Pool running: getting a good workout

I've gotten my butt to the pool a couple of times recently for some really boring running in place. It sucks running in my gym's pool.

It's so ugly. 

I can barely look at it. 

Avert your gaze, it's repulsive.

Grossest pool ever. 

I've been loosely following the Pfitzinger plan I mentioned earlier - as in, when I feel like going to the pool, I do one of his workouts. At first I didn't feel like I was getting much done - just splashing around and sucking the frail old lady swimmers into my homemade whirlpool. But I finally realized that I should go by respiration effort, not "speed", which is impossible to gauge against the water resistance. So for my "hard" intervals, I make sure I'm gulping air a little; for my warm ups I'm breathing steadily, heavier than regular walking or rest, and for easy rests between intervals I just recover my breath naturally.

The first time I went, a nice old lady showed me where the buoyancy belts were kept, so I didn't have to buy one, after all. That's good: I hated the thought of buying and storing this big, bulky belt I'd rarely use.

I can only take about 35 - 40 minutes in the pool before I start going a little crazy, so I haven't been working out too hard, but I have been feeling a little wobbly in the legs when I get out. I think this is a rather good strength workout - almost like doing hill sprints, just easier aerobically.

And that's all I have time to say this morning, because I have to rush in to work early for a long and wretched day of meetings. This is a rough, rough week of work for me thanks to multiple deadlines and classes I am teaching coinciding with my store-wide inventory, plus a lot of meetings, so if I want to get any exercise done I better go hit the pool now!