Swim but cant run.......

Bicky

About two months ago i decided to get fit and lose a rapidly growing beer belly. I started off going running with a friend but hated it because he often had to hold back and wait for me to catch up. So i decided to start swimming. I have always been a good swimmer and took to it well. For the last five weeks i have been swimming 80 or 90 25m (2k or so) lengths front crawl about 3 or 4 days each week. I have found that i am definitely physically fitter.
The problem is when it comes to running. I tried to run last night for the first time in weeks and gave up after about ten minutes (slow jog actually) i just was not able to keep going.
Why is it that i can swim so vigorously and not even lose my breath but when i run i just cant keep going.

I am a 21 year old, non smoking male and weigh about 180 - 190 pounds( not really sure )

tunney

Your problem is a simple and common one.

People presume that because they think that they are in shape that they will be able to run/jog continously for a decent length of time. It doesn't work that way. It is necessary for a person who is completely new to running to start very very very very slowly, so slowly in fact that most people are disgusted with themselves. But they shouldn't be, the amount of time that you can run for can be built up quickly and easily, all it takes i patience, time and committment and as someone who worked his way from 15+ stone at 5 foot ten who couldn't run to the bus stop to 12 stone and running 5-6 days a week believe me it works.

Start off something like, do each of these at least 3 times a week:
Week 1: Run 1 minute, walk 5 minutes. Repeat four times.
Week 2: Run 2 minute, walk 4 minutes. Repeat four times.
Week 3: Run 3 minute, walk 3 minutes. Repeat four times.
Week 4: Run 3 minute, walk 3 minutes. Repeat four times.
Week 5: Run 4 minute, walk 2 minutes. Repeat four times.
Week 6: Run 5 minute, walk 1 minute. Repeat four times.
Week 7: Run 5 minute, walk 1 minute. Repeat four times.
Week 8: Run 20 minutes.

Just my two cents.

Victor

In part, different muscles and different pattern. When you swim you tend to use your arms as much as your legs.

D-Generate

Perhaps you could have a very good swimming stroke but your running technique is terrible and causes you to waste a lot of your energy?

davelerave

do some stretching beforehand esp. calfs and hamstrings.start very running very slowly.try running at different time of day ,the evening can be good time if you have been active during the day
and also good running shoes are important

thedrowner

i swim and run too...but i find if i run the day after ive been swimming (or the same day) i can't manage it as easily, i just feel a bit more tired.

tunney

Sure you're meant to be tired after a swim no? How long of a recovery are you leaving between swimming and running? A good way to find out if you're too tired to run is to find out your resting heart rate and every morning compare your heart rate that day to your resting one. If its 10 or more over the resting heart rate, take a day off you need it.

Amz

Just something i learned when I was swimming competitively. As soon as you put your face into water, well i think this only applies if you're swimming, the heart rate naturally decreases slightly.

As Victor said above it's different muscles which are being recruited while you run and while you swim.

Swimming is an excellent sport for improving cardiovascular endurance as it is a non impact sport and thus stress fractures and other related injuries are not common.

I also agree with the poster above, go back to running slowly don't just assume that you'll be able to run at as high a standard as you are swimming.

Jak

Originally posted by Amz
Just something i learned when I was swimming competitively. As soon as you put your face into water, well i think this only applies if you're swimming, the heart rate naturally decreases slightly.

Tis known as the mammallian reflex. Commonly accepted in diving and free diving as the means by which we can reduce relative oxygen consumption levels under water.

In any case, I played water polo for about 6 years, and found "water fitness" to be entirely distinct from "land fitness". As a more recent example I competed in an Olympic distance triathlon, I had no problem with the swim or the cycle however I suffered heavily on the run.

I put it down to technique playing a large role and also swimming being a non impact sport whereas running etc. is.

Cardiovascular fitness in running or swimming will not necessarily translate between the two without some loss.


