Who does a bit of running on the side?

prhymeate

I've been road cycling for about 3 years now and want to add a bit of running, mainly for convenience as I can just go out for 30mins or so. I have never jogged before but have no problem cycling 70 miles at an average/decent pace. I went for a run last night for the first time (2.6miles in 23mins) and was walking like a robot for the rest of the evening. My leg muscles are still killing me. I have some good running shoes that I was fitted for, I stretched before and after and used my foam roller so I'm just wondering if this is normal after your very first run? I expected it to ache a bit, but not quite this much.

I really want to go out on my bike today as I'm off work and the weather over the weekend looks pretty bad, but I'm not sure if it'll make things worse, or give my legs a stretch and help a bit. Any thoughts?

Ben6899

It's normal. I run a lot, but that tends to lose out to cycling over summer. That first run in October/November leaves me walking like Robocop for a day or so.

If your shoes are fitted and you understand stretching, then just keep it up.

Edit: to fully answer your question, it probably won't do any harm to cycle today unless you have actually pulled a muscle... and even then it might be one that's mostly redundant for cycling!

prhymeate

Thanks for the reply. It's good to hear it's fairly normal then, I don't remember it aching anything like this when I started cycling but I guess it's a lot easier on the legs as there is no impact. The shoes felt fine and my joints don't ache at all, it's just the muscles aching. I'll go for a quick spin on my bike and see what happens.

imposter2.0

I run fairly regularly, but only about 5k each time. If it was your first run, then it would be unusual if you didn't ache after.

cougie

The thing is your cardio system will be good and let you do far more than you should.
Running is very different on the legs than cycling.

Ease in and dont run fast all the time.

prhymeate

cougie wrote:

The thing is your cardio system will be good and let you do far more than you should.
Running is very different on the legs than cycling.

Ease in and dont run fast all the time.

That's a good point, I hadn't really thought of it like that. I just got back from a quick ride and my legs felt fine whilst doing that. I did look at the NHS couch to 5k in 9 weeks but wanted to get a rough idea of where I was beforehand and just went for my first run without any real plan other than a 2.5 mile route in my head. Lesson learned.

bobmcstuff

I did pretty much the same thing as you back in October after the clocks changed and had pretty much the same response! It does get easier, just keep the distances short to begin with, don't hammer it all the time and build up slowly.

I've been running quite a bit since just to keep the fitness up (and because I can fit a decent run into my lunch break which means I actually get a chance to see daylight!!). I found once my legs got used to it and once I'd built up the distances a bit my cycling fitness enables me to run quite far quite easily. When I was back home and bikeless over Christmas I found I was able to run getting on for half marathon distances non stop without too much bother. Gave me something to do for a couple of hours that wasn't eating!

bobbymeister

I run a lot when the weather is bad, purely because it's a lot more pleasant than riding the bike.
The weather last summer meant hardly any running until September, so the first run or two left me sore.
I'd just echo all the usual advice; buy good shoes from a good, knowledgeable shop, pay attention to your posture and technique, up the distances gradually and stay off road as much as you can.
I'd also stretch a lot, get a foam roller and pay special attention to calf/Achilles as that's where a lot of cyclists experience issues.
It is good though, I enjoy it almost as much as riding now. Almost.

mercia_man

cougie wrote:

The thing is your cardio system will be good and let you do far more than you should.
Running is very different on the legs than cycling.

Ease in and dont run fast all the time.

This is so right. Just build things up gradually. I took up serious running eight years ago at the age of 54 after many years of cycling, found I was quite good at it thanks to my general fitness but really suffered with sore leg muscles after my first race. I could hardly walk for a week and had to go downstairs on my backside. I still get sore legs after a tough run, even though I've improved my skills and won several age group championships on road and fell. I stretch, use a foam roller and take ibuprofen, but sore legs and week-long recovery periods after anything more than a 5K road race are part of my running life. And now I've got plantar fasciitis. Although, hopefully, that is now getting better after 18 months of niggling pain.

Running may be great fun. But cycling is much easier on my body.

JackPozzi

Tried a couple of years ago, did the full couch to 5k thing and still had issues with my legs, especially calf muscles, but managed to build up to doing a half marathon. Do enjoy running but can't say it's been beneficial to my cycling...

CptKernow

Took me nearly 18 months and a few visits to the physio before I could happily run without issue. I now run at least 10 miles a week without really feeling it.

Besides the using muscles, tendons, joints etc like you haven't in cycling there are also certain imbalances that have built up from cycling that can cause problems - especially when combined with sitting at a desk all day.

The one I had worst was an IT band issue which was ultimately caused by tight hip flexors. This was primarily from cycling as you are bent over all the time. It was compounded by sitting at a desk.
Solution, kneeling chair and the right stretches.

