For the past couple of months I have done very little running but lots of cross country skiing. This is fine with me because I’ve always enjoyed the skiing more than running.
One of the guys I sometimes ski with is a former cycling coach and road racer. He tells me that skate style x-country skiing or ice skating are the most complimentary cross training exercises to cycling. I can see classic style x-country skiing being very complimentary to running but wonder about what he says about the bike since I don’t see the muscles being used in the same similiar way as with classic skiing/running.
Just curious as to if any exercise physiology studies have been done demonstrating which activities would the most complimentary to each of the tri activities of swimming, cycling and running.
All of this advice is based on experience and anecdotal evidence, so take it for what it is worth.
I think the ice skating is useful for cycling only in the context of organized speedskating sessions. You really can’t get that much intensity during public skating to make it worth your while. The other method of skating, hockey is of limited use. I do play quite a bit of hockey during the winter months and I found it a benefit to my sprinting ability on the bike. Not so much my AT tolerance. Not very useful for tri’s, but my sprint is always strong in early season crits and training rides.
As for skate skiing, Most of my elite level cycling aquaintances swear by it. They don’t claim to increase leg strength by it (Though the lifting and pusing motions absent from the classical style are beneficial) so much as to increase their overall aerobic capacity. Skate skiing is probably the most beneficial aerobic activity period. Even superior to swimming because you are supporting your own weight at all times. It is also possible to maintain a very high aerobic intensity for a very long time throught the recuitment of all you major mucle groups during skiing.
Many of my skate skiing pals complain that they feel like they lose fitness when getting back on the bike because the workout is not as intense.
Both cycling and skating intensively use the thigh muscles. This is why speed skaters historically have done a lot of bicycling. Their big thigh muscles are not a disadvantage on the bike, whereas, they are problematic for distance running. The interesting question is whether skating is a good winter replacement for biking. If P then Q, does not require if Q then P, after all. Have not seen any study comparing the two though.
Here’s a general treatise on cross-training and it’s benefits or lack there of. He basically says it’s useful for relieving boredom and burnout, but does little for sport specific performance.
"Cross training should always be limited to those activities that allow us to do our event-specific training workouts with greater enthusiasm and intensity, or less risk of injury. It is a cautiously administered supplement, not a substitute! "
cerveloguy. among most folks xc ski skating counts as biking. like 100%. these people would include cyclists such as greg lemond, davis phinney, paulo pezzo, the swensons, and quite a few euro guys whose names escape me. all of the above used skate sking as integral off season prep during their heydays on the way to olympic gold, tdf victory, and world championships. there have been numerous others. works for them and it will work for you. striding technique is striding, dunno about crossover there and i suck at running myself so i must run - but if you are skating you are cycling plus, period.