints, just as you would on land, although in the water there is not as great a need for long rest periods- your heart rate will be lower while water running than it would be running on land, although very likely close to heart rate levels for cycling. Having a workout helps to keep you focused on what you are doing (as it is easy to lose focus and find yourself not working very hard) and makes the time pass more quickly.

Here are some workouts that I typically do. Since I can only go on my lunch hour, the workouts are 50 minutes or less, although it is possible to do longer workouts if you have the time.

#1

5min WU

6x(2.5min hard/30sec easy)

2-3min easy, repeat intervals

5min WD

#2

5min WU

Ladder intervals (1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1) with 1min easy between each

5min WD

#3

5min WU

6x4min tempo, 1min easy

5x1min very hard, 1min easy

5min WD

As a triathlete (as opposed to a pure runner) I found that the best way to institute water running when I was injured was to just replace some of the run sessions I would have done with the water running. Pure runners often find that they will do more water running sessions than they would land running sessions, but then again, they aren't trying to swim and bike too. Obviously this is also a function of when you can get to the pool. Working at the University of Waterloo right now allows me to go on my lunch hour during the public swim, however those without such easy access to the pool may find it easier to do some pool running immediately following their swim workout.

I can’t sell this form of cross training on how much fun or how interesting it is because, quite frankly, it is BORING. If you can get others to accompany you it might be better, but I wouldn't know since whenever I ask someone they look at me like I’m crazy, laugh, and go for a run outside. If the pool you’re at plays music it is much more bearable, if not maybe you can bring your own music? Regardless, if you can’t run, this is the best cross training you can do and will likely maintain your run fitness for at least 6 weeks of no running outside. Some athletes even find they are faster after taking time off for an injury and water running (although I’m sure there are several factors at play in these cases). And for those looking to increase their running volume, this can be a great way to log more “miles” without the increased risk of injury.

Magog- Canadian National Championships

I decided I would race in Magog despite my less than desirable performance in Gravenhurst, if only to gain some more experience in preparation for Edmonton. I kept my training as usual up until Wednesday, and started my very short quasi-taper on Thursday. Thursday was the drive to Magog, leaving at 6am from Waterloo, meeting up with C3 members Patricia and Luis Lopez in Toronto, and continuing to Magog, arriving somewhere around 3pm. I spent a lot of time sleeping J

I stayed at a quaint little B&B just 600m or so from the race site. The host was lovely and provided delicious breakfasts in the morning. A couple of LPC members, Helen and Josette, were also staying there and we got to know each other well over the few days- they are lovely people! :D

Friday I went to check out the course, riding a good portion of the bike leg (the scenery was spectacular), did my usual run on Friday (I decided not to taper my run at all), and swam a loop of the course. The water was lovely although the lake was shallow so I had to practice some dolphin diving as the first (and last) 40-50m were too shallow to swim.

On Saturday I did a little bit of training but spent the majority of the day watching the elite races and the age group sprint race in the afternoon. I was feeling pretty lethargic the entire time since Thursday so was unsure how this “taper” was going to work for me and was feeling pretty nervous going to bed on Saturday night.

After a night of little sleeping I was awake well before my alarm was to go off on Sunday morning, but I was excited to race! I went to get my coffee from McD’s and ate breakfast back at the B&B before heading to the race site. I made sure to eat far more than I did before the Gravenhurst race so that I didn’t run out of energy and have a repeat of that performance.

When walking to the race site I heard the announcer saying it was a no-wetsuit swim!! I did a little happy dance and knew this was going to be a good day. My copious amounts of swim training pay off a little more if we aren’t wearing wetsuits, plus I feel better swimming without them. Fingers are doubly-crossed that Edmonton is also no-wetsuits (although this is probably very wishful thinking). I did my swim warm-up about an hour before the race (my bike was racked the night before so couldn’t do that, and I felt I needed to save my legs as much as possible for the running in the race). Thankfully being on the varsity swim team at Waterloo got me used to doing a warm-up well before the event so this didn’t seem that strange to me.

I was in the fourth wave to go off, with each wave being 10 minutes apart (3 waves of men started before us, and the women 35+ were after). At the start of the horn we all rushed into the water and started to swim. I was prepared to swim on the inside of the buoys going out to avoid people, but that wasn’t necessary as most people were way to the outside. So I swam straight up the buoys, quickly catching those who had a faster start than I. Soon there was only one person ahead of me, whom I caught and swam beside for a bit and then decided to draft off her feet and basically did no work on the way back to shore. :D This is the first time I have ever drafted off someone in a race and it was fun! We had to weave our way through the men but eventually we reached shore and were off to transition.

