Running and Biking

July 20, 2005 5:56 PM

Balancing running and biking?

I'm running ever other day to train for a test I'll be taking soon. I also like to bike to and from work (11 miles each way), which I do 3-4 times a week at a brisk pace. Do I need to cut back on one or the other?

posted by drezdn to sports, hobbies, & recreation (17 comments total)

No--What what prompted the question? I am curious why you think it might be a problem
posted by rmhsinc at 5:59 PM on July 20, 2005

Why on earth would you cut back?
posted by Miko at 6:00 PM on July 20, 2005

I've read runners' stories of overtraining by running and biking too much in combination. I should mention that my runs last about 1 hour, and my bike rides work out to about 1 hour each way.
posted by drezdn at 6:07 PM on July 20, 2005

I'd be more concerned about the running than the cycling because running is so much harder on the body. The rule of thumb I've seen is not to increase your total running output (whether it be effort or distance) by more than 10%/week. But if you can run for an hour every other day without getting grief from anything than you're probably in pretty good shape. Are you feeling worn out when you're not exercising?

You should taper off a few days before the test to build up reserve energy and get maximum performance on test day though.
posted by cardboard at 6:53 PM on July 20, 2005

unless there is some health/fitness issue of which I am unaware you are not at risk of over training--I am assuming both activities are primarily aerobic versus anaerobic--I am 63 and have run every day(45-80 minutes) for 30 +/- years and bicycle regularly--I am far from over trained--a bit compulsive but not over trained--relax and enjoy your fitness--if you are training for a specific test (competition) you might pay more attention to the specific training schedule but that is another question--the real question is the extent you are pushing your self during your exercise--you might google ways of evaluating your recovery time (speed with which pulse begins to fall and return to normal)--anyway--running and biking is a great combination--good luck
posted by rmhsinc at 6:55 PM on July 20, 2005

Sounds like you are good. I am curious about the test though. Is it a case in which you need speed over distance? Might make a difference.
posted by snsranch at 7:49 PM on July 20, 2005

for me running at the collegic (spell check?) level i run all year round to keep in good shape, and i took up biking to cut down on gas consumption. after biking hard i need to run a couple slow miles to keep from building up lactic acid and being slow the next day.
posted by chuckforthought.com at 8:26 PM on July 20, 2005

Biking and running are excellent in combination, since they tend to use opposing muscle groups. Biking is very heavy on the glutes, quads and calfs. Running moreso on the hamstrings and shins. Do the two regularly and you'll be very balanced. I suggest you get a book on triathlon or duathlon (not biathlon, which involves skis and rifles!)

Just make sure not to overdo it, and to take all the usual precautions to prevent injury i.e. proper pre-exertion warm up and post-exertion stretching. Over-training is a concern, and not at all specific to running/biking. All training regimens consist of cycles of overload and recovery phases which result in adaptation. If you shorten or eliminate the recovery phase, then your body cannot adapt positively, which is the very definition of over-training. You do not have to be suffering from any "health/fitness issue" to be at risk of overtraining.
posted by randomstriker at 12:38 AM on July 21, 2005

Too much bike riding slows your running down, simply because you take far more steps per minute than you do spins on your bike. In a way, biking makes your muscles lazier than is needed for excellent running.

There is also an effect vice versa, in that running a lot can make your muscles to rigid and stiff for relaxed biking.

Also, the main power in bicycling is delivered by the lower back muscles. Whereas in running strong abs are far more important. You surely need to find a balance in that.
posted by ijsbrand at 1:52 AM on July 21, 2005

randomstriker is correct--there is always the possibility of over training depending on the specific nature and frequency of your work outs--recovery time and response are very important--I was suggesting that your current program is unlikely to result in over training unless there are aggravating circumstances
posted by rmhsinc at 4:22 AM on July 21, 2005

I must say, I think all you naysayers are nuts -- probably because I run triathlons. Since I began tri training, I run and bike much faster and with better overall form than I ever did before. I cannot fathom any real reason why one need negatively impact the other, especially if you're following all the general guidelines for healthy training (ie, never increase frequency, intensity, or time more than 10% per week; cover all bases with nutrition; warm up, cool down, and stretch, etc.)

UNless you are actually a performance elite athlete in either biking or running, in which case there would probably be a drain on your peak performance in your main sport, I fail to see any results other than increased total-body fitness and increased aerobic endurance. You are not even approaching levels that could be described as 'overtraining'.

Here's a great triathlon web site. It contains lots of articles, forums, and training plans that will probably answer many of your questions: Beginner Triathlete.
posted by Miko at 5:54 AM on July 21, 2005

competitive road racers often advise against running if you are training to race bikes (only.) I've also seem similar advice from marathon runners against biking. I think that if you want to run and bike for fun and fitness that there is no reason to be worried. As was said triatheletes do it (but notably they are slower riders than elite bikers and slower runners than elite runners...) and suffer no health consequences.

As a biker I say go for it. Running seems like a perfect compliment. More of a burn, more work, more intense. I can ride a bike faster than 20mph for a 100 miles pretty regularly but *wish* I could run 10k... the fact that I can't just go out and run that with my moderate to high level of bike fitness speaks to the complimentary nature of the excercises.
posted by n9 at 7:15 AM on July 21, 2005

If you're looking to go faster, consider replacing some of your runs with speed sessions consisting of hill repeats, interval training and tempo runs in various combinations. Regular running/biking won't necessarily make you faster. Also, I second the recommendation to taper the week before your "test".
posted by RibaldOne at 7:36 AM on July 21, 2005

competitive road racers often advise against running if you are training to race bikes (only.) I've also seem similar advice from marathon runners against biking.

If you are competing at the highest levels of a sport, then of course you want to specialize in that sport only. Elite cyclists, runners, etc. don't want to have extra muscle that isn't of use in their particular sport because it is more weight that will slow them down. But if you are a pro / semi-pro athlete, what are you doing coming to MeFi for advice? For the rest of us mere mortals, cross-training is a great idea to maintain an overall balanced physique.
posted by randomstriker at 8:17 AM on July 21, 2005

[Triathletes] are slower riders than elite bikers and slower runners than elite runners..

..but they are much faster triathletes than any biker or runner can hope to be. ;)

Seriously -- cross-training is amazing. Unless you really have the drive and talent to specialize, it's good to mix it up a bit. When I was only running, I never had the kicking upper-body development swimming has given me. Nor did I have the defined quads that come from biking. You'll also develop a pretty awesome, utility, "I-can-do-anything" feel.
posted by Miko at 3:12 PM on July 21, 2005

If you're concerned, make sure you look for signs of overtraining. The best way to monitor it is to take your pulse in the morning before rising. This is your resting pulse. If it is 5-10 beats/min elevated for a couple of days, you're probably overtraining (or sick). Other signs: trouble sleeping, trouble with appetite, a dead feeling in the legs.
posted by OmieWise at 6:08 AM on July 22, 2005

miko-Thanks for the tri link. I've been thinking of training for one after several years of running pretty exclusively.
posted by OmieWise at 6:10 AM on July 22, 2005