Maintaining Form

Richie G

This is more running related than cycling, but as i do a bit of both figured i'd post on here. I currently do a mixture of commuting by bike, the odd long ride and a couple of runs a week. Have a half marathon on the 14th, so have been increasing the runs and doing a bit less cycling to avoid getting to jaded. Having been feeling pretty tired the last couple of weeks, i have suddenly experienced a leap in my form. Flew round on my Monday run, felt great- same last night on my commute home (was TTing without realising the speed i was doing!). I'm now paranoid that i've peaked to early! How do i approach the next week and a half? Do i just back off and just do steady rides/runs? Or do i do the couple of speed sessions and long weekend ride that i'd originally planned? Any thoughts?

Rich

ut_och_cykla

I would suggest you drop the cycling to minimal distance /effort and maintain the quality/speed of your running slowly reducing the quantity until 3 or 4 days before the mara. A gentle short jog the day before might feel good.
Others will probably have other thoughts. Is your 'form' really up - speed etc - or were you just ill for 2 weeks and now feeling better/back to normal?

Richie G

Is your 'form' really up - speed etc - or were you just ill for 2 weeks and now feeling better/back to normal?

I have wondered that- i'd just put it down to the increase in distance of my runs catching up with me. Think you're right about backing off the cycling a bit- feeling unusually strong on the bike though (difficult to take it easier when the legs feel so good!). This has got me thinking whether combining a longer run with my cycling might be the way to go for future bike training.

ut_och_cykla

Your quandry would be solved if you kept an training diary Then you'd see whether there were real improvements in times etc (balanced against conditions), especially on the running (cycling is prone to many more variables - wind/position etc). Some contributors would suggest a power meter to get round this problem but thy're difficult to fit on a running body!
Personal anecdote (me & others) suggests that long steady runs do help cycling up to point but that to be really 'good' at anything you must concentrate (unless of course you are a triathlete).
Don't forget to enjoy yourself!

BlackHelmet

I agree with ut_och_cykla re keeping quality whilst reducing volume. One or two extra rest days would do no harm either.

I quite often combine running & cycling by commuting 20-miles home then doing a 6 mile run with the club. It's a tough session though and you'll tire quickly during the run. But I think it does serve as a good long-run substitute, especially if you're injury prone or fancy a break from long runs. I can't make any claim that this specifically improves my cycling though.

Good luck for your half-marathon.

Richie G

I've been keeping a diary since last summer- funnily enough started it to track my training for the same race last year! Have gradually improved cycling-wise, although commuting speeds rather governed by traffic! More structured with the running than on the bike (i do the same half marathon every year- so get more serious around July time.). When cycling just aim to do at least 100 miles a week, fast or slow depending on my mood!

Matchstick Man

ut_och_cykla wrote:

Some contributors would suggest a power meter to get round this problem but thy're difficult to fit on a running body! :!

A Garmin 305 that accurately measures your pace and HR is *almost* the same as a power meter on the bike. You can either hold the pace required when running or you can't, and a Garmin would help you determine whether you are flying or dying at the time.
I've got 2 halfs in the next 3 weeks and I currently train to "feel" but with the back up of the Garmin to tell me if I'm hitting pace or not. The HR is irrelevant tbh but it is useful when I download it afterwards to see what my average HR was overall and for every mile split to see if I'm where I should be.