Swimming as substitute for running

pretty funny to be swimming in Kenya, when so many see it as the Mecca of distance running. there are a few other threads on this topic but it's hard to quantify what swimming equals running, because swimming is a technique sport with body elevated by the water, and running requires little technique but pounds hell out of legs and body. If you are a good swimmer, it actually matches up more on a time basis, than a distance one - ie. a 1 hour swim workout, is like a 1 hour run. That's not to say swimming a continuous 1 hour swim, which is actually pretty f hard, but a 1 hour workout of warmup, some type of interval session and a cooldown. Your heart rate will basically be up for an hour, and you'll get a good relaxing stretching workout. If you are a terrible swimmer, it's different as swimming with poor breathing and efficiency is really quite hard. You wont lose any aerobic training by doing this, but it's definitely not same as running. good luck, maybe you can find someone in Kenyan running community, who can find yo a safe training group!

isnt it ironic wrote: If you are a good swimmer, it actually matches up more on a time basis, than a distance one - ie. a 1 hour swim workout, is like a 1 hour run. That's not to say swimming a continuous 1 hour swim, which is actually pretty f hard, but a 1 hour workout of warmup, some type of interval session and a cooldown. Your heart rate will basically be up for an hour, and you'll get a good relaxing stretching workout. If you are a terrible swimmer, it's different as swimming with poor breathing and efficiency is really quite hard. You wont lose any aerobic training by doing this, but it's definitely not same as running. good luck, maybe you can find someone in Kenyan running community, who can find yo a safe training group!

No and yes. It's not the same as running, but you should never put 1 hour running = 1 hour swimming equivalent. Yes, if done at similar or slightly higher HR for same duration, the heart gets exactly the same workout. But it's just 1 part of running performance.

Way more important are specific muscular strength and aerobic benefits.

For first, running is mostly about the calves and lower legs. Swimming doesn't do much for them. Even cycling is mostly using the glutes and quads and unfortunately not the calves, otherwise cyclists would be much better runners.

For second, mitochondria are built in specific places. You need to stress your lower legs by running to elicit adaptions in the amount and size of mitochondria. With swimming you also build them, but in the wrong places (similar to muscles in upper body).

If you want to be a better runner, you need to run. Gwen Jorgensen had to realize that when despite having an extremely high VO2MAX and threshold, she didn't get the running performances that her lab tests suggested. Armstrong also didn't exactly set the marathon world on fire when he came, and he was doped and did insane amounts of cardiovascular training his whole life.

You can't make up with insane amounts of cross-training for a like of specific running training. It even takes away from the running if you use up your precious carbohydrate stores in other activities, or even worse, get sore from doing too much.

I think cross-training has tremendous benefits for new athletes, general health and is important for people who are injured, but for a healthy runner on your relatively high level I would not try to substitute running time with it. Won't work.

Cancel your trip, or change it to an altitude camp in Iten is the best I can recommend you if keeping your level of running is really that important to you.

Are you a NCAA college runner with a pending XC season?

If you are a college runner, is XC season your superbowl?

Are you primarily a T&F 800m/1500m runner who races XC to make your coaches and teammates happy?

Obviously it is possible to swim enough so your cardiovascular fitness will not deteriorate.

Running twice a week will help maintain your running coordination.

If you're a 57 second or slower 400m runner male and XC is your superbowl, or a 63 second or slower 400m runner female and XC is your superbowl, who knows?

It is pretty frustrating not being able to run outside , since a vast majority of the time I’m thereI’m in Nairobi, which doesn’t have the best places to run as it is the largest city in Kenya and its parks are far from ideal. They do have treadmills at gyms here, which is what I may end up having to do. I am training for a 10k cross country race and that’s why I was so concerned about not being able to run everyday so close to the start of the racing season. Hopefully I can maintain most of my fitness by being at altitude swimming a lot and running as much as I possibly can when it’s safe.

Thanks

Swimming at the same HR as running is going to be way tougher than you think.

PS Kenya is a big country. While running in some parts of the country might be fine, I hear Nairobi is not. Or at least the parts I know some people have visited.

This site lists 10 good places to run in Nairobi, one of which also mentions a track you can use.

If I were you, I'd take advantage of as many hilly courses as possible to get in one long hill circuit run and a hill sprint workout. Swimming in the pools is fine for rehab and you can get your heartrate up swimming if you aren't much of a swimmer but running in the pools is the thing to do as an alternate to treadmills and outdoor runs.

I would also bet that there are running clubs you could hop in with.

https://theculturetrip.com/africa/kenya/articles/10-peaceful-running-routes-in-nairobi/

swimming not for rehab, but recovery.

You'll get a more running specific workout in a pool by Aqua Jogging.

Thanks for the link, a large part of my family lives here as well so I will probably have them help me find the best places and they are also members to a private fitness club that has a track which I can hopefully take advantage of.

Swimming isn’t a substitute for running and is of very limited benefit to runners.

sragontis wrote:

They do have treadmills at gyms here, which is what I may end up having to do.

Given your specific concerns and goals, why are you considering swimming if you have a treadmill? Swimming would be great to generally maintain fitness, but it sounds like you are concerned about running-specific fitness for a particular race. If so, isn’t the treadmill the solution?