HS Coach and what to add swimming to xc training

I was always partial to what Bob Timmons did with his xc kids in the pool, which they went to frequently, following the running portion of the workout: flutter-kick drills (apparently excellent in avoiding shin splints--but get a swim coach's guidance on doing them really correctly) and bobbing drills for breathing.

I used both with my college teams. However, the majority of my distance kids' pool time was water running aka aquajogging, rather than swimming. We would do, say, five minutes of running in the water, followed by a minute of drills--bobbing, flutter kicks, leg swings, straight arm/straight leg "running," ankle alphabets, etc.--then another few minutes' running.

BTW I agree with what Lovelock discovered: the water work should definitely follow the running. When you swim first, then run, there's a tendency to get tight.

Jan Ullrich wrote:

I am a high school xc and track coach. I am thinking of adding swimming as a part of their training. Just wondering everyone's thoughts and what kind of workouts people do. Our top boys run 60 and girls 50 for some basic info.

My coach would have us in the pool once or twice a week when I was in high school, 1971 to 1971, after our runs. He would have us do those flutter kicks with our head in the water, each lasting about 30 seconds, as I recall. We would do 3 sets of 10. 30 seconds rest between each rep. and 2 minutes rest between each set.

Oh yeah for sure the best runners in the state swim

Definitely!

Alan Webb did a lot of swimming in high school and look where it got him.

Personally, I swim a few times a week, but use a pull buoy. Can still get a good aerobic workout, but it supplements for upper body strength endurance and core work.

Make them swim butterfly so they can see how easy they have it as runners.

I don't think it makes sense unless they have basic stroke technique.

But water running, drills, and kicking would be beneficial. Kicking can also help prevent achilles tendon injury since works on ankle flexibility.

If you want to coach swimming, just do that, why waste your runners' time by swimming? I have heard this before though ... desperate programs losing to programs that actually RUN in the off season. How many NXN teams do you think swim?

Perhaps you just want to see your girls and/or boys in tiny swimsuits.

DaCloner wrote:

Alan Webb did a lot of swimming in high school and look where it got him.

Personally, I swim a few times a week, but use a pull buoy. Can still get a good aerobic workout, but it supplements for upper body strength endurance and core work.

I thought he swam BEFORE he was in high school.

Jan Ullrich wrote:

I am a high school xc and track coach. I am thinking of adding swimming as a part of their training. Just wondering everyone's thoughts and what kind of workouts people do. Our top boys run 60 and girls 50 for some basic info.

I'm not a fan of this idea. Runners get faster by RUNNING or by doing exercises that are similar to running -- strides, skipping, etc.). Not all of the runners will like the swimming, and it's just one more layer of things that they and their parents have to deal with. You WILL see some participation drop off if you do the swimming thing.

Put them in the pool for rehab if necessary. Do the training by running.

For those of you who believe that swimming is a great way to get in shape for running, I'll have to disagree. I see the swimmers who don't go out for indoor track on my kids' HS team, and once the outdoor season begins, they are really behind. They even say things like, "I'm in swimming shape, not running shape." I don't see adding a swimming routine as doing anything helpful for a high school distance running program.

Swimming is great for cross training. My freshman year of college I had some injury problems and swam for 40-60 minutes a day with one day being a "workout" per week. I came back and raced after a week of running and was faster than before I was injured. I am a big fan of cross training through swimming.

It's good for rehab and fine for cross training. But that's about it. Like Flagpole said, parents and athletes will complain about the time it takes away from training, homework, work, family, sleep, etc. If a kid has TONS of free time then a little time in the water on his own will probably only help recover muscles and strengthen ligaments. However unless the school has a pool on campus that the team can use quickly like getting in and out in 30 minutes I would avoid mandatory pool practices. It's just not worth the time it would take to drive a team to the pool and back.

I see no point. Any time spent in a pool could be better spent running or lifting even.