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Increasing running mileage vs adding some light biking (Read 1594 times)

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rectumdamnnearkilledem

    I find that in a duathlon that the "Runners" who are novice bikers generally fair better than the "Cyclist" that are novice runners. I am only saying this from my own experience within my little circle.

     

    This.  Most definitely.  And I am 99% certain that if I'd been on a bike before taking up running that the running thing wouldn't have lasted.  I'm really glad that this wasn't the case.  Most of my friends who were cyclists first have never really been able to start running and stick to it.  I only can think of ONE person in my circle of friends who started running as a seasoned cyclist and now bikes very seldom.  He is a natural endurance athlete, but adores trail ultras.  He can still hop on a bike and blow the rest of us away, but running is definitely his #1 love.  By and large the people I know who are fit and consistent cyclists find running to be so much more difficult, especially at first, relative to cycling and many aren't willing to go through the months of slowly building mileage (and avoiding injury) when they can hop on a bike and go for hours on moderate fitness.

    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


    Feeling the growl again

      If this is true, maybe you should start thinking about entering the Duathlon realm and putting in some bike time. Seems like you could possibly go PRO with some cycling training and a newer, aero bike and that 5-10k of yours.

       

       

      No offense taken, xchristopher, I am the first to admit I am not a cyclist and any decently competitive cyclist SHOULD be able to school me.  Especially on my current equipment (Giant carbon frame with aluminum joints circa mid-90s, loaned out for past 1.5 years).  My muscles are optimized for running not cycling.

       

      In response to Toast and zoomy, I never stuck with cycling because I am a perfectionist and wanted to take one discipline as far as I could go.  Also cycling, like XC skiing, is a sport where at the serious competitive level you are limited by how much money you are willing to spend.  Back when I had to entertain my options buying a $5000 bike was not among them.  I pretty much went as far as I could with running, my training volume/intensity mix was maxed out.  I COULD go back now and catch my cycling ability up, except as someone said you need to spend a lot more time on the bike to get appropriate conditioning than you do running.  The current month being a MASSIVE exception, I have a hard enough time getting the running in necessary to accomplish anything worth racing for.  Young kids, early in my career, and a sizeable property hosting other hobbies does not leave time for the singular focus on athletic performance that I used to have.  I just don't have time for 3-4 hour rides regularly.  I'm lucky to get an hour to train per day on average, these days.

       

      Perhaps in a few years when the kids can fend for themselves a bit more I'll find my way back into it.

      "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

       

      I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

       

        No offense taken, xchristopher, I am the first to admit I am not a cyclist and any decently competitive cyclist SHOULD be able to school me.  Especially on my current equipment (Giant carbon frame with aluminum joints circa mid-90s, loaned out for past 1.5 years).  My muscles are optimized for running not cycling.

         

        In response to Toast and zoomy, I never stuck with cycling because I am a perfectionist and wanted to take one discipline as far as I could go.  Also cycling, like XC skiing, is a sport where at the serious competitive level you are limited by how much money you are willing to spend.  Back when I had to entertain my options buying a $5000 bike was not among them.  I pretty much went as far as I could with running, my training volume/intensity mix was maxed out.  I COULD go back now and catch my cycling ability up, except as someone said you need to spend a lot more time on the bike to get appropriate conditioning than you do running.  The current month being a MASSIVE exception, I have a hard enough time getting the running in necessary to accomplish anything worth racing for.  Young kids, early in my career, and a sizeable property hosting other hobbies does not leave time for the singular focus on athletic performance that I used to have.  I just don't have time for 3-4 hour rides regularly.  I'm lucky to get an hour to train per day on average, these days.

         

        Perhaps in a few years when the kids can fend for themselves a bit more I'll find my way back into it.

         

        That 5000 dollar bike gets traded in or sold off every year or two by the guys that think they need the latest and greatest to be fast and you can get a hellofa deal on it then. Its the engine, not the equipment, but something more modern helps a little.

         

        I bought a 4 year old $4000 Felt B2 this summer for $1000 with low mileage and race ready. Those deals are out there.

         

        MTA: You're probably a good bowler too......, damn you!

         

        The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

         

        2014 Goals:

         

        Stay healthy

        Enjoy life

         

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        rectumdamnnearkilledem

          In response to Toast and zoomy, I never stuck with cycling because I am a perfectionist and wanted to take one discipline as far as I could go.

