Alternative Training following Injury
Because of an injury, an athlete may not continue with their running training program, but the nature of the injury may allow the athlete to swim or cycle. The following are alternative training programs to help athletes maintain fitness as they recover from injuries.
Before You Start
Before starting any training, you must have a medical examination to ensure it is safe for you to do so. Any training program application is at the athlete's discretion and risk.
Swimming
| Day | Activity |
| 1 | 1km @ 70% to 80% HRmax |
| 2 | One length @ 80% to 90% HRmax - swim back
recovery Two lengths @ 80% to 90% HRmax - swim back recovery Three lengths @ 80% to 90% HRmax - swim back recovery Keep increasing the maximum effort swims to exhaustion |
| 3 | 1.5km @ 70% to 80% HRmax |
| 4 | One length or width underwater - swim back
recovery Repeat as many times as possible |
| 5 | 2km @ 70% to 80% HRmax |
| 6 | REST |
| 7 | 6 × 2 lengths @ 80% to 90% HRmax - with swim back recovery |
Cycling - Mobile or Stationary
| Day | Activity |
| 1 | 20km - 70% to 80% HRmax |
| 2 | 5-minute slow pedalling @ 60% to 70% HRmax 20 × 1 minute @ 80% to 90% HRmax& 2 minutes slow pedalling recovery 5 minute slow pedalling @ 60% to 70% HRmax |
| 3 | 25km - 70% to 80% HRmax |
| 4 | 5-minute slow pedalling @ 60% to 70% HRmax 10 × 2 minutes @ 80% to 90% HRmax & 2 minutes slow pedalling recovery 5-minute slow pedalling @ 60% to 70% HRmax |
| 5 | 30km - 70% to 80% HRmax |
| 6 | REST |
| 7 | 5-minute slow pedalling @ 60% to 70% HRmax 5 × 4 minutes @ 80% to 90% HRmax & 2 minutes slow pedalling recovery 5-minute slow pedalling @ 60% to 70% HRmax |
Comparison with running
Four miles of steady cycling equals one mile of running, and ½ mile of swimming equals four miles of running. It is a rough estimate, where the conversion factor is based on time. e.g. 400 metres run takes approx. one minute - the assumption is we can swim 100 metres in one minute (100:400 = 1:4) and cycle approx. 1600 metres in one minute (400:1600 - 1:4).
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- MACKENZIE, B. (2007) Alternative Training following Injury [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/swimbike.htm [Accessed