Back to School A useful rule

Back to School

A useful rule of thumb is that heart rates during water running are about 10% lower than during land running. If you get your heart rate up to 140 beats per minute in the water, that is roughly equal to 154 beats per minute during normal running. The temperature of the water affects your heart rate during deep water running. Your heart rate will be lower in cool water and higher in warm water. In addition, two studies have found that women have slightly lower heart rates and oxygen consumption than men during deep water running. This is thought to be due to womens generally higher bodyfat content and resultant greater buoyancy than men. The Karolinska study found that perceived exertion is higher during water running for a given heart rate or level of oxygen consumption. So, in order to get a beneficial workout in the water, you will feel that you are working harder than during land running. For this reason, the 9-week schedule emphasizes interval workouts in the water. If Back to School just do steady water running sessions your effort wont be high enough to maintain your fitness. A study on water running by former 800 meter runner Tim Quinn, , and colleagues at the University of New Hampshire concluded that for runners to maintain fitness during water running it is necessary to include intervals, tempo, and/or fartlek training. To get through the doldrums of your non-running days, you need a schedule that provides structure and poses a challenge. With this program, you dont have to worry about losing fitness if approached aggressively, you may come out of the water fitter than before your injury. Scott says, I enjoyed the borderline psychotic challenge of setting Back to School PRs, which peaked with a 2-hour interval session on New Years Eve. This schedule is not for the faint of heart. The program includes 5 days of deep water running per week for 8 weeks. In the 9th week, you start to reintroduce land running to your schedule. One day per week calls for a specific 30-45 minute stretching session. The 7th day calls for another form of cross training if your injury will allow it, or rest. When you look at the schedule, you will see a large number of interval workouts. Thats because during steady water running it is very difficult to work at a high enough intensity to maintain your fitness. Interval sessions in the water, however, give you brief breaks both physical and mental which allow you to work harder and obtain a superior workout. Another plus is that time passes relatively quickly when doing intervals, whereas steady water running is extremely boring. Mondays sessions are repeats of 1 minute 30 seconds hard followed by 30 seconds easy recovery. The first week, you warm-up and then do 2 sets of 5 intervals. After the 5th repetition, you get 2 minutes easy before launching into another 5 reps. At the end of your cooldown, you have completed 32 minutes of water running, with 15 minutes at high intensity. Over the course of the 9 weeks, Mondays workouts progress to 3 sets of 9 reps for a total workout of 68 minutes with just over 40 minutes at high intensity. Tuesdays workouts consist of repeats of 2 minutes and 30 seconds with 30 seconds recovery. This is tougher mentally than Mondays sessions because you must hold the intensity of each interval longer, while the rest remains the same. This workout is very efficient when you are pressed for time. In the 9th week, you blissfully get to go out for your first run, Back to School only 10 easy minutes. Wednesdays workout is the toughest of the week mentally. It is the only day of the week you are asked to run in the water continuously. Scott and my wife both mastered this session, but I must admit I found it very difficult mentally. Former New York City Marathon winner, Priscilla Welch, however, had no problem with steady water running. I recall watching the Super Bowl at a New Zealand pub a few years ago with Priscilla, her husband Dave, Dick Quax, and a few others. Shortly after the kickoff, Priscilla excused herself and headed into the adjacent pool for a workout. As the New England Patriots were seriously thrashed, Priscilla kept running and running. She returned over 2 hours later, a testimony to mental tenacity. There is no water running on Thursday.