When done right, pooling/pool running/aqua-jogging is an extremely effective cross-training option. The following workouts are designed to build and maintain fitness (and sanity) while in the water.
My days in the pool are numbered, and I’m sure you’re as sick of hearing about it as I am of doing it...but in case you’re looking for some swim-spiration (see what I did there? I’m sorry.), these workouts will keep you in shape and ensure that your transition out of the pool and back to running goes as smoothly as possible.
And if you regularly pool run as a part of your training program, these workouts are guaranteed to work you out - anyone who thinks the pool is for sissies should spend a week with this list and then reconsider.
Go here for more info on the benefits of aqua-jogging. And here for a list of DC's public pools.
I like to use a flotation device (aka “floaty belt”) because it allows me to focus on my form. If you don’t have a floaty belt, your pool time will be more of an upper body workout, so try to be conscious of maintaining a good upright running posture.
These workouts range from 60 minutes to 2 hours. You can easily adjust them if you’re looking for shorter (or longer? yikes!) workouts. You only really need 5 minutes warm up/cool down in the pool. Or you could do fewer reps of each interval.
(Occasionally I do a simple steady pool-running for recovery, but even on easier days I tend to do some sort of workout for my sanity's sake. It can be booooring to stead-run in the pool!)
Long Run Pool Workout – 120 minutes total, 36 minutes hard running
(Tired-face. Much like a long run, you may need to lounge on your couch and have people bring you food after this workout.)
- Warm up 30 minutes.
- 3 minutes hard, 2 minutes recovery. Repeat this 5-minute interval 6 times.
- 5 minutes recovery “jog.”
- 3 minutes hard, 2 minutes recovery. Repeat this 5-minute interval 6 times.
- Cool down 25 minutes.
Speed Work Pool Workout – 75 minutes total, 30 minutes hard running.
(This is the hardest pool workout I’ve done – like difficult-to-walk-up-stairs kind of hard.)
- Warm up 20 minutes.
- 2:30 hard, :30 recovery. Repeat this 3-minute interval 6 times.
- 5 minutes recovery “jog.”
- 2:30 hard, :30 recovery. Repeat this 3-minute interval 6 times.
- Cool down 15 minutes.
Steady Interval Workout - 64 minutes total, 18 minutes hard running
(This workout is inspired by my favorite track workout: 6x800m.)
- Warm up 20 minutes.
- 3 minutes hard, 1 minute recovery. Repeat this 4-minute interval 6 times.
- Cool down 20 minutes.
Ladder Pool Workout – 65 minutes total, 25 minutes hard running
(This workout is deceptively difficult. At the beginning it feels like no-problemo, but by the time you get up to the 4’s and 5’s and have only 1 minute to recover…oof it will work you!)
- Warm up 20 minutes.
- Ladder up and back down from 1 minute to 5 minutes, with 1 minute recovery between each. (So that’s 1hard, 1 easy, 2h/1e, 3h/1e, 4h/1e, 5h/1e, 4h/1e, 3h/1e, 2h/1e, 1h/1e)
- Cool down 10 minutes.
1’s and 2’s Interval Workout - 76 minutes total, 18 minutes hard running
(This is a pretty moderate workout, for those days when you want to do something, but maybe aren’t quite up to the ladder or speed options.)
- Warm up 20 minutes.
- 2 minutes hard, 2 minute recovery. Repeat this 3-minute interval 6 times.
- 1 minute hard, 1 minute recovery. Repeat this 2-minute interval 6 times.
- 20 minutes cool-down.
Extended Recovery Tempo Run – 80 minutes, 20 minutes hard running.
(This is a moderate workout, a good one to do the day after speed work.)
- Warm up 20 minutes.
- 5 minutes hard, 5 minutes recovery. Repeat this 10-minute interval 4 times.
- Cool Down 20 minutes.
Downhill Ladder - 60 minutes total, 28 minutes hard
- Warm up 10 minutes.
- Ladder down from 7 minutes with half-time recovery (i.e. run hard for 7 minutes, then easy for 3:30, then hard for 6, then easy for 3, etc.).
- Cool down 10 minutes
1’s and 3’s Speed Workout – 65 minutes total, 16 minutes hard
(This is similar to the 1’s and 2’s workout, but it’s harder because the intervals are longer and the recovery is shorter. Make sure you run hard to make this worth it.)
- Warm up 20 minutes.
- 3 minutes hard, 1 minute easy, 1 minute sprint, 1 minute easy. Do this 6-minute interval 4 times (or more if you’re looking for a longer workout).
- Cool down 20 minutes
What are your favorite pool workouts? Share in the comments!