Runner- New to Biking

[Mmm4dmb]

I am a high school senior who has run since middle school. I have gotten continuous stress fractures since freshman year and they havent ever seemed to heal. I should be a top runner in the state but due to injuries, cannot be. I decided to start cycling to stay in shape and for something endurance related to do since I cant run...I got my bike saturday and rode 10 miles then and 20 yesterday and about 10 today on the road and 10 on the trainer which was very tough. I dont know much about the sport but I was wondering if there is any tips or anything I should know. I got a Specialized Dolce road bike...and I have been averaging about 16-18 mph on flats. Tell me whatever you think I should know! Thanks.

[lo123]

I am a high school senior who has run since middle school. I have gotten continuous stress fractures since freshman year and they havent ever seemed to heal. I should be a top runner in the state but due to injuries, cannot be. I decided to start cycling to stay in shape and for something endurance related to do since I cant run...I got my bike saturday and rode 10 miles then and 20 yesterday and about 10 today on the road and 10 on the trainer which was very tough. I dont know much about the sport but I was wondering if there is any tips or anything I should know. I got a Specialized Dolce road bike...and I have been averaging about 16-18 mph on flats. Tell me whatever you think I should know! Thanks.

Make sure you're not mashing so much, meaning don't choose so high of a gear that you're working really hard. It's ok to spin some too.

Take your time. Don't overdo it. Let your body get adjusted to the new motion.

Rest is your friend. Maybe throw in some other type of training like swimming or weights to cross train and avoid overuse injury by devoting all your time to cycling.

[chicagogal]

You are in good cardio shape from running, and your legs are strong. However, you will be using your muscles differently when you are riding. So, I would not recommend pushing yourself too hard at first. Go out and ride as much as you can, but keep the pace only moderately difficult, and try to increase your mileage gradually. This way, you will build up a solid base, and get your muscles ready for some more effort. Then, you can try increasing your speed. Some sprint intervals (on the road or on the trainer) and/or hills will help you build strength/power.

Basically, take it easy at first, have fun, and build to where you want to be. It won't happen over night, but in a few months . . .

[zia]

Just wanted to share my own biking/running journey to give you some hope re: running. Like you, I was a competitive runner but, from college on, was sidelined by injuries over and over again. That went on for 18 years, until last winter, when I decided something had to change and added biking (and swimming) to my running. I dropped my runs from 5-6 weekly to 2-3 weekly. It has been almost a year. I've discovered...

1) I like biking and swimming as much as running!
2) I have had no major injuries over the past year -- a record!
3) Entirely unexpectedly, I am running 5K and 10K times that are as fast as what I ran when I was 18! (I'm 37 now.) Yet... I'm not doing 30-40 mile weeks (though I do hard interval sets), I'm not sore all the time, and I look forward to every single one of my runs.

I never thought I'd be at this point again in my lifetime. Good luck with biking, and enjoy this journey!

[Yelsel]

Have you seen an orthopedic doctor and a nutritionist? You need to let stress fractures heal completely and go through physical therapy; also, poor nutrition contributes to stress fractures (particularly in women athletes).

[Mmm4dmb]

Have you seen an orthopedic doctor and a nutritionist? You need to let stress fractures heal completely and go through physical therapy; also, poor nutrition contributes to stress fractures (particularly in women athletes).

I have seen many doctors and the one I have now has me in orthodics, and I was regularly going to physical therapy for about 2 months and now do it on my own. They had me on birth control and carnation instant breakfast to gain a few pounds and thats about it...

[redrhodie]

Good luck to you! I wish I had gotten into cycling at your age. It sounds like you're in great shape and really fast. Have you thought about joining a team?

My advice-- ride a lot. Take a couple of rest days every week. Eat breakfast. Get massages.

[pfunk12]

I was also a competitive runner who had to stop running due to injuries (although I am much, much older than you ) When I first started to cycle, I wasn't that thrilled about it. In fact, I was angry because my real passion (running) was "taken away from me" and I was forced to find another physical activity to take its place. But the more I rode the bike, the more I fell in love with it. For me, it's probably the only activity that comes close to replacing my real love - running. Hopefully, your stress fractures will heal and you will run again someday but until then...enjoy your bike! If you're like me, you'll find that the transition from running to biking is pretty easy. The few times that I've tried to run, I feel like a slug Have fun with it!!

[fatbottomedgurl]

I had to stop riding my mountain bike (which was MY passion) because of a car accident three years ago. I took up swimming, and then got a road bike last December. In July I started running and in September I raced in my first triathlon. Sometimes life's tragedies are opportunities to discover things about yourself you never would have if it was always the same ol' same ol'.