4 Comments on Runner with two stress fractures, looking for alternate biking routine, can anyone help?

roister87 on Mon, 8th Dec 2008 4:29 pm


General rule as I understand it is 5 miles biked to 1 mile ran. But it is tough to compare the numbers, make sure you pedal the whole time, if you cost your not doing anything. Steep uphills are a good way to simulate sprints as part of a work out, other than that just keep riding until you give out.
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Stevo on Mon, 8th Dec 2008 5:08 pm


Mike, probably best to look at heart beat levels. I ride pretty long distances and I've also run some half marathons, I think cycling a 100 miles is easier than a hard half marathon, but the average heart beat level is probably lower…

There are a couple of schools of thought, long slow distance, where you are on the bike for 2-3 hours +. Or shorter higher intensity – 45-90 mins, where you are raising your heartbeat to 75-80max.

You can do the latter by picking a hill near where you are riding, doing loops, warm up – easy 20 mins or so, then go hard up a say 2-5 min hill, then an easy 10-20min recovery. If you do say 5 intervals of this intensity a couple of times a week with a couple of longer slower rides (2hrs+) at 50-60max I'm pretty sure you will maintain a good level of fitness. Remember you will only increase your fitness by raising your heartbeat out of it's comfort zone.

Good luck
steve
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scott.braden on Mon, 8th Dec 2008 5:53 pm


Steveo has a good answer, I would only add that the nature of lacrosse is short bursts alternating with steady state jogging, which is classic "interval" training.

So on a bike, try to duplicate those types of efforts. I find that easiest on an open road, since I can control the start/stop timing. For example, warm up for 10-15 min, then sprint for 5-8 secs, then pedal moderately hard for 15-30 secs and repeat. Repeat till you can't do a good sprint (with me that takes only a few reps!) then pedal at a stiff but stead pace for a while.

It's hard to transition from bike to run, that's one reason tri's are so hard. You'll still need to re-develop your running muscles and tendons, but wait till spring to do that. Meanwhile, do whatever therapy you can for shin splints.

Scott
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M R on Mon, 8th Dec 2008 6:01 pm


To equal a certain distance ran on a bike, it's really simple. If you ride at the same intensity as you run just equal the same TIME, don't worry about distance. Both running and cycling are great cv and endurance exercise.

Scott has an important point: Long term cycling isn't the same as running. While you'll be is great shape from cycling it's different than running. I found this out personally when I cycled all summer and didn't play baseball and b-ball as I usually did. I started playing some football in the fall and while I was in super shape, I found running strange and hard to do as well as I used to. I was very surprised. After a few weeks of running I got my old stride back.
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