Running - wtf!!!!

davidmiller

for the third time this week I failed to get to work on the bike. This could be only the second time this year I don't hit my target of 77 miles for the week (the other time was when it snowed all week). Families, who'd ave em. How dare they get in the way of my cycling!!!!!!

So today I "punished" myself by going for run at lunchtime - and punished is the right word!! Is it really good for us cyclists - all those impacts???

I'm not a good runner, no technique, uncomfortable - thankfully, i'm not like that on a bike where things just happen naturally.

40 mins worth and I am knackered so should help with the overall fitness levels.

DM

airborne_warrior

Of course running is good for cycling. Any cardiovascular fitness will help. A half decent runner would leave 99.9% of sedentary people standing if they were to race on a bike. It would be very unlucky indeed to pick up an Impact injury from a few runs unless you grossly overdo it, are running on hard surfaces and have the wrong type of running shoe for your gait.

nasahapley

Do it wrong and running will surely knacker you - same as if you rode everywhere with your saddle six inches too low in 52-12. Use good technique and you'll drastically lower the probablility of getting injured. As for crossover benefits; opinions differ widely. I think fell-running has helped my cycling a hell of a lot - the leg muscles used may vary but the most important muscle of all is the heart, and for a cardio workout running over hills and rough terrain is tough to beat.

If, though, after sorting technique out it still feels like punishment - don't do it!

terongi

Airborne Warrior wrote:

A half decent runner would leave 99.9% of sedentary people standing if they were to race on a bike.

I find that 99.9% of all made-up statistics are wrong.

If you have a strong point to make, the english language has enough words for you to express yourself without trying to make it sound like you've conducted a mathematical survey.

My apologies if you had actually tried this out. Presumably if you had a bicycle race with 1000 sedentary people and 1 "half-decent" runner, the runner would come second, because he could only beat 999 of the sedentary people.

Another thought, since cycling is done in a sitting position, would Mark Cavendish count as a sedentary person?

Sorry, nothing else to do on a friday afternoon.

airborne_warrior

Would you mind putting away your crack pipe now? :shock:

Mettan

nasahapley wrote:

I think fell-running has helped my cycling a hell of a lot - the leg muscles used may vary but the most important muscle of all is the heart, and for a cardio workout running over hills and rough terrain is tough to beat.

Be careful with your knees on the descents Nas - I made a "serious error of judgment" on a fell/mountain and suffered a knee ligament injury (and am suffering to this day with it.....) - as a cardio workout, yeah, fell running's pretty extreme.

cougie

Running is great X training - but your legs arent used to it. Your cardio system will let you do far more than you should. I could barely walk for a week after my first run after decades as a cyclist. Sloooowly slowwwwly !

Lazarus

cougie wrote:

Running is great X training - but your legs arent used to it. Your cardio system will let you do far more than you should. I could barely walk for a week after my first run after decades as a cyclist. Sloooowly slowwwwly !

Can't agree more with above sentinment, I also suffered badly for a week after trying running, it hits home about 36 hours after the exercise. Told my coach what i intended to do and he warned me not to run very far, in fact he said to run to the bottom of my street and then walk back which would have been about 100yds needless to say i didn't take his advice

I can only urge others who haven't run for years but cycle most days to take his advice.

davidmiller

It turns out I did nearly 4 miles. The pain is still there and I bet it will be bad tomorrow.

I agree that if I'm going to do it more I need to buy better trainers - or running shoes would be even better.

DM

chrisw12

Lazarus wrote:

cougie wrote:

Running is great X training - but your legs arent used to it. Your cardio system will let you do far more than you should. I could barely walk for a week after my first run after decades as a cyclist. Sloooowly slowwwwly !

Can't agree more with above sentinment, I also suffered badly for a week after trying running, it hits home about 36 hours after the exercise. Told my coach what i intended to do and he warned me not to run very far, in fact he said to run to the bottom of my street and then walk back which would have been about 100yds needless to say i didn't take his advice

I can only urge others who haven't run for years but cycle most days to take his advice.

What do you mean, you've got a coach? Since when?

That must be an easy job, what training plan did he give you? I could give you a training plan if you want, here it is.

RIDE YOUR BIKE.

redddraggon

I bought myself I proper pair of running trainers on Tuesday, as I intend to join the RAF if I can't get funding for a PhD. I used to do quite a bit of running in training for Rugby but that was on grass and I always struggled on tarmac, the only issue is I stopped playing rugby 2 years ago due to injuries and haven't done any running since :?

But I need to get strong at running.....

craker

I'm _so_ into running at the moment! I've just done my first half marathon (2-20 through the forest of dean) signed up for another and find I've got a pesky 77 mile sportive inbetween.

It is much harder on your joints - cycling made a good backup when I picked up an injury. But I find it easier to focus my training; I have a pb to beat in my next half, whereas my previous sportive results don't seem that comparable

A bit of everything methinks

Lazarus

Okay okay you got me there Chris should have said when i was being coached.

Anyway how come i've seen most of the boys out on their bikes except you :?: perhaps i should look back now and then

airborne_warrior

redddraggon wrote:

I bought myself I proper pair of running trainers on Tuesday, as I intend to join the RAF if I can't get funding for a PhD. I used to do quite a bit of running in training for Rugby but that was on grass and I always struggled on tarmac, the only issue is I stopped playing rugby 2 years ago due to injuries and haven't done any running since :?

But I need to get strong at running.....

Not to join the RAF you don't.

liversedge

Running is an excellent way to get injured. Highly recommend it if you want a layoff.

airborne_warrior

liversedge wrote:

Running is an excellent way to get injured. Highly recommend it if you want a layoff.

