Subject: RE: Fitness gain-water running vs road running? If you are injured I think it is a great idea. If you are not injured, then I think it is not a great idea. First, water running is boring, as in, 'please stick a needle in my eye to make this interesting' boring. (I've done 2+ hour 'runs' in water. I know whereof I speak.) Second, and more important, you do not get the same impact forces, and those are important to overall run fitness for a variety fo reasons. (And for the same reason, you have to be careful about transitioning back to the road.) I was able to maintain pretty decent fitness when I was injured, but I would never do it simply as a substitute for running. |