Natalie coughlin itrain
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My first competitive run was the Embarcadero 10k in February. I think about relaxing my shoulders and neck, since those get tight from swimming. My physical therapist that helps me with my shoulder has been giving me tips for running. Swimming is so technical, do you think about your technique at all while running? That's the difference between sprint swimming and endurance running. During last 15 meters of the Olympic 100 backstroke finals, I bit my lip, trying to take my attention off of how much my legs were hurting. Both times, though, I have nothing left in my tank. Running long, my legs feel more like Jell-O. When I'm swimming, I'm sprinting, and my legs just turn into cement and I feel like I'm drowning. How does hitting the wall in running compare to hitting it in swimming? This winter, I got orthotics, more as a preventative measure than for a specific injury, to support my knees and floppy swimmer's feet. They definitely feel different when I'm swimming and running versus just swimming. My bones aren't used to the pounding, and my knees get sore easily. What matters more is that I haven't grown up running. My strong hamstrings and quads definitely help, but there are muscles used in running-the gluteus medius, for example-that I don't activate in the pool. You're known for a strong kick in the pool. It felt great, but the next day I was quite sore. On the flight home from, I freaked out that I was getting out of shape, so after I landed, I went on a four-mile run. I went from being at the peak of fitness to just celebrating, eating and not doing anything. At Cal, our coach believed that any activity outside the pool makes you a better swimmer because you improve your athleticism.Īfter Olympic competition was over, I stayed in Beijing for five days to attend sponsorship events and dinner. Physically, it's perfect for cross training and leg strengthening. Mentally, it's great because I'm outside, checking out the world, doing something different than staring at a black line at the bottom of a pool. Being a swimmer my entire life, my joints aren't used to the pounding. I love it, but I need to force myself to take a day off since my knees get pretty sore. I've been running five or six days a week. Running has been my main form of exercise. Since the Olympics in Beijing, I've haven't been swimming much at all. I have to keep her on a leash there's no way she'd listen and stay by my side. There's a great three-mile trail near my house, and we did that a couple times a week. I have a four-year old border terrier named Shera, and she's super high-energy she can go fast, but she doesn't last long. We did a combination of running on the track, through Berkeley and on the treadmill.Īfter I graduated in 2005, I kept running, mostly to keep my dog calm and manageable. Our coach had us run to add some extra aerobic work. I actually started eight years ago, during my freshman year at the University of California at Berkeley.