Reading 87 4/29/07
Wheel Benefits
The bike can make you a better runner, but you have
to put some effort into it.
By Marc Bloom
Last June at the USA track nationals in Indianapolis, Lauren Fleshman won the women's 5000-meter title with a training program typical
of world-class runners: long efforts, intervals, hills. But half the time, Fleshman's feet never touched the ground. Instead, they were
clipped into her bike.
Fleshman started alternating running and riding when she came down with tendinitis in her right ankle in the fall of 2005. The unexpected
upshot was that it proved to be more than a way to stay fit while injured: Riding improved her running. "No doubt, cycling has made me
stronger and more explosive," says Fleshman, 25. Today, Fleshman is healthy, but she still hops on her bike two times a week as part of
her training program. For Fleshman, fast times on wheels translate to fast times on the track and road, and cycling can do the same for
you, as long as you do the right workouts.
Energy Returns
You can get just as fit on your bike as you do in your running shoes. Joe Friel, a pro-cycling coach who works with runners, cites a study in
which moderately fit runners ran four days a week, while another group ran twice and did two hard bike workouts. "After five weeks,"
says Friel, "there was no difference between the two groups in maximal oxygen uptake and running performance."
But did you notice that word--hard? As Fleshman learned when she started riding for serious training, pace matters. A casual spin around
the neighborhood may be an excellent recovery workout, but to challenge the cardiovascular system and reach peak fitness, you have to
invest a little more energy. As with running, that means quality workouts like tempo rides, intervals, and hills. "Doing intervals at 80
percent of your maximum heart rate on the bike is the same to your heart and lungs as doing them running," says Terrence Mahon, who
coached Fleshman to her win at the track nationals. "The muscles and motor skills involved in each sport is what differentiates them."
Moreover, bicycling enhances running because it works the major muscles. "The bike develops power muscles like quads, glutes, and
calves," says Mahon. And as a nonimpact sport, cycling gives runners' bodies a break from all the pounding, allowing for faster recovery.
Add up all these benefits and they equal this: Cycling lets you add another high-intensity workout to your week without running's impact,
thus reducing stress on the joints, risk of injury, and the cumulative fatigue of high mileage.
Quality Time
Fleshman does two high-intensity rides a week in addition to her hard running workouts. For most runners, however, adding one indoor or
outdoor hard cycling session is fine. If you run four to seven days a week, replace one easy run with a high-intensity ride (see "Pedal
Power," below). For runners who routinely log 35 miles or more a week, cycling is especially beneficial because frequency of running is one
reason for injuries. If you run two or three days a week, add one high-intensity ride to your routine without dropping a run.
Experienced runners can ride hills or intervals between hard runs, without too much muscular fatigue, says Mahon. If you're feeling tired
or you're a less experienced runner, do your hard ride between easy to moderate workouts. But if your schedule demands it, place your
hard cycling session the day after a hard run, so that cycling doesn't leave you too beat for your key running workouts. Your training week
might look something like this: long run, day off, hard run, easy recovery spin, hard or comfortable run, hard ride, easy run or second day
off.
To up the intensity on a bike, shift to a harder gear or pick up your rotations per minute (rpms or pedal speed). Like finding the right pace
in running, finding the right gear takes trial and error. Try to keep your rpms at 80 or higher (don't worry about them when climbing) and
avoid pushing big gears, which can tax the leg joints. And if you've never had your bike properly fitted, take it to a good bike shop. Seat
position is crucial for smooth pedaling, overall comfort, and injury prevention.
Runners who haven't been riding regularly may find biking strenuous since they're using different muscles, but that will provide a training
effect. In other words, you'll get stronger faster, especially if you tackle hills or intervals. As you adapt to cycling, head out for a
steady-but-comfortable 90-minute to two-hour ride every few weeks to help boost overall endurance. Fleshman rides for two-plus hours
with friends, and while she appreciates the physical benefits, she also enjoys the mental break. "Cycling opened my eyes to something
outside of running," she says. "It's nice to see the world fly by at a different pace."
