I’ll admit it looks silly, but pool running is one of the best forms of cross training for runners. It has the many cardio boosting benefits of normal running but the water creates a low-impact environment so there’s less chance for injury.

Injury is possibly the most dreaded word in the running world and the constant strain from your feet pounding the pavement definitely increases the risk. The good news is water workouts can be done in place of running as injury prevention.

With any new running program a few minor aches and pains are to be expected. If those aches and pains become more frequent listen to your body. Instead of pushing to the breaking point, opt for a day in the pool. You don’t have to sacrifice your body’s well being to have a great workout!

What you need:

• a pool
• a flotation device (optional but great for beginners)
• a timing watch
• a positive attitude (especially if you’re rehabbing an injury)

Holly has suffered a stress fracture and she is using pool running to stay fit while her injury heals.

To begin, place a flotation device tightly around your waist (you can rent these from your pool). This will help you stay upright so you can focus on your form instead of trying to stay afloat.

In the pool, running mechanics are very similar to normal running except you will be moving a lot slower. Your knee drive should be similar to normal running and the front foot should “land” in front of the body. Your trail leg will need to be actively pulled forward because of the water resistance.

Keep your body upright, remember you are running not swimming. Your hands should form relaxed fists so you don’t cup the water and bend your arms to roughly 90 degrees.

Choosing to crosstrain can feel like torture for some runners. The guilt of taking a day off the track seems counterproductive but in the long run (no pun intended) choosing recovery is the best way to stay injury free!

A lot of athletes want to add swimming to their cross training, but have a difficult time developing a good workout for their level. If you've decided to get back in the pool for the first time in a while, remember one thing when designing your workout: Swim for distance, not for speed. What I mean is, if you're swimming for endurance it's best not to swim as fast as you can without stopping. This will leave you feeling out of breath, and you'll most likely get out of the pool completely exhausted very early in the workout.

Instead, you can practice swimming each lap at a consistent interval. For example, if you can comfortably swim 50 yards* in 1 minute, give yourself 15 seconds to recover after each 50 and swim 6 consecutive 50s on a 1:15 interval. With practice, you will get faster and be able to reduce your interval times. You can also play with the times and work up to 100 yards on a 2:15 interval, or 200 yards on a 4:15 interval.

If you don't know how fast you swim, you'll want to figure out the right interval for your workout. Give yourself 15 seconds to recover after each 50, and time yourself to see how long it takes you to swim 50 yards five or six times. You can simply take the average of that 50 time, add 15 or 20 seconds of recovery to it, and use that time for your interval.

Here is a sample beginner workout. Take it with you the next time you go to the pool:

Warm up: 4 x 50 (easy pace)
Main set: 4 x 50 on 1:15
2 x 100 on 2:20
4 x 50 on 1:15
Cooldown: 1 x 75, 1 x 50, 1 x 25

Total: 950 yards

*Note to Canadians: 1 yard = 0.9144 metres

Happy swimming!

Billie (above) is a blur of black/disco in our Fastlane Suit Too.