Biking & Running

[katluvr]

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

[Veronica]

Personally, I think running has helped my biking.

But biking does not help my running.

Veronica

[indysteel]

Personally, I think running has helped my biking.

But biking does not help my running.

Veronica

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.

[OakLeaf]

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.

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 )

[Crankin]

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.

[jessmarimba]

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.