pool running: can you overtrain??

I'm also coming off an injury (achillies tendonitis).

don't worry about overtraining in the pool. i've done way more cross-training than 60-90 min a day while injured. pool is probably safest because of the lack of pounding. you can overtrain though. i've done periods of 2x a day totalling like 3 hrs and it caught up to me after 5-6 weeks. you don't want to be putting in more effort than you do in a normal week of running or it will wipe you out just as a huge mileage increase would. good luck

you don't want to be putting in more effort than you do in a normal week of running"

can you explain what you mean by that...

Thanks..

sorry about that....what i meant was that if you normally do like 50 mpw and your runs avg 50-60 min then you can overdo things if all of the sudden you start cross training 2-3 hrs every day. I know because I did this during xc. I stayed in phenomenal shape even after 6 weeks off but was so exhausted and worn out from cross training that my running eventually suffered when I came back. Now if I was a 90 mpw runner then doing 2 sessions a day like that would be ok but for me it was a shock to my system doing intense carido work for more than double the amoutn of time I'd normally spend (when healthy and running). Hope that makes sense...just my experience.

Just like running, you can build up the amount of time you are training. It is easier to build up when doing no-impact activities. You can still overtrain though.

Why would you want to ditch the pool running when you are healthy? Running too much (overuse) is what caused the injury. When healthy, run your regular amount and add in pool running for extra aerobic work without the pounding. You will get in much better shape. You will also be less likely to add miles too quickly and get injured again. Over time, you can add running mileage as you are better able to handle it.

i hurt my It band by pool running.

Me too, I got runner's knee from running an hour a day in the pool pretty hard and I have had the problem for 6 months since I quit pool running.

Well I wasn't going to ditch the pool completely. I was just going to cut back on it a lot but leave my 6th day for the pool. I plan on running 5 days a week then run in the pool on the 6th.

hey harriergirl, who do run for?

knowing you must work pretty hard to get the HR up in the pool, what is the equivalence of time in the pool to time outside running, "roughly" speaking?

How much time in the pool is necessary to really see any value without losing too much fitness?

Personally I find elliptical/bike workouts to be alot better in terms of getting my HR up. I was originally a swimmer, so I'm really comfortable in the water and can easily stay afloat w/out a vest. I usually do laps up and back in the pool with alot of hard intervals/tempo stuff w/little or no recovery. I need at least an hour to get a workout. The best thing I found was those deep water tanks with a jet that you run against. Our training room had one and I could run into the jet for 90 w/out a vest all out. That was a great workout but most people thought it was nuts:) Like I said though, I think swimmers have a much easier time.

And BMJAM - I ran for Virginia.

Ok, if you're going to aqua-jog, I think the biggest danger is losing your mind or chafing. Those were my two biggest problems.

I would say keep things to an hour per day, if you keep your form normal and don't strain your legs in weird ways while you're in the water, you won't have any muscular problems or IT band issues or whatever these other people are talking about.

One of the dangers of staying in good shape while you're hurt is that when you're recovered, it's tempting to go back to running the same intensity as before while you are building up. Don't. If you normally do MRs at 6:30 pace, start building up at 7:00-8:00 pace or slower. One of my biggest errors coming back from injuries in the past is not letting my legs catch up to my cardiovascular fitness, and that just leads you right back to the pool.

Good luck.