Basically i have an option fr my junior year PE. Either i can swim laps or do basic strength and conditioning. what would better supplement running and generally make me a better, and healthier runner. Also what will benefit me from a injury prevention standpoint more?
Strength for sure.
The pool is good. It will give you more aerobic conditioning. But swimming is also super, duper technique based.
I'd go with strength. It will go much further towards preventing injuries, whereas the pool is mostly good at letting you keep training after you are already injured.
If you have an opportunity to learn proper swimming techniques, you should take it. You will have this to fall back on when you are banged up or grow old and crotchety. Once you have the technique and muscle memorization ingrained you can leap into it anytime - even years from now when you'll need it most. I had to pay for swim lessons when I was looking for ways to supplement running. I feel strength and conditioning can be more easily learned on one's own.
Swimming. Learn a skill when you're young. The earlier you start the better your strokes will be for the rest of your life. There will be plenty of opportunities to lift.
GREGSON wrote:
Basically i have an option fr my junior year PE. Either i can swim laps or do basic strength and conditioning. what would better supplement running and generally make me a better, and healthier runner. Also what will benefit me from a injury prevention standpoint more?
Since few apparently read to the end, I would go with S&C. This assumes the person teaching it knows what he/she is doing.
Luv2Run wrote:
GREGSON wrote:
Basically i have an option fr my junior year PE. Either i can swim laps or do basic strength and conditioning. what would better supplement running and generally make me a better, and healthier runner. Also what will benefit me from a injury prevention standpoint more?
Since few apparently read to the end, I would go with S&C. This assumes the person teaching it knows what he/she is doing.
Swimming is much less likely to cause injury, is good aerobic conditioning for a distance runner, and will serve you well in later life if you can't run, either temporarily or permanently, because of injury. Strength and conditioning training can get you hurt if the person teaching it isn't competent. However, if he is, it's going to do more for injury prevention as a runner than swimming will.
Both would be good. Neither will "prevent injury."
Lifting makes you buff and ripped. Swimming doesn't. An easy choice.
I'd do the swimming to get the additional aerobic stimulus.
Lifting is good, but probably best left for your actual team practices where you'll have more instruction and guidance. Swim for gym, then stick to whatever strength work your coach prescribes in practice.
GREGSON wrote:
Basically i have an option fr my junior year PE. Either i can swim laps or do basic strength and conditioning. what would better supplement running and generally make me a better, and healthier runner. Also what will benefit me from a injury prevention standpoint more?
Will you get any coaching in the lap swimming class? If not, then go for the strength and conditioning. But if there is a coach who will teach you how to swim properly, this would be more worth the time.
If you learn to swim correctly now, it's good for life.