Biking & Running

So more than once I have heard that biking will help your running but running does NOT help your biking? Why is that? Do you think that is true?

So the past year I have primarialy ran, with intermittent biking. I am not fast at either but always had good endurance. So beginning of Sept. I got back on the bike and was able to quickly ramp up my mileage and kept up with the gals I ride with, they had been building in a reasonable manor. Like I said we are not speedy but go for distance. So I think the running kept me a good fitness & endurance base. So what does it mean that running will not help your biking?

Just wondering what everyone else thought or experienced with the two disciplines.

K

Personally, I think running has helped my biking.

But biking does not help my running. :rolleyes:

Veronica

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Originally Posted by Veronica

Personally, I think running has helped my biking.

But biking does not help my running. :rolleyes:

Veronica

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This^^^^. And it's the adage I hear more often. I have only been able to run sporadically over the last couple of years, but the year I was most regular with it was my best year on the bike in terms of power (especially on hills) and endurance. Not that I formally tested it in any way; I just felt a lot stronger and could easily get up hills that I had struggled with in the past and I actually became the go-to person in my group to lead the paceline into the wind. Granted, I wasn't much to draft off of, but still.

Running has helped my biking by bringing my cardio fitness to a much higher level. I don't doubt that it's possible to work your cardiovascular system in a sustained hard fashion on the bike just like you would on a run, it just feels so much harder, and it's so much easier to slack off. Coasting - or even lightening up on the power - for a few pedal strokes just doesn't carry the guilt of taking a walk break. :p

Biking has helped my running by being my recovery sport. It's definitely easier for me to take an easy ride than an easy jog. I get to move my blood and flush out my muscles and enjoy the sunshine, without constantly having to nag myself to slow down as I would on a jog. That's the only way I can say that cycling helps my running.

YMMV (literally ;) )

It seems like cycling helped my running with the running uphill part. Even though I am a super slow runner, I can run up hills (like my street) where I often see faster runners walk.
Other than that, I felt like running interferes with my cycling, as my legs are always super sore after a run.

I think biking helps my running. I'll walk on hills when I'm running if I start to see stars, but I refuse to get off the bike and push it. I can "redline" for much longer on the bike than running...particularly if I'm running by myself and there's no one to see me stop to walk.

I don't know if it has so much to do with the physical differences between the two than the fact that I am resigned to being a fairly slow runner but get supercompetitive on a bike (try to beat yesterday's time up that hill, or the whole route home, or whatever). Running, unless I'm in a race with people to chase down, just doesn't really motivate me.

I think both are true. The cardio workout you get from each of them is different and they compliment each other. I do think my endurance on the bike has increased since I started running (and swimming) and running is a great way to stay in shape in the winter when my bike is on the trainer:(

This is fun!

I think that swimming helps my biking AND my running.

I think biking helps my running.

I don't think running helps anything other than running.

For me, it works in the order of a tri!

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Originally Posted by kacie tri-ing

I think biking helps my running.

I don't think running helps anything other than running.

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Really?

I too believe that running really helps my biking. I'm definitely stronger for it. Biking helps my running in the "general overall fitness" category. Biking, I fell, is easier on my body/legs, so I can almost simultaneously get a recovery day AND a training day in when I ride (this is when I'm in the midst of training for a specific running event).

Right now I'm training for mountain biking events. Running is a great way to cross train for several reasons: 1) I can do a hard workout in half the time I feel like I need to spend on the bike 2) I can run in ANY weather 3) It prepares me well for the hike-a-bike sections of the race 4) Running up hills makes my legs and lungs really strong.

;)

Ok--good point. Aerobic fitness is great from running.

For me, as a triathlete, running is SUCH a risky thing. I put in big miles, and I CAN'T get hurt and achieve my goals. I run what I need to run to get the job done, but I don't overdo it. However, i run on tired legs all. the. time. I never train feeling fresh when I run. For my purposes, that defeats the point of long distance tri training. I want tired legs to feel normal. That's also probably why I feel like running just brings me down in the other things :-)

Running is really tough on your body. Cycling and swimming...not so much. I guess that for me in the overall picture, I am always balancing the risks of running with the overall aerobic fitness that I need.

