Why can I cycle, but not run?

[okgo]

Hi all,

I've got some ideas, but wanted to see if anyone else could help shed light on it.

I'm a fairly fit cyclist and can cycle for a good few hours at a decent rate. I'm a keen gym goer and from that have pretty good stats on all the big lifts.

However, I cannot run at all, I run for 10 mins on a treadmill and it feels like my shins are going to snap, and outside, I can't control my pace and am dead within minutes.

Now my ideas for why this might be the case is that I'm a big bloke, currently around 15.5 stone and 6,1. So I'm not super low BF or anything but not really that fat. But I'm aware that running probably uses huge amounts of oxygen and anergy to power my big legs. And as such leaves me exhausted very quickly.

I've got the right shoes, I just want to know why I'm so st, as I'd like to get into triathlon in due course.

[Highway Star]

There's a lot of guys on here who know more about running than me, who no doubt will be along shortly, but if you want to get into triathlons, what's your swimming like? As a swimmer, I would say that that is the hardest discipline to master of the three.

[okgo]

I'm not bad, and have swam miles before as a kid, so with a bit of brushing up I'm sure I can get that back as it wasn't that long ago.

[webbyst]

okgo said:

Hi all,

I've got some ideas, but wanted to see if anyone else could help shed light on it.

I'm a fairly fit cyclist and can cycle for a good few hours at a decent rate. I'm a keen gym goer and from that have pretty good stats on all the big lifts.

However, I cannot run at all, I run for 10 mins on a treadmill and it feels like my shins are going to snap, and outside, I can't control my pace and am dead within minutes.

Now my ideas for why this might be the case is that I'm a big bloke, currently around 15.5 stone and 6,1. So I'm not super low BF or anything but not really that fat. But I'm aware that running probably uses huge amounts of oxygen and anergy to power my big legs. And as such leaves me exhausted very quickly.

I've got the right shoes, I just want to know why I'm so st, as I'd like to get into triathlon in due course.

I'm the same , i can cycle for 2 - 3 hours easily , but 10 mins on the treadmill & i'm completely knackered , i'm a big fella too, defo think it's a weight thing , you don't see many 15 stone plus athletes do you

[ewenm]

"can't control pace" is the telling bit. Cycling fitness (legs-wise) doesn't transfer well to running fitness so you need to start short and slow before building up the distance and speed. You need to give your body time to get used to the different motion and higher impact.

Treadmills can be useful for keeping your pace in check, but i prefer running outside, so would be looking for some playing fields to run round (lower impact on grass). Start with one lap run round the pitches - if it is somewhere between 5 and 10 mins then I'd suggest 1-2 mins walking (recovery) after the lap then do another one.

[anonymous-user]

you probably can run, you just start off too fast, too slow or veer between the two. i bought a garmin forerunner 305 to help my running and it was the best £150 i ever spent on sports equipment. it makes you pay attention to your running and heart rate training is very beneficial when you get the hang of it.

[Nom de ploom]

i have a similar problem - not with stamina (ex decent RL player, spinning instructor ) but when i run my tibilis antrios tightens and my calf muscles pull after about 10 minutes of a medium pace run or very quickly after a short sprint.

nor for lack of physical fitness but my triathlon days are numbered....

anyone else have sim probs

apols fo rthread hjack

[Halb]

webbyst said:

I'm the same , i can cycle for 2 - 3 hours easily , but 10 mins on the treadmill & i'm completely knackered , i'm a big fella too, defo think it's a weight thing , you don't see many 15 stone plus athletes do you

I am the opposite. I can run 10k and am big, but a couple of minutes on a bike and I am pooped. I never see joggers my size

[ewenm]

If you look at triathlon participants (especially Ironman) there tend to be all sorts of body shapes and sizes in the field. Ok, so the leaders tend to be the classic endurance athlete shape but with larger shoulders than most runners, but further down the field you get lots of different shapes.

This suggests to me that it's all about conditioning your body for each discipline. Start short and slow and build it up gradually and remember there's little benefit to putting your best performances in during training.

[okgo]

Thanks for the tips guys.

The other issue is the mental aversion to running that I now have, I live about 3 miles from work, and the run/walk/jog in would be all riverside and quite pleasant, we have showers here, but I can't bring myself to do it just yet.

Is it worth trying this distance and walking when I get tired and then starting again untill I can manage the full way non stop?

[ewenm]

okgo said:

Thanks for the tips guys.

The other issue is the mental aversion to running that I now have, I live about 3 miles from work, and the run/walk/jog in would be all riverside and quite pleasant, we have showers here, but I can't bring myself to do it just yet.

Is it worth trying this distance and walking when I get tired and then starting again untill I can manage the full way non stop?

