Pool Running as main training

Some info on pool running and some success stories from athletes that used it:

http://www.deepwaterexercise.com/testimonials.htm

Here is some information that may help:

Benefits

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/conditioning/a/aa032002a.htm

Workouts

http://www.pfitzinger.com/labreports/water.shtml

http://www.pfitzinger.com/labreports/9wkH2O.htm

Technique

http://www.endurancecoach.com/Deep_Water_Running.htm

Video

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1078

Google deep water running for more information.

I hope this helps.

Define "decent 10K" for us.

Well for me I've got a 36:18 PR.......... that was on a flat course where this one has a decent elevation drop. After a 6 month period of almost no running due to some slightly unusual circumstances that I don't feel like explaining, I put on a few pounds and in my 4th week back from that break ran a 19:02, two weeks later I was injured and have taken 2 full weeks off. My goal is simply to repeat that 19 minute performance a 2nd time and run around 38 minutes. Remember this is racing college kids........ the non collegiate athlete type, so a 38 minute 10k would probably be smoking fast by their standards.

sure, you can use pool running as your main training. you miss the eccentricity of running, which is something of a disadvantage, but not so serious if you're only keeping at it for a few months.

a combination of training environment and injury and a perverse enjoyment of pool running led me to the knowledge that you can both over-train (that is, dead legs, etc.) from pool running, as well as develop over-use injuries (for me it was in one big toe and my knee). that came from up to 24hours a week of pool running (i was doing marathon type training).

just be sure to translate your normal training into the pool.

and be careful of torque.

i ran both with flotation and without. when i ran with, it was with a 'noodle' (the cylindrical kind without abrasive edges) that i kept at my chest. although running without flotation kept my heart-rate and breathing up, i went through the water faster (the noodle didn't act as a brake) and my form wasn't as fluid. i'd suggest some kind of flotation so that you can focus on form and effort on your own.

Pitt, you should be fine doing pool workouts.

If you do recall, alan webb's base before he started running was competetive swimming. As long as your pool workouts are killer it should translate well to running. Also, Ritz's workouts when he had those stress fractures were all pool workouts. After he got better, he whooped on Mottram on that 10k on the roads. Pool workouts work!

I was told by my college coach that when you do pool workouts you primarily do V02 Max work. If you do this well then, you will have your lungs underneathe you enough to tackle a fast 10k.

I noticed you said you gained a few lbs. Drop them. Do 1000 push ups and sit ups a day. I know thats probably not possible, but to get in shape thats what i would shoot for. 200 push ups here 200 sit ups there. After a few weeks of being ridiculously sore, you will tone nicely. Work on your diet, make 5 small meals a day, and take protein shakes.

Treat whatever injury you have, get in shape, and kick some ass in the race true SigEp style.

I ran with a guy this weekend that ran a marathon last spring. He averaged 25 miler per week running with biking and lifting and only did a long run of 10 miles but he did lots of cross training. He managed to run a 3:10 marathon. I was amazed because anyone thats ran a marathon knows that 3:10 is an awesome time off of 25 miles per week. The best thing to improve your running is to run....but cross training is absolutely better than nothing by far!

Definitely that guy was a tremendous, talented outlier but in any case biking and swimming are well-worn paths to successful cross training for the marathon. I think even Ironmen get away with pretty low miles of actual running since the total aerobic training effect is so great overall.