active network espn
Active Home | Directory | Community | eteamz | Results | Support Support | Event Directors & Organizers
Community: Exchange advice in the forums and read running commentary Resources: Personal running log, calculators, links and other tools for runners News: Running news from around the world Training: Articles and advice about fitness, race training and injury prevention Races/Results: Find upcoming races and past results Home: The Cool Running homepage
Cool Running homepage  Search Cool Running Community
Login to Reply
Click to view shirleynarsi's profile Pro
shirleynarsi
68 posts since
Dec 14, 2007

Sep 19, 2007 4:16 AM

Swimming and Running: What's the optimum balance?

I took up swimming after a knee injury earlier this year and love it. It's kept me very fit despite not running for 7 months.

I'm back to running now and hope to run a HM in January.

Currently I run and swim (freestyle only) on alternate days with a rest every 5th day. I also stretches for the legs and ab exercies every evening.

Now I find myself in a bit of a spot. Here's the situaton.
I'm currently running 3.1 miles every alternate day and will be increasing this gradually every 10 days so that I can start training for the HM towards the end of October which would mean running 5 days a week.

I want to continue with swimming too. Atleast thrice a week for atleast 1000 metres each time.

Swimming and running on the same day is both very tiring and pretty tough given my busy work schedule. Moreover I follow a swim with some weight training for the quads and hams.

So here's the question. Can I substitute one of the shorter runs in my HM training (say HALs intermediate) schedule with a swim. Will it affect my preparation.

Can I continue with my alternate run/swim routine and still be HM fit.

How do I go about this?
Click to view Southern Man's profile Legend
Southern Man
757 posts since
Apr 19, 2006
1. Sep 19, 2007 7:50 AM in response to: shirleynarsi
Swimming and running are both great activities. In fact they are my preferred activities, just as they are yours.

However, they are very different activities. Participating in both will help you be very fit overall as they nicely compliment each other. Swimming does a great job working your upper body, lower abs, and obliques. However people who swim generally add some muscle to their upper body and build capillaries and mitochondria in the upper body.

Participating in both will prevent you from reaching your absolute maximum potential in either one--more time spent swimming is less time spent running and vice versa. That's okay as long as you are okay with it. Probably healthier overall to do that. If the half marathon is important you could stop swimming and start running on that day for the last two months or so before your race.

Southern Man


------------------
We're on a road to nowhere. Come on along.
Login to Reply