I'd say absolutely yes, and there's nothing wrong with walking for recovery during the run at first. Make sure you've got decent running trainers though - having the right shoe for your gait is vital. A running shop will be able to offer you choices based on your footstrike.

[BoRED S2upid]

Im exactly the same 10 mile on a bike no probs 10 mins on a treadmill and im nackered. Doing 10 mins run 2 mins walk then 10 mins run helps, maybe start this way and see if it gets better after a few weeks / months.

[okgo]

ewenm said:

okgo said:

Thanks for the tips guys.

The other issue is the mental aversion to running that I now have, I live about 3 miles from work, and the run/walk/jog in would be all riverside and quite pleasant, we have showers here, but I can't bring myself to do it just yet.

Is it worth trying this distance and walking when I get tired and then starting again untill I can manage the full way non stop?

I'd say absolutely yes, and there's nothing wrong with walking for recovery during the run at first. Make sure you've got decent running trainers though - having the right shoe for your gait is vital. A running shop will be able to offer you choices based on your footstrike.

Well I've got a good pair of Asics shoes that seem to be fine, so maybe I'll bring them in and attempt to run home, see what happens, its about 3 miles like I said. How often should I try this distance per week? I ride about 80-100 miles a week on the bike at the minute.

[bales]

I think the biggest difference is that it is a high impact activity.

With cycling or rowing your sat in a position where your body is already supported and you use just the specific muscles needed.

When running you not only have to run but you also have to support your bodyweight at the same time. I don't know the exact figures but I think depending on running speed it can be up to 3x your bodyweight when running and significantly more when sprinting.

Thats a hell of a lot of force jarring through your bones/muscles/ligament/tendons etc...add in a biomechanically poor running technique where the force path are at strange angles into your joints and its not hard to see why running causes so much more pain and is seen as 'harder' than cycling or rowing.

[ewenm]

okgo said:

Well I've got a good pair of Asics shoes that seem to be fine, so maybe I'll bring them in and attempt to run home, see what happens, its about 3 miles like I said. How often should I try this distance per week? I ride about 80-100 miles a week on the bike at the minute.

As your aerobic fitness is relatively good (from the cycling) the initial purpose of the running would be to get your body accustomed to the impact. So I'd run to how you feel - run home one day, see how your body reacts over the next few days - aches and pains etc, and don't run again until you have recovered fully. I'd expect it to be at least 2 days of recovery at first.

Once your body adjusts to the new activity, this recovery period will drop and you can then think about a more structured running program. There are plenty of beginner running programs available online, www.runnersworld.co.uk might be a good place to start and I'm sure there are triathlon-based programs too.

[okgo]

thanks bales, that sounds about right.

I will try it at some point this week. I would imagine the 3 mile run would burn many many more calories than doing it on my roadbike does.

[paulmurr]

I have the same problem, turns out I have profoundly flat feet which was causing my shin and ankle pain.

[esuuv]

I was like this - I'm 6'6 and about 15 stone - so really not built to run, but I could cycle all day long.

I started slowly, gentle 3 or 4 mile runs and gradually built up - it does get easier, I find even now I have a real hurdle to get over to run past 4 miles - but once i'm there I could go all day. In the last 18 months i've run 5 or 6 half marathons, various other distances and a couple of full marathons.

Now I feel I've grasped the running bit and have done 2 duathlons I am going to do some tri's this year.

[louiebaby]

It has a lot to do with body conditioning and what you're used to. The one time I did a triathlon, (well, the rowers revenge one in Marlow,) the transition from cycling to running was terrible.

I guess you really need to train yourself to go from the non impact, small fast movements of cycling to the higher impact, long and relatively slow movement of running.

I think this effect is exagerated in the case of triathlon, but still a factor if you want to do stuff on different days.

HOWEVER when I worked in America, the only choices I had for aerobic exercise was running, and although it took time to build it up, I got to be pretty useful for 6 or so mile runs at a time, so it is possible.

For the record, I'm 6'7'' and haven't really done much running in a few years. I'm over 100kg, and love my bike though!

[shouldbworking]

okgo said:

Thanks for the tips guys.

The other issue is the mental aversion to running that I now have, I live about 3 miles from work, and the run/walk/jog in would be all riverside and quite pleasant, we have showers here, but I can't bring myself to do it just yet.

Is it worth trying this distance and walking when I get tired and then starting again untill I can manage the full way non stop?

Just another yes on this. I have never been much of a runner, but recently had to get into it. Started off with 10 minutes on the treadmill, increasing pace, then up to 1.5 miles in 12 mins on treadmill then I got some proper running shoes and ventured outside - First 3 mile outing 27mins 30, second 25mins 30, third 24 mins 11.... its amazing how quickly the body can adapt.