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does biking alot slow you down as a runner? (Read 799 times)


delicate flower

    ( <---- late to the party)

     

    This year I've biked about 1500 miles and ran 2000.  That's not what I'd call a "lot" of biking, but those miles didn't slow my runs down at all.  For me, running makes me a better biker, but biking doesn't help my running all that much.  I've used cycling as cross days and have not really pushed the pace too much though.  I've found the days off from running to go ride instead have helped with running recovery.  I even rode back to back centuries a month before my last marathon and that didn't seem to hurt my marathon performance.  I rode those two centuries hard, too (18.1 mph avg...fast for me)  I'm a 3:45 marathoner and not a sub-3:00, so take my input for what it's worth (not much).   

    <3

    beycist


    inappropriate.

      I took it as 20 - 40 miles x 7 days a week, but I can't imagine that's what the OP meant.

       

      my apologies, your original assessment is closer to reality.  It's roughly an avg of 25 miles per outing(sometimes maxing out at 40), about 4-5 times a week. NOT EVERYDAY! =P

       

      I mainly use it as a  "break" from running (though I do run almost everyday, just not hard everyday).  Also as a way to get more cardio work, while "resting" the legs--as some of you mentioned.

       

      zoom-zoom's observations about body builds is interesting--thanks for that! I do think I bulk up more than "the next person" so that was my main concern and what drove this post/thread.

      You suck -- Arie 3/08/14

      zoom-zoom


      rectumdamnnearkilledem

        zoom-zoom's observations about body builds is interesting--thanks for that! I do think I bulk up more than "the next person" so that was my main concern and what drove this post/thread.

         

        I do, too.  Though as a female I'll still never get truly "bulky" without the use of male hormones, even though I am pretty solidly a mesomorph (the same body type that excels at bodybuilding).  I'm hoping to drop 20-30#s in the coming year.  I'm really eager to see what's hiding under my insulation.  In the past 5+ years I've been more active/fit than at any previous time in my life.  The biggest thing slowing ME down as a runner is my excess baggage (and not running a whole lot over the past couple of years).

        Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

        remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

             ~ Sarah Kay

        beycist


        inappropriate.

          I do, too.  Though as a female I'll still never get truly "bulky" without the use of male hormones, even though I am pretty solidly a mesomorph (the same body type that excels at bodybuilding).  I'm hoping to drop 20-30#s in the coming year.  I'm really eager to see what's hiding under my insulation.  In the past 5+ years I've been more active/fit than at any previous time in my life.  The biggest thing slowing ME down as a runner is my excess baggage (and not running a whole lot over the past couple of years).

           

          the bold part describes me perfectly hehe.  Have you read fitzgerald's racing weight book?  I'm thinking of picking up a copy -- getting down to a lean racing weight/frame has been my goal for quite some time.

          You suck -- Arie 3/08/14

          zoom-zoom


          rectumdamnnearkilledem

            the bold part describes me perfectly hehe.  Have you read fitzgerald's racing weight book?  I'm thinking of picking up a copy -- getting down to a lean racing weight/frame has been my goal for quite some time.

             

            I haven't.  I do wish I could just transfer my extra 20#s to my kid, though.  He's about 5' and only 72#s.  He has a VERY different physique than I do.  I was pretty skinny and lanky at his age, but not nearly so much as he is.  He actually LOOKS like a distance runner (somehow he is built more like my ectomorphic MIL than he is like either of his mesomorphic parents).

            Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

            remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                 ~ Sarah Kay

            Rustico62


              I think biking through an injury gave me some stride habit problems once. That was the only time I ever biked more than ran. What happened was that my step became very quick and choppy, nice yes, but I lost too much push off and overall stride length from it. I noticed it mostly at attempts at fast running though. Now, as I use the bike to get in shape to run faster longer without the pounding, I am paying attention to having a better stride in running work outs.  Overall the bike is a good thing.

              Nasreddin Hoja


                  Overall the bike is a good thing.

                 I think this is where I am.  I cycle to work.

                 

                Cycling takes away energy and time from running, but it pays all that back in lowering susceptibility to injury.  Having had a bad year - injurywise - in 2011, injury avoidance moved up in my training priorities. 

                 

                When I was training for the Marathon that never was (NYCM 2012), I would take it very easy on the bike to save my legs for the run.

                  Well at least you are good at math.

                   

                   

                   

                   

                  beycist


                  inappropriate.

                    Well at least you are good at math.

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     who let you out of your cage, troll?

                    You suck -- Arie 3/08/14

                    notimeforthat


                      I have biked 1904 miles just cycling (not counting triathlon races) this year and I have run 447.66 miles (not counting races) this year.


                      I am not as fast at the half distance as I was, off by about 15 seconds of my PR when I was running only.

                      My 10K at a tri this year was better than my stand alone 10K PR in a road race when I was running only.

                       

                      So for me, no. It has not impacted it. However, I am injury prone and I also swim....something like 110,000 yds+ this year (not including races of course).

                       

                      This set up allows me to compete and not end up an invalid.

                       

                      The key is to make sure you keep quality workouts a priority when you are swapping off with other cross training. Let the cycling take the place of some of the shorter easier runs, but I would not substitute out long runs for any distance races or tempo/speedwork runs.

                         I think this is where I am.  I cycle to work.

                         

                        Cycling takes away energy and time from running...

                         

                        For many people the limiting factor on the amount they run is not the available time, so doing other things doesn't really make a difference to how much they run. Even elite athletes, whose job it is to organise their time around the optimum amount of running seldom spend more than ~15 hours a week actually running.

                         

                        On a related note I am often amused by the reasons people give for not running, or exercising in general. Often "not enough time" is an answer - try asking how much time they spend watching TV in a week...

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