From: ehmer@cc.swarthmore.edu (Larry Ehmer)
Subject: Re: deep water pool running
Organization: Swarthmore College
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 12:55:59 GMT

In article <1992Apr1.171910.27397@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>, hpzg0650@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Hale P Zengingonul) writes:
> 
> dcisco@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Dan Cisco) writes:
> 
> >Keywords:
> 
> >I use a wet vest to "run" in the pool in addition to stretching
> >exercises.  Any "pool people" out there?  I would like to hear your
> >training methods for deep water pool running.  How long?  How often?
> >What works for you?  30 minutes in the pool equals a land workout of
> >45 minutes, at least my legs tell me that!  Any comments?  
> 
>   I'm curious about deep water running, too. How do you do that, just 
> simulate running in the water .Is a wet west really necessary? I tried
> to run in the shallow part of the pool, but I couldn't raise my heart
> rate so I switched to swimming. I really appreciate clues of deep water
> running. You can e-mail me at
> 
>            pinar@aero.ece.uiuc.edu
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 						Pinar
> .
> 
> 
> 
I have been using Wet Vests with my cross-country and track athletes for the
past 6 years.  We have tried a lot of different things and here are some of
our findings:

FORM    The creator of the Wet Vest, Glen McWaters (great name), has
        produced a video on the use of the Wet Vest.  Steve Scott and Joan 
        Samuelson demonstrate the use of the vest.  Their form is very similar
        to that used in land running (although Joan seems to lean forward 
        quite a bit in the water).  I had a great deal of difficulty learning
        to water run this way.  My legs kept getting out in front of my body.
        Instead, I adopted a style similar to running in place or as in
        tethered running.

        The 'full form' produces a great deal of drag against the water, and
        therefore prevents you from getting very much turnover.  Once I had
        learned the 'full form' approach to water running, I still had
        problems getting my pulse rate very high.  The 'fast form' style I
        used has the legs going in a piston-like fashion and therefore they
        don't produce as much drag.  I was able to run fast enough to sweat
        profusely, even in the cool water.

        I have my team use both styles.  The 'full form' more accurately 
        depicts the muscle usage of land running and therefore is a more 
        specific exercise.  The 'fast form' enables us to more on high 
        exertion and turnover.

WORKOUTS  We do about the same amount of time in the pool as we would do in
        a run.  However, since your muscles are surrounded by cool water, the
        'breakdown' effect (muscular micro-traumas) is minimal.  Therefore, 
        your body can repeat a high level of exertion on consecutive days.  If
        an athlete's longest run of the week was 60 minutes and they only did
        that once, they might be able to do that 2-4 times a week in the pool.
        Granted, not many athletes would want to run in the pool that long
        with that frequency.

        As for hard workouts, we began by replicating our planned track 
        workout in the pool.  10 x 400 with 90 seconds recovery became
        10 times 90 seconds with 90 seconds recovery.  Through the requests
        of my athletes, I began letting those who had to do their hard
        workoouts in the pool do even more...and more frequently.  This
        same workout became 15 x 90 seconds with 60 seconds rest.  Track
        workouts with 3-4 minute recovery were translated into workouts with
        only 90-120 seconds of recovery.  We also found that athletes could
        run hard workouts several days in a row without any side effects.
        They usually asked to do a hard workout.  I also found that longer 
        distances (600 meters or more) didn't translate as well into pool 
        running.  My athletes had difficulty maintaining quality turnover in 
        the pool for any period longer than 2 minutes.

        I have also attempted to measure the quality of a hard effort by
        counting the number of strides taken per minute.  However it becomes
        very difficult once you get beyond 180 strides/minute and my athletes
        have not been very fond of it.

USAGE   Our distance athletes who have histories of leg problems are in the 
        pool 1-2 times per week to help increase their endurance without the
        stress of extra miles.  If an athlete has shin splints, ankle soreness
        or sprain, etc. we may also have them do their qualty work in the pool 
        We prefer quality work to be done on land, because there is no true 
        substitute for it.

RESULTS We have had some nice success stories, but the most obvious example
        of the possible benefits of water running has to do with a freshman
        runner several years ago.  In our last indoor meet she PRd in the
        1500 (5:07).  The following day she stepped off a curb during a run
        and fractured her foot.  She spent the next 6 weeks in the pool, 
        sometimes doing 5 hard workouts a week.  After her injury healed, we
        had her jog for 5 days with some pickups the 4th & 5th days.  On the
        6th day she ran a 5:08 1500.  Although it was not an improvement, she
        had maintained the highest level of fitness in her life (she was a 
        6 minute miler the previous year) for 7 weeks with only pool work for
        the first 6 weeks.

I have been coaching college runners for 10 years and I would be happy to
answer any questions on running.

Larry Ehmer
Swarthmore Women's XC & Track & Field
ehmer@cc.swarthmore.edu