I was nervous about the bike leg as it contained copious amounts of hills (mountains actually) but everything seemed to be working perfectly. I kept my effort steady, adjusting the gearing as necessary and felt like I was moving at a good pace, but keeping my heart rate fairly low (I don’t have data, just going by feel). Passing all the men was just so much fun, and motivating. Coming towards the turn-around we go up a very big hill and then down, and down, and down, and down, and then down a little bit more, before turning around to go back up. All I was thinking about on the way down was “oh no, I am going to have to ride back up this!!” (this section was not part of my ride on Friday).  So then we go up, and up, and up (I think you get the point now ;) ) but it wasn’t too bad. I saw I had a decent lead on the other females in the race so didn’t increase the effort on the way back. It was very exciting for me to start passing people from the second wave too (so yes, I was looking at the age on their legs).

I was extremely nervous about the run, given last weekend’s disaster. My goal for the entire race was basically to just not fall apart on the run. It took me about 2.5km to find my stride and start to feel somewhat comfortable. The run course was two loops, with only one large, but gradual, hill about mid-way through each lap. Lucky for us, some of the residents of Magog were out not only cheering us on, but they had hoses!! :D So a nice little cool down every so often- there were even a couple kids with Supersoakers who seemed to be having a blast. I gratefully accepted any water they wanted to spray on me. Towards the finish line/ where we turn to go to our second loop, not only Helen and Josette but the entire LPC crew as well as C3 members were gathered at the same spot so I got some loud cheers which was totally awesome. Finishing my first lap I could see Hans Porten, a fast moving 55-59 C3 member, heading out on his second lap. It then became my personal goal to chase him down, although it took until about the 8km mark for me to catch him. After that it was smooth going to the finish line, finishing in a respectable 2:14:15. I’m telling myself that T2 was included in the run time (it may have been in the bike time) so I was satisfied with the run. Still plenty of room to go until I get back to last year’s fitness, but I’m going in the right direction.

In hindsight I feel I could have been faster on all three legs, as I wasn’t super tired at the end of the race, however I was very worried about the run so consciously held back on the swim and bike legs and didn’t try to push it too early on the run. However, it is all in the learning experience and I am (knock on wood) remaining injury free so far.

All in all I felt like the entire weekend was well run- events went off on time, there were tons of athletes and spectators, the town really seemed to embrace the triathlon, and the setting was spectacular. Another thing I really appreciated was that there was plenty of space on the bike racks.

I had a great weekend, made some new friends, and got to see a new part of the country.

What I have learned though is that apparently I come across as very serious and intimidating? 

I swear I'm not, but pre-race I am fairly focused and not very smiley. But post-race I am usually happy and very willing to chat!

A huge thanks goes out to C3 and especially Luis and Patricia Lopez for doing the driving to and from Magog, as well as the support I received from all members at the race, and for my new friends Helen and Josette from LPC for creating another cheering section for me. And a very special thanks to Ziggy's Cycle for helping me out with a new helmet so that my head didn't heat up like an oven.

Gravenhurst- Olympic Distance

Gravenhurst was triathlon #2 for me this year and I was excited to do it. I had never raced here before due to trouble fitting it into my schedule, but had heard great things about it. And it certainly did not disappoint. I would say that this is the best course I have ever done a triathlon on, ever. If you haven’t raced here it is a must-do race.

A little course preview before my race recap: The swim starts in the middle of the lake, with athletes being taken out by steamboat. It speaks volumes about John Salt (the race director), his crew, and the athletes, that we all managed to get organized onto the two boats and out to the course on time. Truly spectacular event management. Athletes jump off the boat and swim over to the start, with the start of the race indicated by a blast from the horn of the steamship. Swimming in an L-shape, athletes make their way to shore.

The bike course is absolutely spectacular. I don’t usually take time to notice what the course is like in a race, but this was hard to pass up. Although described as hilly, the course really rolls through the hills and you can take the momentum of one downhill into the next uphill. I would say that 98% of the course is extremely well-paved, just a couple of spots that could use a bucket-full of tar.

The run course is hard, with lots of hills and little wind. Definitely a challenge but nice to mix it up from the usual flat run courses. I can’t say much more about it because I was so tired that I was basically looking at the ground the whole time.

My race:

I was excited that we were starting from the middle of the lake because by not being able to push off the ground at the beginning there is basically an immediate separation swimmers. We were also more spread out to begin with, so I only had one person hit me really hard near the beginning but apart from that had a nice clear swim. (huge sigh of relief). Many people had commented that the sun could be a problem but I had no trouble sighting the orange buoys on the way back to shore and exited the water in third position. It was super awesome to run up the dock to the large crowd that had gathered there and was cheering loudly, kind of made me feel like a pro. :P

I passed one person in transition and the other almost immediately onto the bike. So here I was leading the entire race for the first time in my life. It was so cool!!! This lasted about 24km, when Steve Vandermolen blew by me with apparent ease (his total bike time was 6 minutes faster than mine so he was moving considerably faster).  I remained in second position for the rest of the bike leg and received cheers from many people heading out in the other direction, which was awesome :D Overall I was pretty happy with the bike split, same pace as last week except double the distance and I felt much less fatigued. I was very conscious of my gearing over the hills and managed to keep the cadence high.

