Interested to hear about anyone who also runs to improve their fitness for cycling. We have a treadmill that I have used a few times but mainly used by the other half who hates the cold weather too much to ride in the winter.

I’m wondering if doing a 5k run once a week will have any noticeable improvement on my fitness for cycling? I only really get time to ride once a week this time of year but can fit in the odd 5k run.

Works for me. Just take it easy when you start to avoid getting injured.

Yes it will, but only once a week it will be minimal. if nothing else it should improve CV fitness.

A mate of mine who does triathlons says that cycling will improve his running but not the other way round. Sounds like you need a turbo.

I used to do quite a bit of running, including some fell runs. Gave up on it due to a lack of time, I’d rather go biking.

Tried getting back into it last year, starting gently on a treadmill so I could keep track of speed/distance and to keep it controlled. I’d had various ITB problems in the past too so just wanted a nice steady build up.

It didn’t help my riding at all, quite the opposite. My track and road cycling dropped off completely, I couldn’t stay with groups I’d normally cope with fine. After a couple of months of trying to mix them and having built up to 5 mile runs, I stopped running all together and within 2 weeks my cycling was back to normal.

Swimming is OK, that goes well but for me, running makes my riding dramatically worse.

All I seem to do is get injured running ,now going for MRI on a knee injury .It doesnt seem to make any difference to my cycling though even when fit

I think running improves my cycling but not the other way round. Build up to hill reps or intervals once a week and it does wonders.

EDIT: emphasis on build up to avoid injury. Especially if > 30 :-S

Running is evil!!!

Currently off work with bilateral tibial plateau fratures. And that’s after only 3 runs……..no more than 5 miles total……!

Needless to say I’m now waiting on a bone density scan!

A fair amount of world cup level riders run as part of their training.

Just banging out 5KM at a steady pace isn’t go to do much, mixing the pace up is.

Intervals are your friend.

It’s a much better exercise for your whole body than cycling ever can be

It’s science yo

I tried an experimental run on Saturday morning after a turbo session and it was just horrible. I ran about half a mile up the hill to the end of our road and back and hated every step; it felt unnatural and uncomfortable. For the rest of the day I had pain in bands across my quads above my knees.

Why do people run around when God gave us bicycles?

A 5k run isn’t exercise, it’s just to warnm up before a 70k Bike ride.

I have no idea how far I could run if I tried – I find running painfully boring.

Currently off work with bilateral tibial plateau fratures. And that’s after only 3 runs……..no more than 5 miles total……!

LardLover – Member

That’s….unfortunate…..have they given you any indication as to how this could have happened after only 5 miles?

Anyway:

Currently training for the London Marathon, and had a 1/2 mara yesterday which went well. I’m following the Hal Higdon training plan, which calls for a Cross session every Monday.

IME, an hour of rollers and the road bike are good for general stretching and CV fitness building- but for some reason, actual, proper MTB is not. I’m still trying to work out why. It might just be me and my riding style, however.

They’ve no idea codybrennan, hence needing the bone density scan….! Hope I haven’t got osteoporosis!! My grandmother had it, it apparently skips a generation, but I thought it was just women that suffered from it (please excuse my ignorance!).

Got another MRI in a couple of weeks to see of the fractures have healed. If not then it needs metalware and probable bone graft (shit!). But, I have been exercising regularly, going to the pool 3 times a week. ‘Running’ in the pool to start with, slowly introducing the swimming. I could hardly do the ‘running’ when I started 3 weeks ago, I’m up to 50 lengths each time I go now (and enjoying it so much I bought some swimming goggles).
I’m also back on the bike. Managed 25 miles last weekend (avoiding hills as my knees didn’t like that), and did 35 miles, with hills, on the Saturday just gone.

I’m just off to the pool again now, then modified circuit training (modified for my knees) tonight.

I’m dreading going back to work, don’t know how I’ll fit it in 😀

globalti – running off the bike takes a lot of getting used to! I used to do quite a lot of triathlon and I don’t think bike to run was ever nice, it just got slightly more tolerable. IME generally it takes a mile or two before your legs start behaving as they should.

OP, what do you want to improve? If speed/power then I would say do some gym work and build leg strength, if endurance then longer runs would help.

<caveat: this is not based on any science, just personal experience>

I quite enjoy it, mostly for the lack of faff. I can do a 5k run after work, be nicely tired, and it still be dinner time. Whereas a bike ride, I’d still be faffing and not even out the door by the time I’m back from a run.

There are plenty of apps with running training programs, they all start off at what feels absurdly easy but it’s to build up your muscles/joints for the longer runs. Having said that I’ve gone out and run 5 miles with no training before when I was cycling fit and didn’t die, but was possibly lucky as this time round I’m rerally struggling with aches and pains! The upside is, untill you start doing 10k+ runs you’re not really knackering the same things as cycling, so it’s possible to do 5k runs on the days you’re not cycling and not be too knackered. In fact I find it helps, builds up the muscles that cycling neglects, my week at the moment is 3 runs and a few swims, erg rows, and a bike ride at the weekend and I get far fewer aches and pains during/after cycling.

Stupidly I’ve signed up for a trail half marathon in June, and starting from nothing it’s nowhere near long enough to train! So I’m aiming to finish a 10k plan in May and hoping that a shed load of energy gells and a run 5k/walk 5min approach will get me though the 2nd hour! Should be doable as most 10k-half marathon plans seem to put 11-12 mile runs in weeks ahead of the race, so I’m just going to really struggle in the last 2!