Now the only problem I face is the actual running itself, which isn't getting much easier...

phil s

I used to be a pretty handy racer (cycling), but a lot of travel for work, becoming a father and going freelance put paid to that. I took up running and, like others have said, as a cyclist you'll be fit and go into it way too hard. Off the back of a racing season I could run a sub-40 10k, but I'd feel like my glutes had been ripped out with pliers and my knees wouldn't stand up to walking downstairs for a week. It's taken me a couple of years of flirting with running to start to grasp quite how slow much of the training should be to yield improvements and build running durability. I'd still rather be cycling more than running, but the nature of my job means running is always easier to fit in. My tuppence worth: slow it right down, do a few runs that feel ludicrously easy. Your lungs will think it's a piece of p1ss, but your body has to get used to it. This is really easy to overlook as a fit cyclist.

prhymeate

Thanks again for all the replies. My legs have improved a lot over the last 24 hours but were still pretty painful yesterday morning. I think using my roller a lot has really helped. I'll leave it for a few days until they feel back to normal and then start following a couch to 5k guide online. I looked at NHS 9 week guide but thought that starting off with 60 seconds of running followed by 90 seconds walking for 20 mins didn't seem like much at all. Does that sound like it'd be a good place to start, or would the 5k in 6 weeks guide on runners world be realistic to follow considering my cardio isn't too bad? http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/racing/si ... le/67.html

mercia_man

Those two running guides are fine for absolute beginners who have done virtually no exercise previously. You are more advanced than that because you are already a cyclist. I would suggest warming up first, then try to run gently for 10 minutes. Increase your time by five minutes each time you go for a run and gradually up your pace. Stretch and use foam roller afterwards. Once you can run gently for 30 minutes you will be doing around 5k. Keep on increasing pace and distance gradually and try a few hills or intervals. Don't be discouraged about your initial sore leg muscles. The first time is always the worst.

Tigger con carne

I just started doing my local Parkrun a couple of weeks back. 5km on a pre-measured course with lots of other people to keep you motivated. You get a time and placing plus an age-weighted score. It's a really quick way to get a run in if you haven't time to ride. Our local one is at 9am on Saturday. Set off from home 8:45ish and I'm back home and showering in less than an hour.

I too was walking like C8P0 after a bout of incontinence following the first run

Genau

It's something I've started doing recently to complement the cycling. During the winter I pretty much just do the commute and don't do the big weekend rides as much so running stops the weekends being exercise-free zones

I also feel like I've done some exercise after 30 or 40 minutes running whereas that amount of time on the bike would barely warm me up.

pastryboy

I prefer running to cycling in many ways. You're not at the mercy of road surface, traffic or wind so much and can get into a nice rhythm, relax and almost go on auto-pilot. No better way of shifting the flab either.

Only problem is it can cause diarrhea in some people. Have had a nice run completely destroyed miles from home with major stomach cramps a few times.

cyco2

pastryboy wrote:

I prefer running to cycling in many ways. You're not at the mercy of road surface, traffic or wind so much and can get into a nice rhythm, relax and almost go on auto-pilot. No better way of shifting the flab either.

Only problem is it can cause diarrhea in some people. Have had a nice run completely destroyed miles from home with major stomach cramps a few times.

IKHIF...Many years ago when I ran around town at 6am I had picked out suitable "dumping grounds" :roll:

grahamcp

I do a bit of running, although I can't say I enjoy it anything like as much as I do with cycling... it's one of those things that I tend to enjoy retrospectively - feeling good afterwards kind of thing.

I hadn't run for a few months until recently and went out a did a 5km. Pace was respectable considering (thanks to my cycling fitness) but my word, my legs were sore for a good 4-5 days afterwards. I don't think any amount of stretching or massage would solve that, just needed time for muscles to recover.

Once I got over that I started doing shorter runs a bit more frequently - I think I did about 6 or 7 runs of about 2 miles with 2 or 3 days rest between. I did just shy of 5km yesterday with minimal after effects so I think it was a good strategy.

One of my aims is to PB for 5km this year (last PB was about 4 years ago) and possibly work up to doing a 10km. I'm 2 or 3 minutes off that at the moment though. One problem i have is I always want to get my times down and really I just need to take it easy on most of my runs while my running endurance improves.