JAK.

thedrowner

i do wonder tho how i can swim 2 days in a row and it wont bother me but if i run the next day i just feel tired. but i may be overcoming it a bit coz i was able for my run yesterday.

Amz

It's coz you're working different muscles/muscle groups when you run. You don't use your arms as much when you run for example. Your body will just have to adapt to the different types of exercise you are doing. The more you do an exercise the easier it will become as your body develops more efficient ways of doing it ie transporting the energy to the required areas in as economic a way as possible.

Neuromuscular pathways yadda yadda!

Bicky

Thanks everyone for the replys.
I have to put it down to the fact that i have a good swimming technique. In fact when i swim i tend not to use my legs as well as i should and most of the work is on my arms. I did not even notice this fact until i read this thread and started to focus on my stroke while swimming.
Also i have decided to slowly build up the length and speed of my runs. Fitness here i come
:cool:

thedrowner

Originally posted by Amz


Neuromuscular pathways yadda yadda!

sorry to go off topic but i'm actually having dreams of biochemical pathways. i woke up at 6.40 the other morning imagining little atp's flying into equations and little h20's flying out....can't wait till my exams are over...:(

i had a lovely swim this morning though, and yeah now that it's been pointed out to me, i can feel the difference.

Amz

Oh no the ATPs have got to you too!!

Good stuff Bicky! Glad my waffeling might have helped a teeny weeny bit hehe!

I intend to get back to swimming during the summer holidays and my running needs some improvement, hopefully it'll go ok!

thedrowner

yeah, i had to cut down on both of those during this exam period but i'll hopefully get a chance to improve them both during the summer (in america!!!!). i always feel like an idiot when i'm swimming though, i feel like i'm not doing it right, or i'm breathing wrong. must check out if there's any adult classes where i swim (in rathmines)

Bicky

Just something i learned when I was swimming competitively.

Hey amz. Just a quick question if you dont mind.
What level did you swim competitively at?
If it was college level what kind of speeds did you do?
Just be nice to compare even though i am not fast

thedrowner

yeah and can u tell me if this is good?
i can swim 50 length (1.25 km, coz its a 25 metre pool) in 45 minutes. is that good or bad.

Amz

Unfortunately I gave up the aul swimming before I got to college level. I was up to Grade A in my freestyle and my Breastroke and Fly can't find my log book with the times in it at the moment I was swimming pretty good times though but unfortunately due to a difference of opinion with a coach i decided to jack in the swimming career and start athletics instead.

Drowner that probably is good (not too sure) it depends really. Have you assessed what it is you want to get out of the swimming?

What you need in a training programme is progressive overload.

If you're doing 50 lengths every week you might want to increase the number of lengths by one or two each time that way you will work yourself slightly harder each time but you should be able to manage it. However dont increase the load too rapidly just by one or two lengths and try and get this distance done in the same time frame as the original 50

That probably wasnt particularly clear but I'll explain it to you properly at some stage if i can!

thedrowner

yeah, well i was swimming 3 times a week but exams have kind of messed that up at the mo, i'll only get a chance to go on sunday morning now (the only propper excercise i got this week)

Divine

Ah nice one, this is the thread i was looking for, perfect!

jank

Originally posted by tunney

time and committment and as someone who worked his way from 15+ stone at 5 foot ten who couldn't run to the bus stop to 12 stone and running 5-6 days a week believe me it works.

just wondering tunney how long did it take you to reach that weight and was running the only exercise you used to achive that weight or did u mix in some sports/weights with it
i heard running alone wont do anything to your weight in the long run and can be demoralizing cause your puting in the effort for nothing. its only what i heard

and a general question which is better for losing weight and toning up swiming or running(suppose it a combo of both right!!)
but what are the pros and cons of each of them??


i can swim but havent in years like!!
want to get back into it and feel lkke the fit 16 year old i was


cheers

jank

would seriously like some input on the above questions been looking around for the swim v running stuff but cant find it anywhere

again cheers on advance:D