Running

[AndyWoodall]

upsidedownmark said:

If you cycle a lot, you probably have an enormous aerobic base that will aid your running, but leaves you more susceptible to injury IME(*). Cycling running doesn't seem to aid cycling, possibly because cycling requires more muscle force, and it's hard to do so much endurance work.

• Basically you have the (aerobic) capability to tear your body apart / hurt yourself where others would get knackered long before they did themselves a damage.

Absolutely my recent experience also. I last tried running a few years ago, hated it, painful, knackering, even going slowly.

Fast forward some years and I'm reasonably bike fit, have been running recently and I found that I'm not getting very out of breath or my HR is going through the roof, but bits of me hurt bad! So also following the little steps approach to get to a good fitness safely.

[TriPaul]

I run and bike. I generally find I can get my fitness from riding to work and back and then run once a week and still put in good times (sub 40 10k and 1:24 half). If I want to go any quicker then I would need to run more with a focus on speed work.

[g7jhp]

I run and bike each week. Did 500 running miles and 2,500 cycling miles in 2016.

Took up cycling to give my body a rest after doing 1,000 miles a year for 3 years running having run 10 London Marathons over the years.

I'm currently doing a 2hr/40 mile cycle a 56min/ 8 mile run each weekend. The run is definitely harder on the body, which can be seen by my Strava Suffer Score!

[m444ttb]

Jacobyte said:

In short:

Cycling contributes to my running fitness
Running does not contribute to my cycling fitness. (1 month of running and no cycling at all will see my cycling form fall off a cliff).

So if you want to be a better cyclist, do more cycling.
If you want to be a better runner, do both.
If you want to do triathlons, do some swimming as well.

I think this sums up my thoughts quite well. I started as a runner and I'm still a better runner than a cyclist but have more passion for cycling now.

[stripy7]

I ultra run and cycle. Running strengthens ligaments and means fewer issues when cycling. Running fking hurts.