           

          I completely get this.  It's why I'm toying with the idea of taking 2013 mostly off from running to see what I could do if I biked 6-7k or more miles in a single year.

          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


          Feeling the growl again

            That 5000 dollar bike gets traded in or sold off every year or two by the guys that think they need the latest and greatest to be fast and you can get a hellofa deal on it then. Its the engine, not the equipment, but something more modern helps a little.

             

            I bought a 4 year old $4000 Felt B2 this summer for $1000 with low mileage and race ready. Those deals are out there.

             

            MTA: You're probably a good bowler too......, damn you!

             

            That's sort of my plan...back when I got my Giant it was a good bike and not old, I knew a guy who was hurting for money and showed up when he was drunk, out of beer, and I had $400 in 20s to put in front of him.  Back then that was a huge expenditure for me.

             

            I know some of the biking crew around here, I'll find a deal when it's time.

             

            I can't handle running in the heat around here anymore, I'm toying with trying to cycle on the worst days instead...maybe do 1-2 duathlons per year if I can find them.  There doesn't seem to be as many in Indiana as when I was here doing them ~12 years ago.

            "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

             

            I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

             

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            rectumdamnnearkilledem

              I can't handle running in the heat around here anymore, I'm toying with trying to cycle on the worst days instead...maybe do 1-2 duathlons per year if I can find them.  There doesn't seem to be as many in Indiana as when I was here doing them ~12 years ago.

               

              Hmmm...there used to be a Powerman Du in IN, but it almost looks like it's no longer in existence.  I did find a bunchof shorter ones here.

               

              Yeah, heat on a bike isn't bad at all.  Even 80 is uncomfortable to me for running.  80-90 is totally tolerable on a bike.

              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


              Impact& sport adventurer

                Hey Husker!!

                 

                I ran a sub-3 last month in New York after coming off a triathlon season/background. Did very little cycling (1 cycle/month) and tried to do about 1 swim each week during my heavy running leading up to the marathon.

                 

                I would advise also to stick to the easy running instead of easy cycling if your goal is to run sub-3. That said, you could sprinkle in some cycling to keep the cycling muscles "alive" - 2-3 cycles per month. I did have an easy running weekend with 8 hours on the saddle about 4 months away from the running race.

                 

                Feel free to browse around my log calendar.

                 

                I feel there are advantages to focusing on particular disciplines in triathlon over periods of training, especially out of triathlon season and the training leading up to the season. Best not to go full tilt on all disciplines all the time. Also depends on what triathlon distance you want to do. If you're doing Ironman, you better bike bike bike.

                 

                Your training looks pretty good for the run - as you get closer, you may want to be running mile repeats in under 6-minute pace. I read somewhere that running 7 miles under 6 min pace each week (spread through your interval workout, and perhaps end of tempo sessions) is a good idea.

                PBs: 1 mile - 4:59 (2008) 5k - 17:34 (2011) 10k - 37:40 (2011 in Blenheim Half), 21k - 1:21:32 (2011 Blenheim) 42.2k - 2:59:24 (NYC 2011), Ironman - 10:28:43 (2010 Hawaii)

                 

                2011 Goals: Olympic Tri - 2h05min (2h09min), 5k: 17:30 (17:34) 10k: 37:00 (did not attempt), 21km: 1:21:00 (1:21:32), 42.2: 2:59:59 (2:59:24)

                  I've read most of the replies on this thread, and I have been of the opinion that cycling helps running, but running does not help cycling.  I'm realizing that maybe my perspective comes from the fact that I've never put the volume of training in for running as I have for cycling, and I was surprised that when I reduced my already low mileage for the run while increasing the cycling, I didn't seem to lose much if any.

                   

                  Like a lot of things, it may depend on the individual.  Maybe cycling improved my endurance, which, if I had put the same amount of time into running, I would have had the same or better results.

                   

                  I'm not a fast runner (at least not for anything longer than 200 meters), but I was very happily surprised to run a 4:09 marathon, only 15 minutes slower than my marathon PR, at the end of my first Ironman in October.

                   

                  This is an article discussing how an elite runner incorporated cycling into her training due to injuries, and apparently had pretty good success.

                   

                   http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-263-266-11759-0,00.html

                   

                  As for 30 miles of easy cycling helping your cycling...I don't think it would be much help.  As most have said, I would focus on the marathon now, and when it gets closer to triathlon season, add cycling.

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