As for improving fitness, I’m not racing on the bike, so I’m viewing it as anything’s better than nothing, I must be better than the 65% of MTB’ers who hibernate (and I fancy a marathon before I’m 30).

I’m loving running and not biking as such at the minute. Lots of knee pain though 🙁

For me, doing 8x200m flat out sprints with 30s rest, once or twice a week, improved my CV on the bike massively. Never get out of breath cycling any more – leg strength/pain is the only limiting factor.

Did a few 100km trail races (running) last year, so no cycling at all (nothing more than a cycle to the shops about 3km)
Went out with the guys, died around 30km, just no cycling legs at all.
Lungs great, but just no legs to ride.
It took a few to get them back again.
So, yes, it maintains fitness, but not the right muscles.

This strikes a chord with me. For the past few years I’ve been doing the odd 5k and I would say it does help with me with over all fitness. It does hurt the joints if I miss a few mouths when I get back in to it. I would recommend running off road, I used to find running painfully boring until I started doing it cross country style. It is easier on the joints to.
I’m lucky that I have access to a large network of tracks right from my front door, I love it. I’ve even started, on occasion, running instead of biking (You’ve been warned). My local routes are very soft underfoot of most of the year, I used to ride them on my cross bike but more often than not it is quicker to run and it’s a lot easier to get over the fences and footbridges. I’m now planning on getting into the fells soon for some real running.

OP, what do you want to improve? If speed/power then I would say do some gym work and build leg strength, if endurance then longer runs would help.

I’d like to improve overall endurance. I’m a good sprinter/climber and find evan after a long ride i can still sprint uphill quite well, but not for long.

At the moment i only really have time to ride once or twice a week so limited to time. Thats why i’m thinking about running rather than more time on the bike. I did several weeks of running last winter instead of riding and built up to 5-8k runs each week. This winter I put a lot of effort into riding as often as possible (over Christmas and when not in work but fed up with the mud now) so my fitness is at it’s best in about 10 years but want to keep improving.

For me, doing 8x200m flat out sprints with 30s rest, once or twice a week, improved my CV on the bike massively.

Might have to give this a go.

Do a bit of tri and run 6-7km 2-3 times a week with a few half hearted sprints/hill repeats and one of those as a brick. FInd it gives me a bit more oomph at the top of long climb if needed to ‘pop over the top’ as well as a bit better accleration on the flat. CV improved a bit but can make the legs a bit achey. Need a rest day between run and bike, find legs are fresher the day after the brick wierdly.

Oh BTW run (and swim) at lunchtime at work – so that saves a bit of time to get a mid week ride in one evening.

Currently off work with bilateral tibial plateau fratures. And that’s after only 3 runs……..no more than 5 miles total……!

Wow. What’s the whole story with that one then?

Might have to give this a go.

It’s murder, it really is, but it hardly takes any time to do. You’ll be back inside within 15 mins, so it’s an ideal way to get training in when you’re time pressed.

I think you mean “complement” OP

unless you’re running along saying “nice work there, cycling legs..”

ahhhhh running is only for when you are getting chased!

I’m not a fan at all. It’s a knee destroyer. Go swimming instead, your future self will thank you.

I think you mean “complement” OP

Lol! I might be a lecturer but English is not my subject.

Stupidly I’ve signed up for a trail half marathon in June, and starting from nothing it’s nowhere near long enough to train! So I’m aiming to finish a 10k plan in May and hoping that a shed load of energy gells and a run 5k/walk 5min approach will get me though the 2nd hour! Should be doable as most 10k-half marathon plans seem to put 11-12 mile runs in weeks ahead of the race, so I’m just going to really struggle in the last 2!

Plenty of time I reckon, I’ve got a 16 mile trail run end of March, been running since late December and up to 20Km ish / 3-400M ascent now. A friend I’m running it with (ex Signals so more or less always fit) reckons he’s training no longer than 12 miles.. but he does run for fun a lot more than I ever have.

I tried midfoot running offroad a few times over Christmas – was surprised how good it felt and how it was nice to do something different to cycling for cardio exercise.
First week back on the bike this year and I hurt my achilles.
Running can **** off.

Running can **** off.

Have to say I do have a lot of sympathy for this point of view!

Haven’t ridden a bike properly since I agreed to the run, it’s eaten my free time.

As I said before, I think it is making a difference to my overall fitness, even at a level of one to two 5k runs a week. I’m not aiming for Olympic levels of fitness but working on the basis that any exercise is better than nothing, and a 5k/30 min run is easier to fit into my day than a 15 mile/ 1 hour ride.

Plenty of time I reckon,

The shortest combination of couch to………….13.1 miles plans I could find was 24 weeks, I had/have 13!

Either way the plan is to survive it, I’ll worry about actualy being fit enough to run half marathons in any degree of comfort/for fun afterwards! And as long as my joints survive the race it should be one of those things that once I’ve done it then maintaining that level of fitness should be easy, a couple of 5k runs in the week and a couple of hours on a Saturday morning.

So I did some running this evening. After a warmup I repeated a cycle of 100m walk then 400m run at about 14.5kph. Kept this up for 5km and feel quite good now. I’ll try this once or twice a week to see if it has any affect on my cycling.