The bike can make you a better runner, but you have
to put some effort into it.
By Marc Bloom
Last June at the USA track nationals in Indianapolis, Lauren Fleshman won the women's 5000-meter title with a training program typical
of world-class runners: long efforts, intervals, hills. But half the time, Fleshman's feet never touched the ground. Instead, they were
clipped into her bike.
Fleshman started alternating running and riding when she came down with tendinitis in her right ankle in the fall of 2005. The unexpected
upshot was that it proved to be more than a way to stay fit while injured: Riding improved her running. "No doubt, cycling has made me
stronger and more explosive," says Fleshman, 25. Today, Fleshman is healthy, but she still hops on her bike two times a week as part of
her training program. For Fleshman, fast times on wheels translate to fast times on the track and road, and cycling can do the same for
you, as long as you do the right workouts.
Energy Returns
You can get just as fit on your bike as you do in your running shoes. Joe Friel, a pro-cycling coach who works with runners, cites a study in
which moderately fit runners ran four days a week, while another group ran twice and did two hard bike workouts. "After five weeks,"
says Friel, "there was no difference between the two groups in maximal oxygen uptake and running performance."
But did you notice that word--hard? As Fleshman learned when she started riding for serious training, pace matters. A casual spin around
the neighborhood may be an excellent recovery workout, but to challenge the cardiovascular system and reach peak fitness, you have to
invest a little more energy. As with running, that means quality workouts like tempo rides, intervals, and hills. "Doing intervals at 80
percent of your maximum heart rate on the bike is the same to your heart and lungs as doing them running," says Terrence Mahon, who
coached Fleshman to her win at the track nationals. "The muscles and motor skills involved in each sport is what differentiates them."
Moreover, bicycling enhances running because it works the major muscles. "The bike develops power muscles like quads, glutes, and
calves," says Mahon. And as a nonimpact sport, cycling gives runners' bodies a break from all the pounding, allowing for faster recovery.
Add up all these benefits and they equal this: Cycling lets you add another high-intensity workout to your week without running's impact,
thus reducing stress on the joints, risk of injury, and the cumulative fatigue of high mileage.
Quality Time
Fleshman does two high-intensity rides a week in addition to her hard running workouts. For most runners, however, adding one indoor or
outdoor hard cycling session is fine. If you run four to seven days a week, replace one easy run with a high-intensity ride (see "Pedal
Power," below). For runners who routinely log 35 miles or more a week, cycling is especially beneficial because frequency of running is one
reason for injuries. If you run two or three days a week, add one high-intensity ride to your routine without dropping a run.
Experienced runners can ride hills or intervals between hard runs, without too much muscular fatigue, says Mahon. If you're feeling tired
or you're a less experienced runner, do your hard ride between easy to moderate workouts. But if your schedule demands it, place your
hard cycling session the day after a hard run, so that cycling doesn't leave you too beat for your key running workouts. Your training week
might look something like this: long run, day off, hard run, easy recovery spin, hard or comfortable run, hard ride, easy run or second day
off.
To up the intensity on a bike, shift to a harder gear or pick up your rotations per minute (rpms or pedal speed). Like finding the right pace
in running, finding the right gear takes trial and error. Try to keep your rpms at 80 or higher (don't worry about them when climbing) and
avoid pushing big gears, which can tax the leg joints. And if you've never had your bike properly fitted, take it to a good bike shop. Seat
position is crucial for smooth pedaling, overall comfort, and injury prevention.
Runners who haven't been riding regularly may find biking strenuous since they're using different muscles, but that will provide a training
effect. In other words, you'll get stronger faster, especially if you tackle hills or intervals. As you adapt to cycling, head out for a
steady-but-comfortable 90-minute to two-hour ride every few weeks to help boost overall endurance. Fleshman rides for two-plus hours
with friends, and while she appreciates the physical benefits, she also enjoys the mental break. "Cycling opened my eyes to something
outside of running," she says. "It's nice to see the world fly by at a different pace."
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