MCL and Pool Running

The left Medial
Collateral Ligament MCL is still a little tender. After looking over my running logs, this is the same MCL that has given me fits at various times over the last four years. I think it was what was torn when I was young and has never been 100 percent. Now that I know that extreme pushing of heavy objects and sudden bursts running uphill are the activities that strain it, I'll know what to look out for.

The pateller strap will work great to stabilize the knee until the ligament fully recovers.

As I won't be increasing my miles until the MCL is back to normal, I decided to try pool running to add some running mileage. This morning after my swim, and after everyone had left, I put on my new Body Glove aqua shoes and waded down to the 5.6-foot end of the pool. It took about five minutes to find the correct form and balance but after that, it was a great alternative to the pounding of the asphalt. I'm hooked. I've now added three of these workouts per week. Not only will it be a great cool down after my speedwork (5K), it'll also allow me to increase my weekly mileage safely.

From a Runner's World 2001 article on Water Workouts.

From Virginia to California, more and more high school teams are diving into water workouts-running in a swimming pool as a break from the track. Pool running offers a great workout without the leg-pounding of running on hard surfaces, so it helps cut down on injuries and keeps your legs fresh.

I'm not going to lie that pool running didn't feel a little weird. That's why I only attempted it after everyone had left. I'll get used to it. There's no doubt that it'll help quite a bit. Time to let go of my ego for the sake of stronger legs.