Run for your life

All of this week, I had been on our family’s annual beach break. One week of nothing but run, sun, sea, surf and excellently scrumptious local food, wherever local might be. This year we are in Bali, actually almost every other year we would be in Bali. We stayed at Kayumanis Jimbaran Private Estate, which is a delightful, private estate. Attentive staff catered to our needs and we set about our business of fun and rest in earnest.

This break was no training break for me with the Spartan Race Singapore fast approaching. The pool within our private villa gave me the opportunity to cross train in the form of Aqua Running. I have from time to time done aqua running workouts in the pool at our residence. During this break with the pool just a step away from our bedroom it was perfect.

The pool

Aqua running is a form of deep water running that closely mimics the actual running movement. Your feet don’t actually touch the bottom of the pool. You strap on a flotation device to keep your head above water while helping to ensure proper form. You may add weight belts to increase resistance as a progression to your workouts. Allie Burdock wrote an interesting piece on aqua running in Runners World. I encourage you to read it.

aquajoggingworkouts.com listed 10 top benefits of aqua running, what I think aqua running can bring to your workout program are:

1. Cross training so you add some variety to your usual workouts. Cross training allows you to work the same sets of muscles you would in your normal workout programme with the added advantage of killing the monotony of routine.
2. The water adds resistance to your movements. You may consider aqua running as if you are running in a strong headwind. This conditions and tones the muscles for strength.
3. Although the water adds resistance, you are actually in a low impact workout. Your feet do not actually hit the bottom of the pool, so there is absolutely zero impact. This means aqua running is a workout you want to perform when you are recovering from an injury.

As always, I have tweaked the workout to my needs and the resources I have at hand. Successful managers look at their resources and see how their needs can be achieved by utilising the resources at their disposal. What I have is a pool 7 meters long, 1.5m deep. Not deep enough for actual aqua running as my feet would be touching the bottom of the pool. The impact though is still much less than had I run on solid ground. I do not have a flotation device but that is of no consequence as the pool is only 1.5m deep. I would still get resistance from the weight of water and because I want to build strength on my upper body and core the resistance afforded by the water is perfect.

The Workout:

1. Warm up with a variation of sun salutation consisting of mountain pose, downward dog, push up with side plank, downward dog, mountain pose.
2. This is set one, going in an anti clockwise direction,
   1. go along one length of the pool performing high forward kicks,
   2. along one breath move sideways, when you get to the opposite edge, perform 15 dips using the edge of the pool to push yourself up halfway out of the pool.
   3. along the second length, run in the water to the opposite end. At the opposite end perform 15 dips, move sideways along the breadth.
   4. Repeat 4 reps.
3.   This is set two,
   1. Along the length of the pool, going sideways, perform jumping jacks.
   2. Swim back, pick your style. I chose to do breast.
   3. Repeat 4 reps
4. Repeat set one and set two till exhaustion. I managed 4 cycles.
5. Stretch
6. Recover

Jumping jacks in the water

It does not amount to many kilometres and while performing the workout, it did not seem to be strenous but I was certainly knackered at the end.

Try it out the next time you need a variety fix in your workout.

Leadership and management lesson learnt, inventory your resources and see how they fit your needs. Going out into the market to obtain more resources may not be the answer all the time.