Whilst i agree that it is easier to pick up an injury running then cycling i think your statement is a little OTT. As with many sports as long as training is structured and a little forethought has gone into it beforehand then there is no reason to get injured.
Most running injuries come about from 'too much too soon', the wrong type of footwear for the runners weight and/or biomechanics and continuously running on hard surfaces.
That said, i had to give up running a few years ago from repeated injuries.

chrisw12

Lazarus wrote:

Okay okay you got me there Chris should have said when i was being coached.

Anyway how come i've seen most of the boys out on their bikes except you :?: perhaps i should look back now and then

Two words

PORTH BY-PASS.

Up and down, up and down... for 12hrs a week!

redddraggon

Airborne Warrior wrote:

Not to join the RAF you don't.

You're telling me they let you do your PT on a bike during basic training?

All the PT I've done in the army has been run, run, run, run, so I can't imagine the RAF will take a radically different approach....

TBH I think it's better to be prepared than to be not prepared....

GavH

redddraggon wrote:

Airborne Warrior wrote:

Not to join the RAF you don't.

I can't imagine the RAF will take a radically different approach....

Sorry to dissapoint Red but actually they do! I once served in Joint unit and the Army were ordered to attend unit PT Tue and Thu. I kid you not, but Part One orders actually stated that Air Force and Navy personnel were "invited to attend". I think the RAF fitness test is a quick check to ensure you are still alive.

airborne_warrior

Up until 2005 the RAF did not have annual fitness tests. The fitness tests they have now an obese teenager with half a nicotine infested lung could pass. I was posted at RAF Lyneham for 2 years and the RAF are basically civvies in blue uniform (mostly obese). I must point out I am 3 PARA and not in any way related to the RAF.

redddraggon

You're not a fan of the hats then?

airborne_warrior

All craphats must die!!!!!!

TBH i'm a bit long in the tooth to bother with all that censored nowadays. My indoctrination in Para Depot going on 20 years ago has sort of worn off. I have many craphat friends who can drop me like the drop of a HAT!

GavH

I don't mind the RAF when they get me to where I want to go. When I get flights cancelled because the aircrew didn't get a good nights sleep or they cab't lift me out of some censored hole because its too windy (and you then watch them fly past!) then they don't get my vote. The guys at the unit I was at were a decent bunch and the rules were not their fault. But as an organisation I think they still have a lot to learn,namely that we (the army) are the dog with the big teeth and they are just the tail. The tail does not wag the dog and the sooner their head-shed learn that the better.

Out of interest what trade group are you aiming for or are you thinking of going to Cranwell?

airborne_warrior

As i've always said. If the RAF were a commercial airline they would have went into liquidisation years ago.

redddraggon

GavH wrote:

Out of interest what trade group are you aiming for or are you thinking of going to Cranwell?

I'm planning on doing a PhD, but if there's no funding I'm going to go for "Aircraft Technician (Mechanical)" methinks, I'm more than "qualified" to go for officer, but none of the officer roles really suit me (expect perhaps as a rockape officer, but then again I'm sure that's the not best idea)

GavH

redddraggon wrote:

GavH wrote:

Out of interest what trade group are you aiming for or are you thinking of going to Cranwell?

I'm planning on doing a PhD, but if there's no funding I'm going to go for "Aircraft Technician (Mechanical)" methinks, I'm more than "qualified" to go for officer, but none of the officer roles really suit me (expect perhaps as a rockape officer, but then again I'm sure that's the not best idea)

Don't sell yourself short. I joined the Army as a Systems Tech in the Royal Signals having decided that I wasn't perhaps the right type of person or from the right background to be an Officer. I spent most of my time looking at my Boss and other Officers and thing "useless [email protected]''' The old saying is true; if you can't beat them join them. I commissioned from RMAS 4 years ago and its the best career move I ever made. Not quite the master of your own destiny but you've got far more of a hand in it. Being a JNCO was good crack, but if you have the intellect to see what direction the ship should be going in, but not the rank or seniority to actually affect it, then it can be quite a frustrating existence. It's also far harder to commission through the ranks as opposed to straight from civvy street as you've got more hoops to jump through in an effort to impress senior officers, some of who are blatantly looking down their noses as you.

Good luck whatever you decide.

Now, back to the topic, Running. I hate it.

PedalMonkey

The problem for cyclist when they start running is that they are fit and have good endurance, however they don't have the running muscles to match, you heart lungs and mind can go a lot further than you running muscles can ... the best thing is to keep it short and consistent rather than long and one a year (sorry not sure that the negative of consistent is) I run twice a week (after a 10 mile commute home) , it could be 1 mile could be 4, but I am confortable doing 10k races because I when I do them, it's not a shock to the system

dodgy

Airborne Warrior wrote:

Up until 2005 the RAF did not have annual fitness tests.

Wrong.

GavH

PedalMonkey wrote:

sorry not sure that the negative of consistent is

Inconsistent?

PedalMonkey

Inconsistent?

:oops:

Can I blame the 200 miles this week ? ... or maybe the fact I do some running ?

hammerite

I started cycling as an alternative to running, I have to say I'd now much rather jump on my bike for a few hours than run!

Running doesn't injure you if you prepare properly (right shoes!), structure what you are doing (not going flat out every run!) and progress gradually. I don't always follow my own advice so have ended up on the physio table a few times! Now I go for a massage once a month to iron out or highlight anythings I need to take care of.

I'm marathon training at the moment, whilst I'm enjoying it more than I have in the past (i.e. nmo frustrating breaks in training due to injury), I can't wait to get it over and done with now, I think this may be my last marathon - I'll keep running, just do a bit less.