As soon as I started to run I knew this was going to be tough. I was hoping that my legs would loosen up in the first couple hundred meters the way they usually do, but I had no such luck. Things went from bad to worse to horrible quite quickly and I struggled through in a sort of daze. I am not proud to admit it but for the first time in my life I walked during the run (and more than once or twice), even coming to a complete stop a couple of times. I have literally never felt so terrible. I usually take the stance that you can’t let your competitors see you struggling as it gives them far more motivation to catch you. However, this was abandoned and all I could focus on was getting to the finish line. At about 8.5km I could hear someone closing in on me (race winner Jim Sunners) so I really started to push, but didn’t have enough in the tank to make it and basically stumbled through the last couple hundred meters to the finish line. Thankfully there were some volunteers there to douse us in cold water. I could make up a plethora of excuses for the shoddy performance but the fact is that I am nowhere near race weight and seriously lack the run fitness to do a 10km. Unfortunately I can’t push the running or I will re-injure myself so I must remind myself that Edmonton is the goal and it is still several weeks away (but closer than I’d like).

I would like to once again thank John Salt and his crew with Multisport Canada for their support and a truly spectacular event, C3, and my swim coaches Jeff Slater and Miguel Vadillo.

Huronia Sprint

YAY to being back at triathlons!!! This was the start of what is to be a very short season for me (less than 2 months) but I am excited nevertheless to be back racing! I only started running a couple of weeks ago and it hasn’t been easy- there is still a fair bit of pain throughout the shin, but in all likelihood is just the tendons so I will continue to run through it (fingers crossed that this isn't a bad decision).

I am going to preface this race report by saying that my helmet was taken from transition after the race by someone, and I am pleading for its safe return. It is a Specialized road helmet, and is red/black, and a silver/white colour. Same helmet that I am wearing in the background pic of my blog. It bothers me greatly that someone would take what isn’t theirs and I am sincerely hoping that this was just a mistake. (I am a destitute student and can’t actually afford a new helmet right now, so I am pretty screwed if it isn’t returned). Please contact Multisport if you have information as to its whereabouts.

Back to the race. I kind of liked the later start as it meant that I could sleep in (til 6:30) and still get to the race in plenty of time. I headed up from my parents’ house in Newmarket and arrived ~9:15. After the usual race warm-up (bit of biking and swimming) I was good to go. I was in the middle of the start line this time so had to deal with lots of people around me at the start of the swim, something I don’t think I will ever be entirely comfortable with. It really is a matter of mental strength to keep calm when someone dunks my head or grabs onto my legs. Evidently though, I did survive, and after about 200m was swimming clear of the pack. I continued to catch people until there were only two visible people ahead of me (there was one superstar swimmer ahead of them, I found out later). So all in all it felt like a good swim- the times are slow but they always are at this course as the water is rougher than usual.

Transition was pretty standard- I tried not putting socks on before the bike this time, and on before the run (I have tried running without socks but it results in a bloody mess in less than 3 minutes). I don’t think it really makes any difference in the end when I put them on.

The bike course in Huronia is definitely one of the tougher ones. There are a few hills to contend with and there was a decent wind as well on Sunday. My legs felt pretty sore on the ride and I held back just a touch because I wasn’t sure how the running was going to go. I had an okay time for the bike split, but nothing spectacular. My favourite part was definitely the downhill on the way back :D And a bonus was that only one person passed me on the bike! (I guess when the distance is half what I am used to the men have less time to catch up)

T2- nothing eventful, put shoes and socks on.

So onto the run. Running does not feel great right now as I am just getting back into it, so I had little expectations going in. The plan was to “just keep going.” I set out at a pace that I thought I would be able to sustain for the 5km. On the way out I slowly reeled in the third place male and caught him at the turn-around. He picked up the pace when I got to him and basically I ran one step behind him on the way back. This was really good for me as I was getting very tired so I just focused on staying with him. I did try to pass him a couple times but he responded with a short increase in pace each time. I passed him on the uphill in the last kilometer but this was short-lived. Coming down the hill a spectator was waving at me with the “what are you doing?” type of wave. As I got closer she was yelling “Stop! Stop! You’re going the wrong way!” I got confused and did stop as she started to tell me I had to go back. This is when the guy I had just passed flew by me, at which point I ignored this spectator (who clearly did not know what was going on) and gave chase. He was too far ahead for me to catch and I don’t think this brief interruption by the spectator changed the result, but I have certainly learned my lesson- Don’t listen to spectators. (Unless they are cheering you on of course). Overall the run was okay. Certainly much slower than I was running last year but maybe I shouldn’t be expecting too much at this point. Hopefully the running legs come back sooner rather than later.

I want to thank Multisport Canada for supporting the athletes of the Ambassador Team as it makes it much easier for us young folks to get into the sport of triathlon, as well as their continued professional organization and execution of events. This is a great location for a race and provides a challenging course every year. Thanks also to C3 and their sponsors, Kinetico, Benson Steel, Royal Containers, Cervelo, and Nineteen wetsuits- I couldn’t do this without your support.

See you in Gravenhurst!