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Pool Running Can Be a Great Recovery Workout
Tom Henderson
The Detroit News
Nina Bovio, a highly competitive runner from Brighton with 72 marathons under her belt, has been fighting a nagging quadriceps injury for nearly two years.
She’s been advised to substitute some of her runs on roads for running in a pool, where pounding is at a minimum.
Running laps in a pool can be mind-numbing, but it is invaluable as a way to keep in shape while healing from an injury, says Laurel Park of Ann Arbor, who used a pool three years ago to recover from a hamstring injury.
The time passed most quickly for her, she says, if she did an interval workout, such as 10 minutes of easy running followed by 2 minutes hard, 1 minute slow, 2 minutes hard, etc.
“The most I could handle in one outing was about 45 minutes,” she says. “Those workouts were certainly equal in intensity to any land workouts.”
Ann Boyd uses pool running even when healthy, as a means of cross-training when aiming toward a marathon.
“When I’d train for a marathon, I would train for six weeks and get injured, and always a different injury, too. So, I started doing a second run in the pool. And I always run in the pool after a marathon to ease back into running.”
Veterans of pool running suggest buying a waterproof Walkman-type device to help pass the time, as well as a flotation device specific to pool running, available at running stores, to keep you aligned at the proper angle.
Kathy Rounds, a world-class 800-meter runner and certified strength and conditioning coach in Ann Arbor, says that pool running isn’t just for the injured, that it has benefits and can be used as a regular cross-training tool.
“Because the atmospheric pressure increases as the water gets deeper, water running has some interesting training adaptations,” she says.
Because the blood in your feet at the bottom of the pool in deep water is at about three atmospheric pressures, and the blood in your chest is at about 0.75 atmospheric pressures, she says, more blood gathers in the chest area. This requires the heart to work harder to pump it.
In addition to reducing the pounding on injured joints, muscles or tissue, Rounds says the pressure of the water against your legs as you run through it helps flush wastes from the muscles.
“It’s a free massage,” she says.
But after running in the pool exclusively, she warns, it takes a couple of weeks to get used to the pounding when you go back outside.
Water Fitness Tips
- Do an interval workout, 10 minutes of easy running followed by 2 minutes hard, 1 minute slow, 2 minutes hard.
- Run in the pool after a marathon to ease back into running.
- A waterproof Walkman-type device helps pass the time in the pool.
- Use a flotation device, available at running stores, to keep you aligned at the proper angle for pool running.
Support Team Iron Mountain Movement in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer
Words from Team Captain Connie Hol..
In the winter of 2006 I joined the trail running group. Since that time, I have been fortunate to have met some very wonderful people and have made some great friendships. Keri was always an inspiration and provided encouragement and support to everyone who has registered with her clinics.
On April 3, 2009, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. In the last year I have undergone lymph node surgery, 8 rounds of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and 28 radiation treatments. I continued to run throughout my treatments, albeit very slowly toward the end of chemo. Keri also encouraged and supported me to complete the ½ marathon in San Francisco last October (2 days prior to my 8th and final chemotherapy treatment).
Team Iron Mountain Movement
Last year my daughter, Corrie raised over $3,500.00 and walked in the Weekend Walk to End Breast Cancer. My family and friends all supported her and were very proud of her accomplishment. This year, my daughter, myself, Angela Lamb, Shannon Stephenson, Gisele Pomerleau and 4 other women have formed a team under Iron Mountain Movement and are committed to raise $2,000.00 each towards this worthwhile cause. If you would like to make a donation, please click here to see our team page.
Each of the members of this team has been touched by this disease either through family members or friends and I am sure that you have as well.
We will be walking together to support the BC Cancer Foundation to provide medical and emotional support to women going through this journey to continue their research on finding a cure for this disease.
I would like to thank everyone in the running group that supported me emotionally throughout this last year and thank Iron Mountain Movement for sponsorship.
Connie Hol
May/June Studio Schedule
Foods That Boost Energy
Runners would no sooner skip pre-run carbs than dash out the door barefoot. But when the miles are done, those same athletes might not think much at all about what they eat, as long as they get something. Injured runners logging time on the bike might even skip a meal altogether, in fear of gaining weight. Big mistake.
Whether you’re recovering from a tough tempo run or tendinitis, food delivers the nutrients your body needs to repair itself, making smart eating crucial to a strong body and a speedy recovery.
“Recovery is just like fixing a house,” says Cynthia Sass, R.D., a sports dietetics specialist in Tampa, Florida. “A crack in the foundation requires raw materials to patch things back together. In the body, those raw materials come from what we eat.”
A combination of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals helps your body heal microtears from exercise and overused tendons and sprained ligaments. “Every part of the body is dependent on food for repair,” says David Grotto, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. On a cellular level, those repairs are constant, sidelining injury or not.
Over time, if cells don’t get the nutrients they need, muscles and connective tissues can weaken, leaving them more susceptible to injury. “The decisions we make with our fork can set up roadblocks against future injuries,” Grotto says. So along with stretching, and icing if you need it, these healing foods will help you get back on the road as quickly as possible.
