I was typically fop for the bike leg and okay with the run. After I did my first IM (in November) I decided to try and go for a sub-3 marathon and spent the next 12 weeks purely running, nothing else at all. My 20 milers went from 7:40's down to 7:10's for pace. Unfortunately I got the flu the week of the marathon (in February) and ended up dropping out of the race after 5 miles at pace as I knew there was no way in hell I was recovered from the flu well enough to race. Sucked. :(
Anyhow, I then took a break and got ready for Boston (in April). After Boston, took a little break, got back in the pool some and got on my bike maybe three times. First time really on the bike in anger was in May as the bike leg in a relay at the Columbia tri. I was the fastest bike relay member and had the 26th fastest bike split for the event when you included the relay in the overall count (front door brag, I even beat all the woman pro bike splits). Bottom line? I had a huge base of riding over the years and spent those few months I just mentioned purely running 50 - 70 miles a week and it didn't seem to hurt my cycling one bit.
Do I know that I could have been better by mixing riding in? Yeah, of course. But I don't think that I lost much of any of my cycling ability by being run focused.
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Rick, "Retired" hobbyist athlete
Trying to come back slowly from acute A-Fib
Anyhow, I then took a break and got ready for Boston (in April). After Boston, took a little break, got back in the pool some and got on my bike maybe three times. First time really on the bike in anger was in May as the bike leg in a relay at the Columbia tri. I was the fastest bike relay member and had the 26th fastest bike split for the event when you included the relay in the overall count (front door brag, I even beat all the woman pro bike splits). Bottom line? I had a huge base of riding over the years and spent those few months I just mentioned purely running 50 - 70 miles a week and it didn't seem to hurt my cycling one bit.
Do I know that I could have been better by mixing riding in? Yeah, of course. But I don't think that I lost much of any of my cycling ability by being run focused.
_____________________________________________
Rick, "Retired" hobbyist athlete
Trying to come back slowly from acute A-Fib