One of the many benefits afforded me while being an athlete at the University of Texas was the immaculate facilities available for me to use.  And while it was nice to have a large, fully-stocked training room, the numerous doctors, a great track stadium, a state-of-the-art weight room etc., I think the most beneficial piece of equipment for me during my time spent at Texas was our two underwater treadmills.

These treadmills arrived my Junior year and at the perfect time.  I have never been an injury prone athlete, but the first couple years I spent at Texas, I would run 95-105 mile weeks and after a few weeks of that, while I wouldn't be injured, my body would be run-down and I would get sick, tired, sore etc.  My senior year, I decided that I would drop my mileage on the roads to about 80 miles per week and get the remaining 15-20 on the underwater treadmill.  I saw an immediate difference!!!  I was now able to run more back to back weeks at higher mileages without feeling drained or crossing the fatigue line with my body.  Not only did this keep me feeling fresher, but I also found that the underwater treadmill actually seemed to help my body recover.

I slowly began to realize that every time I was sore, tight, or just a little off, if I would spend 20-45 minutes on the underwater treadmill instead of on the roads or grass, that my body would feel brand new (or at least MUCH better) the following day.  I believe that the combination of the pressure of the water against my legs, the massage created by the current in the water, and the weight lessening properties caused by being submerged all contributed to helping my body regain that alignment, pop, and freshness I needed to continue training hard.

Now, going back to mileage, I have found that having to do 15-20 miles of my week underwater was actually merely a transition helper.  I am now able to do consistent 95-105 miles weeks on the roads without getting completely wiped out.  I have been at this mileage for almost 7 months now and don't see any indication of stopping anytime soon.  Now that I am beck in Austin, I will continue using the underwater treadmill to fix soreness, tightness, and dis-alignment, but will no longer have to in order to get a larger mileage base.

I will get back on the "pony" for the first time today after being a little sluggish the past couple days and am excited to see the effects tomorrow and this weekend for the Jerry Thompson Mile!  I will also re-implement the underwater treadmill in the future when my coach and I decide it is time to try another mileage jump in the base phase.  Running 120 mile weeks at that point in time when I begin training more for the 3K Steeple and 5K will take another adjustment, and I now believe I know the best way for my body to do that.