Does anyone else feel silly going to public pools and water running?

you pretty much have to be in deep water to water run. I "run" without the vest, as I feel I get a better workout this way. basically, try to mimick running form, while keeping yourself afloat in the water. It's almost like an alternative way to tread water.

BTW, do you guys typically water run in place or go up and down the pool to make laps?

also, I'm a decent swimmer (can swim all the strokes with proper form), though not exactly fast. I find swimming more tiring than a great cardiovascular workout.

Also, totally random, but for whatever reason, I always crave fruit/smoothies after I swim.

In my opinion I think water running with the belt may have more benefits than running without it. I say this because you can work on proper running form with your arms and maintain better posture. Water runner you brought up a very good point. Treading water(w/out the belt) can even be more taxing than aqua jogging at a hard tempo. I would do intervals where 1 minute you tread without without using your arms..and 1 minute using your arms...you can obviously adjust the intervals. I find it impossible to stay in one place while aqua jogging, therefore I do laps. If swimming is tiring then it MUST be a great cardiovascular workout. Mix up the swimming..one day swim 2,000 yards straight..Other days do repeat 50's or 100's on Different intervals with a warm-up and cool down. Take note of your pulse in between reps or at the end of the swim. It should be racing.

Agreed, two hours of water running can be a bit tedious. I am a lap/circle runner in the pool. The stationary thing is too mentally difficult.

Certainly, intervals can get your heart rate up. On a motivated day, I can give myself a decent kick in the butt in a 30-40 minute workout.

Working on form is also an important aspect of water running. I alternate between using a belt (not a particularly good swimmer) and using water weights. The resistance they provide can lead to a bit of an upper body workout.

Finally, getting a partner to work out with you helps bundles. Last year, I spent some time casing "approaching elite" athletes back and forth in the pool. Got to know them better as people with much more to offer than a 5000 meter time and it made the workout seem to go much faster.

water jogger not wrote:

tell me about water running. I've heard about it but you just run in place or as well as you can in 4' or 4.5' of water. I swim for 30 minutes once or twice a week, but i'm a horrible swimmer. When i walk the pool for a few laps it seems like i'll never get my heartrate to a point it will do any good. Am i missing something?

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Water running has been around for over 30 years. It is essentially just as it says, running in the water. Many injured runners use this method while trying to stay fit. At most running stores or on line, you can by a water vest, or "aqua jogger". these help keep you afloat, but not too much. The ideal setting is just above your height, so you can bounce off the bottom to get out of the way if needed. I like the deep end, and enjoy the fact that the water keeps me at a cooler temp, while it also provides resistance to every single motion.

The answer to the Op is "Yes". I have felt like an idiot many times, and received many stares. But, we need to do what we can to stay fit right? Mornings at local public pools are best, since that's when most people there are adults, and many understand what you are doing. It is not as unheard of as when I first did it in 1986. Most said

"why don't you just swim?"

Reme,ber, many Americans do not understand people who actually try to stay slim and fit. They want to blend in.

I personally hate water running, but do it when I must. When I was in school, it wasn't a big deal because I often had teammates that would be injured, so people got used to us in the pool. Now that I do it at a normal gym, it's a bit weirder. In the morning, the pool is divided into five swimming lanes and one water walking lane. Well, around 7:30, the whales (as I mentally call them) start infiltrating the water walking lane. They basically sit there on fun noodles in the deep end and talk, taking up the entire width of the lane and getting no workout in whatsoever-even if I was there first (and even if they're retired and could come float during open swim and not be in anyone's way). Can't stand them. They also give me pissed off looks because I'm actually breathing hard. I usually go into the slow swimming lane, and then also feel awkward there because I'm not actually swimming. However, at my gym, where the elderly rule, people generally look at me strange anyways because a. I'm a girl (well, or an anything) and I sweat, b. I use the treadmill over 3mph, and c. I breathe hard.

Just wanted to clarify that the "water runner" above is not the original OP. Not that it's a big deal or anything. Anyway, I appreciate the feedback regarding your water running experiences.

I have to use an aqua belt otherwise I sink its bad. I have a friend though who is smaller than me 98 lbs who can totally run for 2 hrs without aqua belt dont know how she does it. I am sure you feel like you are working harder without belt but if you cannot keep yourself afloat then its not productive

tsynnott wrote:

No. Suggestion: waterproof your iPod and enjoy the run.

Yah, don't believe when people say Ipods are already waterproof.

It's quite well established nowadays to aqua jog.

Aqua jogging is now a class at the local Y.

Does anyone else feel silly going to public pools and water running?

Not as silly as going to the public track and trying to swim.

In regards to the iPod and waterproofing it:

I put mine in a plastic sandwich bag and zip it up. Put in my headphones, and then roll the cord around the iPod a few times and stick it in the back of some sort of head band (been using a Nike one made for winter and keeping your ears warm). It's fairly tight and sits right in there. Swim caps suck it makes me feel overheated. But I've never gotten it wet or had it fall out. Hope that helps.

floating trash pile wrote:

It's quite well established nowadays to aqua jog.

Some places. Do you have to aqua jog during open swim instead of lap-swim?

The pool I run in doesn't have open swim, so I go during lap swim and share a lane with a swimmer. Pool running is tolerated, but I've been asked to leave or switch to swimming instead if the pool gets crowded and they need to circle-swim in my lane.

I definitely feel silly while aquajogging. I just keep reminding myself that all the other people probably don't actually give a CR@p what I'm doing, because they're doing their own thing. Going early in the morning hs a big help. You know everybody there is just adults trying to squeeze in a workout before work.

If I can get access to a friends backyard, that is the best, because then I can do the following things that help a lot:

1. Put on music

2. Tie myself to the diving board and run "away" from the wall, but the rope keeps me in place, so I don't need to do slow laps and can focus a lot more on form

3. Put out a giant clock

I also only do intervals or farleks in the pool, to keep up the intensity and hopefully minimize fitness lost during an injury.

I had a friend in high school end his senior year with 3 straight weeks of aquajogging plus a race each weekend. In that stretch he went from 2:01 to 1:56 in the 800. Some of that was probably just peaking like crazy from suddenly having only one day (each race) of actual running a week.

Most pools even have equipment for this. I feel at least as serious as the fat guy who barely swims in the lane beside me.

Very silly indeed. I wonder if people think I just don’t know how to swim and am stuck in one place because of poor form like some people are stuck in place with kick boards. So I swim a few relaxed laps at the end to “show ‘em”.

After years of reading all the crap on LRC, I think it's probably this thread that makes me most ashamed to be here.