Jul 5

FIT:
My knees have been kind of grindy lately, maybe b/c when I've been at my parents', I haven't had glucosamine & chondroitin. As a result, it was a good day for a swim workout.

I don't have much info on distance, b/c I wanted to try a new toy... an aquabelt. I also wanted to mix in sprints, kickboard, and aqua-jogging.

45 min of...
1) Normal laps as warmups - 3 x [3 free / 3 breast] - 19:13
2) Aquajogging - 3 x lap - 1:40?, 1:40, 1:43
3) Kickboard - breast & fly 2:00
4) Fly - just to see if I could do it... it went better this time than any time in the past! - 1:13, 1:14, 1:13... I don't think I'm able to get my head up above water like experienced flyers can, but I can at least move myself across the pool now with some semblance of swimming.
5) Sprints - 3 x lap - 0:52, 0:53, 0:54... very arm strength-based, more than cardio-based.
6) Cool-down - 1 free - 1:09
7) Aquajogging - 6:59

There are interesting studies of bone density in runners vs. bikers, where runners have above average density and bikers... cyclists have less than average bone density, because of all the 3xbody weight bearing pounding of running vs. being seated... still working like mad but w/o pounding. I don't remember whether that study looked at swimmers, too, because I'd think that that would be the least weight-bearing of all. Yet there's also this other study that suggests that not just gravity impacts but forces created by muscles can strengthen bones. But during my swim sessions, I'm aware of how rouch the forces can be. I swim when my legs aren't feeling great, but the swim itself is usually kind of rough on my joints. There often seems to be more force being transferred from one part of my leg to another than my joints can handle. I don't know what those forces are like, but I'm just saying that even something not weight bearing can be rough.