Does cycling compliment running? (Read 2086 times)

I am getting a bike tonight, nothing too extravagant, a mountain bike. Will this compliment my running and fitness levels if I put the miles in? Does cycling translate the same as running - easy days, hill reps etc? Anyone do the 2 with any advice or feedback regrding mileage nevessary and training wou;d be appreciated.

Eddy, I`m not sure how serious or how much effort you are planning on putting into the bike, so take my advice/experience for whatever it`s worth. Like you, I got into cycling 3 or 4 years ago as an alternate form of exercise that would give my body a break from the everyday pounding generated from running. I got hooked on it real quick, (rode biking), and soon found myself putting more miles on the bike than in my running log. Nothing wrong with enjoying two very beneficial exercises. The problem is that you can`t really excel at either one, because you are not able to put the time in for both. IOW, if you are trying to build mileage for an upcoming marathon, or eventually incorporate some speedwork to get your 5-10K times down, the biking might hinder you. You end up working your muscle groups in a much different way on the bike. What kept happening to me was that my legs were dead on my run days because of the biking. I would have been better of resting or maybe walking instead of biking. But everyone is different. I want to do everything well. I want to not get dropped in the first 10 miles of a group ride. I want to keep my 5K times around 20:00. I want to start my long runs feeling fresh. I found out that trying to do the two activites wasn`t a good choice for me. Here is the compromise that I came up with; I never was one to road race in the summer because I simply can`t do the hard workouts in the heat and humdity that are required to keep you race ready, so I usually run short and slow runs in the summer. That is when I put most of my miles in on the bike. What happens is that when fall comes and the days start getting shorter, I`m more than ready to start my winter 5K`s, and spring marathon training. Usually, my legs are in pretty good shape from all the biking and the minimal running. I`m just sharing my experince with you. There are many runners who enjoy cycling or who are triathletes. Hopefully, they will jump in here and give us both some tips and pointers. My main point is just be careful how hard you push yourself on your rides. You might find yourself going out for your run the next day feeling tired and spent, rather than refreshed and ready for your run.

Good advice so far. What are your goals? Are you just biking for fun or in hopes of improving your running? Do you want to race too? If you really only care about running then I'd just use biking as a recovery exercise. When your legs are tired and sore from a run you can get out and do some easy miles on the bike which will help you recover without putting added stress on your legs and risking injury. Hard workouts on the bike will leave your legs dead for your runs which could negatively affect your running performance. Training on the bike is similar to running but you have the added dimension of being able to switch gears. Some days you want to grind out a higher gear to work on your power. Other days you might use a lower gear but a higher cadence to go the same speed but get a completely different workout.

Thanks for all your responses. As stated I dont really have any solid plan, but my intention is to mainly ride on the roads, mainly very hilly routes. I was hoping that this would complimentr my training and build up my quads for hill running? I know you will say that there is nothing better than running if running is what you are training for. But I have always heard also that it is good to mix up exercise. I will implement it in my training and see how it goes. Additionally it would be to aid my weight loss.

The problem with biking is two-fold, not only are the muscles being used differently in biking, but it is also nonweight bearing. The problem with this would show up in racing. If the bones are losing strength because you are not pounding the pavement as many days a week, then race day could be risky as far as stress fractures go. How risky? It depends. If the biking is being use as excersize on days you don't run currently, then that is good. If it is used to replace running days, then it is not a very good idea, especially if you are training for a road race. Marathon training would be a bad time to pick up biking, unless an injury demands it. Trail racing might let you get away with a certain amount of biking also. But if you are training for a road race, I would say skip the bike, unless the road race is a tri or du. That should make things clear as mud.

if it was me i would invest in a road bike for the roads. a mountain bike on the road is not quite as enjoyable due to all the extra weight you are carrying. also he gearing is different which would affect you. i found that the cycling supplemented my running de to the cardio benefit.. just be sure to keep you rpm's around 90 ad you'll be fine

That's about 13 mph..... Not to bad for a first trip. I have a mountian bike that I converted into a daily commuter. With the thinner tires I can average about 16mph during a workout on paved roads and I average about 13 mph for my daily commute. On my road bike and TT bike I average 19 - 23 mph. Your Garmin should have a bike setting to display MPH / KPH rather than min/mile. You can also keep your bike workouts seperate from your run workouts that way too. Back to my commuter.......Since April of this year I have logged well over 1000 miles on this bike commuting back and forth to work. Round trip is 7.7 miles, about 15 mins each way. I use this bike to run errands, recreational rides with my kids, etc. Lot's of quick little trips here...there....It is a great way to get extra saddle time in with out upsetting my run training. Tell me more about your bike. Make and Brand, Size, Tires. What are your plans......do you plan on doing some trail rides? Mostly paved or graveled roads? I have two sets of rims for my commuter. One with the knobby tires for trail riding and the other set with "City" tires. Going with a thinner, less agressive treaded tire jacks your speed up and makes travel much easier. Train Hard !

To compliment your running, I would definitely go longer, at least an hour, and add more intensity by going harder or including some good hills. Basically try to put in a similar effort as if you were doing a tempo run. The good thing is that you'll get a quality workout on a rest day while giving your legs a break from the pounding.