I did some serious high intestsity cycling sessions a couple of year ago, and a little bit of running tempo work, and I had a HUGE HM PR. Ok, I am going to keep thinking :-)

Kacie, I agree with you! I have to be careful about putting in the miles running--I'm much more prone to over-training and injury when I increase my running miles. I have to be careful with how I incorporate a run workout into my training schedule. That's why when I'm training for a specific running event, like a marathon, I still only run 3x a week and use cycling for cross training.

I began my training for an October HM during tri season while I was still training for tris. I was putting in two workouts a day, 6 days a week. That was fine and I felt great but there wasn't any room for a race on the weekend AND a long run or a long bike on Saturday AND a long run on Sunday. It seemed that everything was suffering because of it so I have stopped racing and devoted my energy to the running with swimming and biking as cross-training, as you said Lime.

I agree with you too, Kacie.

My experience:

Biking helped my running tremendously (I was never able to run a mile without stopping prior to biking. Now I am up to three! Yay!)

Recently I have been more consistent in my running than biking and I feel I have regressed in my biking. I get tired on shorter distances than what I was riding before (averaged 20 mile rides with one long weekend ride around 40 to 50 miles, now I a back down to 10-15 mile rides.... :mad:)

Ruby, my experience has been the same thing! I just started running 6 weeks ago and was pleased that I was able to go 3 miles without stopping and just last week I did 8 miles. Riding, on the other hand, has really suffered. I couldn't believe how slow my average was for an 18 mile ride last week! I think I just need to find a balance when spring comes but for now running is so much easier with the cooler weather, early darkness, and toddler...

Well, you don't use the identical muscles in the identical way for both sports, but when you get on your bike, your legs are fatigued from running, especially if you've been pushing for time or distance gains in your running. Just because you weren't on your bike the day before doesn't mean your legs will be fresh.

Interesting thread...

I can feel the benefits of swimming on biking and running, mostly in the way I breathe and pace my breathing, and that it's an all-body workout. Also great for recovery, mentally and physically.

I think running benefits my cycling by extending my aerobic fitness, but there's still a lot of muscle-specific stuff that requires cycling-specific training (hills, riding aero). Running is harder on my body, but it's the thing I have the hardest time with, so I have trouble shorting myself miles.

Cycling benefits running definitely as a recovery exercise, and it's sometimes easier to control my heart rate cycling than running so I can get specific zones of activity (especially lower zones - the gap between a light jog and walk you can hit easily on a bike, good for recovery; or high intensity but not maximum intensity zones).

Makes me tired just thinking about it. ;)

Very interesting discussion! I have been riding for several years now but only just started running again recently. I love to run but as many of you have said, it's hard on my body and I get injured easily. That said, I wanted to start running again to cross train. So, I started very slowly building up my mileage and only after almost 3 months am I up to 3 miles- and I only run 2x a week. However as I started running longer Ive noticed that, when I ride, I can maintain a higher heart rate (160ish) for a very long time but when I have my HR up around 160 when I'm running, I feel like I'm going to die - what's up with that???

I've noticed the same thing, Avocet. Though I feel a lot less like I'm going to die if I'm sustaining that heart-rate while running with other people. I know for me a lot of it is mental. I refuse to get off the bike and walk, so sustaining a harder effort seems easier. On the other hand, if I'm running and feel like I'm dying, it's like my body is begging me to walk for a second so my lungs and heart can catch up.

Are you breathing efficiently? Breathing while running is completely different from cycling.

I like to breathe in three steps/out two at a sustained hard pace like the early part of a race or mile repeats; in three/out three or slower at long run pace; in two/out two for sprints and steep hills. YMMV, but it was gratifying to read the recommendation for 3/2 in the Chi Running book.

Try inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. There are a lot of reasons to do that, but one of them is that nasal passages release nitric oxide which, if you inhale it, helps bring more oxygen to your muscles. If you have narrow nasal passages and/or allergies, try a nasal strip - they really help me. It takes some practice if you're used to inhaling through your mouth, but it's another way to help breathe more efficiently.

wow oakleaf -I honestly don't know if I breath through my mouth or nose when I run- tomorrow I'm running so I'll pay attention to both when and how I breath. How is breathing different when cycling?
avocet