Red Bell Pepper
Just one red bell pepper provides 380 percent of the recommended Daily Value of vitamin C, a nutrient crucial for repairing connective tissues and cartilage. By contributing to the formation of collagen, an important protein used to build scar tissue, blood vessels, and even new bone cells, vitamin C facilitates the healing process. “Work in vitamin C throughout the day, every two or three hours or so,” says Sass, for five daily servings.
Runners-up: papaya, cantaloupe, oranges
Salmon
Salmon’s nutritional benefits have been much touted for good reason. Fresh or canned, salmon delivers two powerful healing nutrients: protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Protein does more than rebuild muscle after a grueling run; it also repairs bones, ligaments, and tendons.
“We tend to forget that healing really means building new cells,” says Sass. “And your body needs protein to make those new cells.” She recommends all runners eat protein at every meal; injured runners should aim for four to five servings a day, from low-fat sources like egg whites and lean turkey. Salmon, with two grams of essential fatty acids per four-ounce serving, is doubly valuable. “Omega-3s are significant anti-inflammatories,” says Grotto. “Eating fish high in omega-3s or taking supplements is like throwing a big bucket of ice water on inflammation.” Inflammation occurs when waste matter generated by the body’s repair efforts builds up around the injury, inhibiting healing. Omega-3s help disperse that buildup, making them useful in addressing everything from sore muscles to stress fractures.
Runners-up: mackerel, flaxseeds, walnuts
Carrots
Eat carrots for a potent dose of vitamin A: a half-cup serving provides 340 percent of your Daily Value. This nutrient helps make white blood cells for fighting infection, “which is always a risk with injury,” says Sass. You might not think infection is likely with tendinitis, but your body takes no chances and activates the immune system, which ups vitamin A demand. Vitamin A also helps repair postworkout microtears, so it’s a valuable ally every day.
Runners-up: sweet potatoes, dried apricots, spinach
Fortified Cereals
Zinc is an important healing agent, but foods highest in zinc, like red meats, often contain saturated fat, which aggravates inflammation. So when the body is taxed—from exertion or injury runners should reach for fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, which can deliver as much as 100 percent of the Daily Value for zinc. By itself, zinc doesn’t repair damaged tissue, but it assists the proteins and fats that do. “Just don’t overdo it,” cautions Sass. Too much of this potent mineral lowers HDL cholesterol (the good kind) and actually suppresses your immune system.
Runners-up: shellfish, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds
Almonds
Just 1 oz.of almonds (roughly 20) contains more than 40 percent of your Daily Value of vitamin E, an antioxidant that supports the immune system by neutralizing free radicals. Almonds, like hazelnuts and sunflower seeds, also supply beneficial mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which are key building blocks for healthy cells. “Fat is a structural part of your body, so don’t skimp on it, just eat the right kind,” says Sass. “Almonds supply heart-healthy fats that promote healing without clogging arteries.”
Runners-up: nut butters, avocados, vegetable oils
Percentile Ranks for 1.5 Miles (2.41km) Run Time (min:s)
|
AGE (Y) |
|||||
|
Percentile |
20-29 |
30-39 |
40-49 |
50-59 |
60+ |
|
MEN |
n=1675 |
n=7095 |
n= 6837 |
n=3808 |
n=1005 |
|
90 |
9:09 |
9:30 |
10:16 |
11:18 |
12:20 |
|
80 |
10:16 |
10:47 |
11:44 |
12:51 |
13:53 |
|
70 |
10:47 |
11:34 |
12:34 |
13:45 |
14:53 |
|
60 |
11:41 |
12:20 |
13:14 |
14:24 |
15:29 |
|
50 |
12:18 |
12:51 |
13:53 |
14:55 |
16:07 |
|
40 |
12:51 |
13:36 |
14:29 |
15:26 |
16:43 |
|
30 |
13:22 |
14:08 |
14:56 |
15:57 |
17:14 |
|
20 |
14:13 |
14:52 |
15:41 |
16:43 |
18:00 |
|
10 |
15:10 |
15:52 |
16:28 |
17:29 |
19:15 |
|
AGE (Y) |
|||||
|
Percentile |
20-29 |
30-39 |
40-49 |
50-59 |
60+ |
|
WOMEN |
n=764 |
n=2049 |
n=1630 |
n=878 |
n=202 |
|
90 |
11:43 |
12:51 |
13:22 |
14:55 |
14:55 |
|
80 |
12:51 |
13:43 |
14:31 |
15:57 |
16:20 |
|
70 |
13:53 |
14:24 |
15:16 |
16:27 |
16:58 |
|
60 |
14:24 |
15:08 |
15:57 |
16:58 |
17:46 |
|
50 |
14:55 |
15:26 |
16:27 |
17:24 |
18:16 |
|
40 |
15:26 |
15:57 |
16:58 |
17:55 |
18:44 |
|
30 |
15:57 |
16:35 |
17:24 |
18:23 |
18:59 |
|
20 |
16:33 |
17:14 |
18:00 |
18:49 |
19:21 |
|
10 |
17:21 |
18:00 |
18:31 |
19:30 |
20:04 |
From the American College of Sports Medicine, 1995, Guidelines for exercise testing and prescription (Philadelphia, PA; Lippincott, Williams & Walkins), 113-115.