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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

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!

13 comments:

  1. I'll gladly take a trip to your pool ;)
    emma @ amomrunsthistown.com

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  2. Glad you are getting something out of it! I totally get going a bit crazy after 35-40 minutes at it!

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  3. That is a freaking awesome pool. When I was injured for about 2-3 months I did a hell of a lot of pool running. Mix in some traditional lap swim free style... it seems to mix up the monotony so you can last a little longer without getting so bored.

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  4. your pool is not ugly lol. The architecture of your pool is awesome - it reminds me both of New Orleans and the Roman Baths in Bath, England.

    http://cambridgescholarsprogramme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/RomanBath.jpg

    Way more exciting than my mundane 24 hour fitness pool.

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  5. Wait, that is your gym's pool?!?!? OMG I wish! I work out at the local high school gym and it's all bleachers and cement walls. Blah. Gotta love the pool ladies, they are so sassy. :)

    Keep up the pool running, it really helped me bounce back from my first stress fracture. Hoping to head there myself in the coming weeks after the doc tells me I'm free of the boot.

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  6. Ok I will agree with you this is an ugly pool. Does it have a deep end? The one at my gym does not so I cannot do the pool running there I have to do it here where it is really cold. My longest so far is 60 min.

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  7. Man, that pool is DOPE!!! (Not dope like you sell, but like, awe forget it) It looks like something someone would have in their old rich home. I think this will be really good for you and your rehab. One time last year I tried to be nice and talk to one of the 85-yr-old pool honeys while doing laps ... I think she thought I was hitting on her because she started chatting me up for like an hour, kind a weirded me out. But part of me was full of wonder and intrigue. Anyway, the water resistance should be great for you. (old ladies getting trapped in your whirlpool is one of the funniest things I've read in a while)

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  8. Love being in the pool, hate swimming. I did 1750 yards yesterday and that was probably my longest swim ever. I try to break it up into sets of 250 yards (10 laps), helps with the monotony.

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  9. I don't even want to know what your gym membership fees are :)
    Lovely. I might even take up pool running if I could do it in a place like that.
    Oh, who am I kidding?!
    But it is purty!

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  10. Wow, if you think that pool is ugly, you should see the ones at the Y's in Minneapolis. They are so ugly and gross!

    I am glad you have been able to do some pool running. I am hoping to get cleared to do that after my next follow up appt in 2 weeks. I am doing upper body strength training but that is just so not the same as doing cardio.

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  11. In space, nobody can hear you scream. In a pool, nobody can see you run...

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  12. I swim in my high school' s pool. But it is the only high school pool in my state, is near my house and costs $30 a year so I can forgive the ugliness.

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  13. Though I'm sure the pool running part sucks, that is a sweet pool! Gah, love old (or old-looking) spaces. Hate the modern mindset of tear down and rebuild, we'll to an extent. Hope the pool running is holding you over while you recover!

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