Why we swim - why we coach

[Sam Hain]

"diablo" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<492Ab.107910> > Rock climbing? Cross country skiing?
>
> Cross-Country skiing is IMO without a doubt the most arduous of popular endurance disciplines.
> Rock climbing is not a continuous activity, and therefore i don't think you could compare them.
>

yes, but skiing still involves a natural movement of your legs akin to running or walking. and again
you can a) breath when you want to and
b) have negligible restitance to overcome (unless going uphill)

 

[Diablo]

"Sam Hain" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "diablo" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<492Ab.107910> > Rock
climbing? Cross country skiing?
> >
> > Cross-Country skiing is IMO without a doubt the most arduous of popular endurance disciplines.
> > Rock climbing is not a continuous activity, and therefore i don't think you could compare them.
> >
>
> yes, but skiing still involves a natural movement of your legs akin to running or walking. and
> again you can a) breath when you want to and
> b) have negligible restitance to overcome (unless going uphill)

negligible resistance? snow? add to all this the equipment and heavy restrictive clothing, the
temperature in which you exercise, and you'll see why the greatest endurance athletes (in popular
sports) are cross country skiiers. this is widely accepted in the field of exercise physiology.

 

[Diablo]

"diablo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...

the greatest endurance athletes (in popular sports) are cross country
> skiiers. this is widely accepted in the field of exercise physiology.

just as a reply to myself, perhaps this is because the father of Exercise Physiology, Astrand, and
the basis for the growth of the study was conducted in Scandanavia? However, documented notable
endurance characteristics, (various cardiovascular/respiratory as well as muscle properties) are
uniformly extreme for high-level and elite participants in this sport.

Then again, is this an effect of, or a reason that they do so well in, this sport. Compared to other
locomotary sports however, i stand by X-Country skiing being the most challenging.