Forums >Cross Training>Road to Improvement Swimming vs. Running
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Kick often. Not to fast. Mostly with the hips. Actually when you are swimming for long distance you are not supposed to kick much. The legs are big muscles and use a lot of energy and kicking is not the main source of thrust. Kick just hard enough to keep your feet from dragging. You want to be level with the surface to be streamlined.
It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.
Run like a kid again!
E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com -----------------------------
Feeling the growl again
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Can some of the other competitive swimmers comment on this? I've heard triathletes talk about saving leg strength by not kicking hard, but I'd like to know what is the perspective of competitive swimmers on kicking over long distance? A few with whom I've talked in the past, say they just always kick b/c it is how they swim. I know that my kick slacks off when I'm just swimming many laps, but I kick like hell when I sprint -- not a conscious decision, that is just what happens. I've been assuming it is just laziness on my part for the longer swims.
Actually I would like to hear from the Triathletes as this is the only reason I swim. Is it best to just kick enough to keep your back end afloat or should I be worried about my kick? I can see the theory of saving your legs for the run and bike and letting your upper half do the work for the swim. The upper half will have plenty of time to rest while I am doing the bike. Comments.
I've been reading this thread with interest - and when some of you swimming studs get a chance, I'd like to hear your views on how swimming has impacted your running. I just bought a house in a nice neighborhood with a great pool ... but the pool's only open May to September. I figured I might get into swimming next summer ... but mainly to improve my running. I'll never be a real swimmer. Which probably means I wear an iPod when I swim. But I digress. Does it help your running? Any particular kind of swimming that makes your running faster?
Nothing from running will help you until you learn the correct technique!!!!!!
Why is it sideways?
I think the runner's basic mentality is to think that propulsion comes from pulling as much water as possible
Son, when you participate in sporting events, it's not whether you win or lose; it's how drunk you get. -- Homer Simpson
I also agree with Mishka that the discipline required when breathing is really weird and hard to get used to, but teaches you also that it is possible to relax when in oxygen debt: an important skill in running, too.