Does anyone here effectively use running as part of their cycling training? I hear mixed things about the benefits. What are the potential benefits or drawbacks of encorporating running into training? I thought it might be interesting to discuss the best ways to combine the two sports, to get the best outcome.
I personally run more in winter (I’m in the UK, so it’s starting to get pretty cold, dark and sludgy out there), as it’s a nice way to get out in the daylight, without needing to clean tons of mud and cow dung off my bike afterwards. I definitely feel that it benefits my overall health and fitness, in the sense that I’m doing some exercise when I otherwise wouldn’t be, but I don’t know if it has any other benefit for my cycling performance.
I do use it for supplementing training, and also put some impact through the body, to keep the skeleton strong. You can get a lot out of a 30 minute run for sure.
In terms of pure cycling performance, it won’t really help you much. If anything, you would be better off spending that time in the bike for volume.
But in terms of overall health and general fitness, there are absolutely benefits to adding in some running. But it also brings a heightened risk of injury. Just remember to start slow. Cyclists have a tendency to run faster than their body can handle initially. You have a built up aerobic engine which will allow you to run faster than your chassis can handle. (Ask me how I know this. )
I run for running’s sake, but are you aiming to improve cycling performance through cross-training? Heavy strength training would contribute much more towards performance and building bone density than other aerobic activities like running.
Agree with VeloBouf. Uphill work, especially at speed, targets the glutes and hamstrings which tend to be proportionally underdeveloped in cyclists. Downhill is eccentric loading which we don’t get on a bike. All of it is good for bone density. But as he suggested, do start slowly.
I don’t run any more due to an unrelated hip issue, but I do muti-hour hikes to help maintain a base over winter. There’s no way I’ll ride a trainer for that long. Hiking rolling/hilly terrain with a pack and poles at a brisk pace is a great way to get a long low-intensity workout off the bike, and with many of the same musculoskeletal benefits as running.
Running is great for the bone density benefits. It’s much easier to get out the door for a run. It has plenty of the same pitfalls as cycling being a very repetitive activity that moves in the same plane.
Great point….if the goal is overall health and fitness, adding in some strength exercises like monster walks, clams and other lateral movements are good additions to a regimen.
I run a lot and don’t ride at all and would echo what others here have said about building up volume slowly - running is a great sport but very punishing on your body!
I go through periods of running more than cycling which tends to lead to injury, then cycling more than running. Generally it feels like cycling is more of a benefit to my running than the other way around, possibly as I can get a long endurance workout in on the bike, without the same kind of battering that a long run gives my joints and muscles, so I recover quicker.
The main benefit I gain when I mix running into my winter routine is a massive boost in my humility. Whatever I rate myself as a cyclist, I’m not even half that as a runner.
Had an injury for nearly a year now which put cycling pretty much off the table, so my running picked up again.
Benefits:
More intense: no coasting when running. You still work hard going downhill (“you just go faster”)
Better time value: 30 minutes of decent running is a good workout
Better time value: Shirt and shoes on, out the door. No equipment faff (hr strap and lights at most)
Cost: even if you bought the most expensive kit/shoes you wouldn’t even get close to the cost of riding these days
Downsides:
Entertainment: you can dedicate most of your day to a ride just to explore and enjoy. You probably aren’t going to do that running. It’s exercise, nothing more. I personally find running pretty boring past much more than half an hour, around an hour is all I can handle.
Injury: harder on your body, though this is a balance also of giving you some impact exercise which you don’t get on a bike.
As others have mentioned, I don’t think it’s synergistic with cycling and some other activities would benefit your cycling more (weightlifting or rowing let’s say).
That said, I personally mix it in a lot in the winter as I have limited trainer access (live in a 2 bedroom apt where my trainer is in my 2 year old’s bedroom). So for me I’ll use it as a z2 trainer equivalent and it seems to work pretty well in that capacity.
I attempt to run at least once a week with my, and that pattern seems to keep me in running shape. I bike the other 5 days, and sometimes if I’m feeling motivated, I do a combined run-bike.
Like many others here, I run a little in summer and more during winter. And I also don’t see any specific benefits for cross-training. Last year I did some structured running training during winter and came out fitter than in other years. But I probably could have achieved similar results with structured indoor training.
So overall I’d say run if you like running, for the health benefits or want to do something else during winter. But if you’re purely after cycling fitness, nothing beats cycling.
A friend and fellow rider, when hearing I had been running, stated “running is evil.” I still chuckle thinking about his cold assessment. I got into the sport from running. And periodically I’d shifted back to running in an attempt to boost my fitness with the time I had left around work. Honestly, I never ever saw any huge benefit. Sure, it’s weight-bearing and better than nothing. But I almost always anytime I tried to push miles and effort up - BOOM - injury.
Oh, then there’s the whole Z1/Z2 thing. Just try to run at Z2. It’s a damn joke!
After years and years, over the damp dark winters, I really tried to just f-n ride. And if riding didn’t pan out I went for a long (Z1/Z2) walk. For those who run and do it well, good on ya. It’s just not for me unless there’s a gun at my back.
I’ve been running in the winter now for a few seasons. The only thing I will say is to recommend trail running. It is easier on the joints and usually a bit more chilled than running on tarmac.
I tend to stick with longer endurance runs as this suits my cycling fitness more than say trying to smash out a 5km PB. I can run for an easy pace for 1hr no pain, but if doing a 5km all out-out it can take days for the quads to recover.
I find running way more sensitive to effort vs recovery than cycling. Something to watch out for.
I do a tempo run once a week (I used to be a runner when I was young), it helps against injuries and it’s easier to do after work. With my weight now vs when I was young I don’t really like it anymore, but I know it’s good for me so I keep doing it. A few years ago I did it more again because I wanted to do a quarter triatlon but because of covid that go cancelled and since then no more swimminging and only 1 run a week.
9 years, 10 months and 15 days ago I started a running streak — run at least a mile every day, though my daily average is just over 3 miles. Despite over 3500 consecutive days of running, I still feel like I’m a dilettante and am really a cyclist at heart. So why do it? I started the streak at a point in my work life that I was both time crunched and stressed. Getting in 3 miles each morning first thing gave me a baseline of fitness that allowed me to still hammer on rides when they came up, but more importantly it kept me sane during that stressful time of life — one positive thing was guaranteed to happen that day no matter what work brought me. It definitely was a net positive for my cycling when I was time and work stressed, probably not so much now that I’m retired. Now it’s just kind of my thing and the desire to keep the streak going has taken on a life of its own. And the dog needs the outing every morning, so why not do it at a run?
I was really hoping there might be few more rider/ runners out there. I try to do both all the time. My struggle is keeping a nice balance of both. In theory I should be able to alternate the higher impact of running with riding. I think I’ve been my fittest when doing back to back Z2 days with either a 2-3 hour trail run or 4-5 hour ride. The struggle is always when an event is on the horizon and the balance goes out the window.
Hiking rolling/hilly terrain with a pack and poles at a brisk pace is a great way to get a long low-intensity workout off the bike, and with many of the same musculoskeletal benefits as running.
