<p>Miami- I can assure you that after the triathletes swim at full speed for 1.2 or 2.4 miles they are not feeling “full of energy”. </p>
<p>It’s Monkey Week! Big taper. No pressure. Will walk the hills when I need to. Need to figure out nutrition. I really want the coke out there since it helped me in Chattanooga. I also would like a PB&J sandwhich late in the race. Maybe H will carry stuff for me on his bike. He’s the bicyclist for the race.</p>
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<p>That might work if you liked swimming. I’d rather chew nails than swim.</p>
<p>If you never tried, you would not know, correct, then you assume that you do not like it.</p>
<p>Miami: I know how to swim and I’ve tried swimming laps in a pool as a form of exercise. For me, it’s the most boring thing in the whole world. I don’t care for it. I have a vacation home that’s on an island and I enjoy going for a swim in the ocean when I’m there, but that’s not part of my fitness routine. Swimming to keep myself fit just doesn’t cut it for me. Different strokes for different folks and all that . . .</p>
<p>^Well you are much lucker than me, I really do not know how, but I still swim and sorry for everybody who has to endure any type of dryland exercise. Yes, I am really bad in a water, I would not swim in front of my D., she would laugh at me. But it is not boring at all, I love to let my mind to get going, it is going much faster when you are relaxed. The same type of things when they say that msot challenging work related problems get resolved while you are in a shower. that is what I love about swimming. But i never wear any devices during my walks or weight lifting, I am looking to relax, any noise just bothers me. I guess, different people are looking for different advantages of exercise. Mine is relaxation and energy gains.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone. I did get an appointment with my Dr. for Friday, but to do so I had to take a slot that my daughter had scheduled with the Dr. (she couldn’t keep it because of her work schedule.) Had to reschedule my daughter’s appt. - earliest opening? Jan. 16. So, yes, if I couldn’t have gotten in this week my soonest appt. would have been Jan. 16. Might be time to look for a different Dr.</p>
<p>I suspect the “swimming” that MiamiDAP does has very little cardiovascular benefit. Also, women are cautioned NOT to rely on swimming for any bone density benefits, but I know Miami also does some sort of weight routine.</p>
<p>Swimming requires a pool. One thing I like about running is that I can do it anywhere. I have done a lot of swimming over my fitness career- both alone and with a Master’s team. I have done some competitive swimming and triathlons. I enjoy the swim workouts up to a point. I DO think you get a lot more benefit if you know the proper form and can vary your strokes. But if all you want is relaxation, then float and paddle away!</p>
<p>I think MiamiDAP is right that regular exercise doesn’t make you more energetic. Ramping up the metabolism is one of the great benefits of regular exercise. </p>
<p>I don’t have access to a pool, but I bet you could do some fantastic interval training in the pool alternating all-out sprint lengths with easy relaxing laps.</p>
<p>^Yes, swimmers do, I cannot, I do not swim well enough. There are some very fast swimmers where I go. Whatever I do, works, apparently do not need to be a swimmer. Other exercises, especially walking make me tired. I would say that rollerblading is the closest to swimming in regard to energy gains and mood elevating, but if you fall then it might hurt for a long time and then you have psycho barrier, boy I miss it badly…</p>
<p>iDad- That is how group swim training works, whether it be age group swimmers, country club league for little kids or Master’s (older folks). You do “sets” which alternate faster swimming (often with time goals, such as 8 x 50 meters on 1 minute or 1:10 etc with a 50 easy after 5). The nice thing is all levels can be in the pool and the interval times are varied. The slower folks might just swim 6 of the repeats. It was a great workout.</p>
<p>Miami- I don’t really know how you know your floating up and down the pool works since you don’t believe in any medical testing! Glad you feel relaxed, though!</p>
<p>Idad: I wasn’t suggesting that swimming isn’t a good workout. I’m sure it is. For me, it’s just boring and awful and I know if that were the only form of exercise open to me, I’d not do it. I believe (and I’m certainly not as knowledgeable as most of the folks posting here) that the key to exercising regularly and losing weight was to find something that I really enjoyed. While I don’t find myself merrily skipping off to exercise everyday, I have found fitness activities that I’m good at and like to do. As a result, I’m in good physical shape for a 60-year-old woman. I can keep up with the 30-something moms in my spinning classes, which makes me happy.</p>
<p>^I definitely vote for enjoying exersice, otherwise you will not stick to your routine. Hey, if you can spin, why not? I would not be able to sustain a second of it, I have hard time passing room with such a loud music. I also get very tired on a stationary bike in first minute, simply physically cannot do. In regard to kipping up, almost nobody can keep up with my walking, on our trips to family, only my 12 y o granddaughter could keep up with me, bu we were walking relatively slow. Others complained about huritng legs for several weeks. My S. called our walks “marches of death”, I was surprized about feeling nothing and I am older than you, Bromfield. Ancient person is here!!! Anyway, people in NYC cannot walk fast at all, they are not trained, walking in a crowd, you have to slow down all the time.</p>
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<p>I’d be thrilled to keep with anyone in a spinning class! :)</p>
<p>I don’t think swimming would be my cup of tea, either. I have a short attention span, I think. 45 minutes of walking would drive me bonkers on a track. I need music and scenery. Even then, around the neighborhood or in the state parks, 45 minutes to an hour is my limit. Hiking is a little different because you have to focus and concentrate to not fall down. Every step is a new challenge., plus you’ve got an actual destination and waypoints along the route.</p>
<p>Even my strength and core workouts move pretty quickly from one thing to the next so I’m never doing any one thing for more than 10 minutes.</p>
<p>MOWC:</p>
<p>Is your strategy to walk the hills from the start? Seems like the key to that kind of event is discipline.</p>
<p>I guess the problem with the Monkey course is that the hills are steep enough that they really aren’t much of a rest, even for walking. I wonder if my heart rate intervals would work? Run only until your heart rate hits an upper limit, then walk until it’s fallen to a lower limit?</p>
<p>I bet you do great! And, no matter what, at least it’s a beautiful place… :)</p>
<p>36 min run w/sprint. The new gloves kept my hands nice and toasty.</p>
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This is how I feel about my running these days with all my falls! </p>
<p>I think I will start up the hills at a run, but, essentially, walk when my HR gets too high or I am breathing too hard. I ran an excellent Monkey in 2009 with only a few miles over 10:00 pace. That won’t be happening this year. I’m hoping I’ll be with some people, which helps a lot. There are only 300 participants, and we get pretty spread out in that park.</p>
<p>A mix of things today. Morning stretch video, pushups. Ran 1 mile on the treadmill. Then another stretch video this evening, an abs workout, one set of military presses and a set of bicep curls.</p>
<p>Swimming is suppose to be useless for bone density. Also, I was just reading that swimmers tend to have higher body fat indexes than other athletes. So I don’t really see swimming as a terrific single exercise. I like that I can swim in a saltwater pool and I have a couple friends who are beautiful swimmers who I enjoy swimming with. A graceful swimmer is a lovely thing to behold! I am not that!</p>
<p>The one constant in my exercise this past year has been walking/running with my neighbors six mornings per week for about 90 minutes. It’s pretty hilly terrain and I do feel stronger. I also try to lift weights three or so times per week. Then mixing it up with ballet and swimming.</p>
<p>Also, I recommend knitting. It’s true. It cuts down on snacking. Keeps the hands busy.</p>
<p>When my kids were in preschool I used to swim 45 minutes three times a week. I never lost a pound. At the time though it worked for me and it was a bit like meditating very mindless.</p>
<p>Is the buildup of fat to deal with the body having to keep warm in the relatively cold water?</p>