Running is most likely going to be the most damaging to
you from the point of view of joint wear and tear. So simply
decreasing the volume of running might be all that is required.
Increasing the volume in another discipline like cycling or
swimming for aerobic development will suffice. Perhaps if
you have come from a running background you used a larger
proportion of your running programme in developing an aerobic
base. Since the aerobic benefits from one discipline are known
to carry over from one to another you can do more of this
aerobic development in the other 2 disciplines. Personally,
I prefer to do it cycling, and because it is more specific
to the legs, it may be of more benefit.
For specific strength and speed work, you will still need
to run. The bones and joints still need to bear weight so
they will thicken and adapt to the load, however, some of
the more vigorous and challenging speed and interval work
can be done in the pool. Pool running provide a great resistance
workout without pounding the joints. You can even use pool
running to develop your aerobic base running too if you can
stand the monotony. However, monotony should not be any problem
at all if you are sufficiently motivated and committed to
achieving a particular goal. I have heard of a number of stories
(sorry no hard facts) of people doing PBs for marathons and
half marathons with little or nothing else but pool running.
Pool running, in case you are not quite familiar, is where
there is no weight bearing at all, is performed in deep water
with a buoyancy belt with running type motions. Some of the
other benefits are that it also aids in developing "core
stability". Core stability is a subject that is become
very popular in sporting circles. The idea is that by developing,
or correcting problems with, strength in the stable muscles,
the muscles that are actually for movement can do their job
better, that is, they can devote all of their work towards
their particular movement and don't have to compensate for
poor stability strength. For example, stand on each leg separately,
you may find on one leg you wobble a little and have some
trouble maintaining balance as easily as the other leg. This
is evidence that some of these stability muscles may not be
doing their job properly. These muscles are responsible for
keeping our hips stable when we run. If the hip is moving
then 2 things happen, the movement muscles try to compensate
for this, and this movement is going to take strength out
of the contraction (try closing an over packed suit case on
a spongy bed as opposed to closing it on a solid table). Often
after surgery these stability muscles may be weak. Pool running
exercise can help correct this. The is also a type of therapy
called Pilates and I have just read in the latest triathlon
magazine (Australian Triathlete issue 8.1 What is the Big
Deal About Swiss Balls? pp.62-4) and cycling magazine (Bicycling
Australia Jan/Feb 2001 Hardcore Stability pp. 72-7) how the
Swiss Ball is the new fad for improving core strength.
Of course all of this assumes you have a training programme
already worked out. If you have not then you need to do this
first. I don't intend to go into that kind of detail here,
but I will give you a link to another site to do this. Perhaps
as a first cut write down what you already do, then write
down what it is that you want to achieve and then review what
you currently do against a programme that you'd derive using
principles found at Online Triathlon http://www.onlinetriathlon.com/.
Medical
and Nutritional Supplements
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