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I have been riding, no running, since last summer's heel injury. I started running 2x a week again for fitness recently but I cut my mileage down. I did notice that my race times were better when I included running into my cycling schedule which is why I am mixing back in the runs (generally not high intensity, just 75-80% MHR) into my non cycling days. Plus I want to do some Dus later this summer.
Can anyone here share their experiences with running benefitting cycling performance? Is this really a benefit or is it my imagination?
Thanks all,
Gary
My expereince is that running benefits cycling but cycling does not benefit running. Using Powercranks has helped my running though, that is the only exception.
Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
Thanks tom, thats what Ive heard too
as far as optimal cycling performance goes, any time running would be better spent on your bike. however in the interest of multisport, running is always important, and provides some benefit to your riding. it also improves your running, which you are trying to do when you race multisport. but still, if you are just riding, spend the running time on your bike.
tommy
I have found for myself and others,that one day of running hills HARD increases cycling performance very well, sometimes better than riding...for amateurs that is. If your a pro cyclist that needs to be on a bike 6-7 days a week logging 80 miles a day, then running wont do squat
Fascinating. The single biggest improvement in my running came when I began doing a variety of brick-based workouts that caused my run cadence to start coming up to my cycling cadence.
Got those workouts from a coach, by the way. :)
Cycling has helped my running as a way of building endurance and training the fat-burning machine while holding down the amount of pounding. For those of us 8 years older than Tom D., that can be valuable.
I'm not really sure as to what benefits what, but doing bricks (run + bike) workouts is extremely important. You gotta get used to the feeling that gravity is 10 times stronger after the bike (if you hammered away correctly). If you train long enough that feeling will slowly pass, and your run times will get faster.
gl
I've never tried one without the other, so I don't have personal experience, but my recollection of reading Time-Saving Training for Multisport Athletes is that the author says that cycling benefits running, but not vice versa. I think the reasoning was that cycling recruits more muscle groups.
running really helps my bike ride, in contrast, when coming off running injuries where I was only on the bike I did not see a similar relationship. Roadies I rode with in the past would often know how my running was doing because of my bike ride. as far as that goes, when I wasn't running well, or at all due to injuries, my bike may have suffered from psychological stress of having running injuries.
interesting, this is exactly the opposite of what Tom says above.........
I have felt that my running has greatly improved my cycling on two fronts - better body composition and much stronger on the hills. However, I am a swimmer, and that is one sport that has not helped my running!!! Not a pretty sight seeing a swimmer run. Atleast I cycle well...
Sam Penny
Australia - Where wetsuits are not needed.