I also find running handy as I can fit it into my lunch break at work.

prhymeate

I went for my second run last night. The same route as before but tried running for 1min walking for 30seconds. It felt like a much better introduction to running, my legs ached a little bit afterwards but feel fine this morning. I think I'll do a few more of the same and then start to add 5 more seconds of running and 5 less seconds of rest until I'm able to do the whole route without stopping.

ai_1

Running is very different to cycling. As someone mentioned earlier, cycling will already have your cardiovascular system in good shape but running uses leg muscles differently, it's an impact activity unlike cycling and it also requires a good amount of core strength to maintain form as you run further. I'd definitely caution against overdoing it at the start when you begin running.
I run quite a bit and started training for a marathon in November. Unfortunately I had to take a break for 3 weeks recently due to illness and only got back out for a run again on Wednesday night. Although I had been happily churning out 20km runs up to the end of December I restricted myself to 4km for my first run back and even at that I can feel a mild ache in my calves today (I use minimalist runners which make your calves work harder but I suspect I'd feel it anyway). I'm sure within a couple of weeks I'll be running 15km+ without any trouble again but you have to ease into it. It's normally advised that you don't increase distance more than about 10% per week and I'd suggest 2 or 3km is plenty to start with if you're new to running. I'm sure you could manage more than that but your form will probably suffer and you risk forming bad habits or perhaps injuring yourself. Start small and add 10% per week and you'll soon be happily and comfortably covering whatever distance you choose.

You can hop on a bike as a beginner or after a long layoff and just pedal until you're exhausted. Other than saddle soreness and sore legs you'll probably be fine. If you do the same with running you'll probably end up injuring yourself. Even a short 3-4km run would be enough to leave me with stiff calves after several weeks not running, never mind if I was coming to running for the first time in years.

Generally runners find it fairly easy to start cycling as they have the CV fitness and don't need a lot of technique to perform reasonably well. Some leg muscle adaptation will get them faster but they're often reasonable from the start.
Cyclists find it much harder to start running. Many cyclists have poor core strength, they're not used to the impact and they may need to develop better technique unless they're naturally good runners. However cyclists still have a huge advantage over anyone without a background in endurance sport and can certainly get comfortable on foot with a just little patience early on.

mercia_man

Many members of my fell running club are also cyclists. But none of the cyclists of my acquaintance are runners. They say they think running is too hard. I disagree. Running is a fantastic activity and so much cheaper than tech-obsessed road cycling. It really helps you to lose weight and to keep up fitness in weather when you would not want to cycle. I reckon anyone who does even moderate cycling has the cardiovascular ability to take up running. But don't think you can be good straight away. As Ai-1 says, be patient and build up your pace and distance gradually.

lochindaal

The biggest problem most people have when they start running is going too fast. They leave the house and just get going.

Try to start by walking and gradually build up your pace. About 70% of your weekly total mileage should be at a slow pace. Slow really means slow.

norvernrob

I didn't feel like going out on the bike this morning as I was out drinking last night, so I went for a run. I kept a steady pace and didn't push too hard, there is a lot of uphill so I tried to maintain the same effort rather than killing myself up it.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it considering it's the first run I've done for at least 15 years. I did 6.2k in 33 minutes, my quads feel a bit stiff but other than that I'm fine. I'll definitely be running more, the good thing is I was out, done, back and showered inside 45 minutes which is ideal to fit in when there isn't time for a bike ride.

handful

I do periodically run and I'm always shocked how stiff I am afterwards, even after only a shortish lay-off. Usually after the first recovery I'm good to for 5kms with no after effects. I only started running in my 40s, (50s now ) after some brilliant advice from a triathlete mate. He said as a beginner don't run to a distance but for a time say 5 minutes or even less and then turn round and run home. It's amazing how much further you can run in the same time on future runs and then that gives the encouragement to add more time. That and understanding what happens to the body as it goes into anaerobic oxygen deficient state. this is when a lot of beginners stop thinking that's the limit whereas just backing off for a bit and continuing gets the body working aerobically again and then it's easy (comparatively) to carry on with controlled breathing.

handful

NorvernRob wrote:

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it considering it's the first run I've done for at least 15 years. I did 6.2k in 33 minutes, my quads feel a bit stiff but other than that I'm fine.

I'd wager you'll be stiff as hell tomorrow and even stiffer on Tuesday!

norvernrob

handful wrote:

NorvernRob wrote:

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it considering it's the first run I've done for at least 15 years. I did 6.2k in 33 minutes, my quads feel a bit stiff but other than that I'm fine.

I'd wager you'll be stiff as hell tomorrow and even stiffer on Tuesday!

Probably, though it's eased off throughout the day today. I'll post how I feel tomorrow!

prhymeate

NorvernRob wrote:

It's the first run I've done for at least 15 years. I did 6.2k in 33 minutes, my quads feel a bit stiff but other than that I'm fine.

I'm impressed, I did about 4.2k in 23 mins and struggled to get down the stairs for two days and could still feel it after five. The second time was better though, I guess I'll just have to slowly increase the distance/speed.

ai_1

Prhymeate wrote:

NorvernRob wrote:

It's the first run I've done for at least 15 years. I did 6.2k in 33 minutes, my quads feel a bit stiff but other than that I'm fine.

I'm impressed, I did about 4.2k in 23 mins and struggled to get down the stairs for two days and could still feel it after five. The second time was better though, I guess I'll just have to slowly increase the distance/speed.

Starting out witha 6.2km run at a 5:20min/km pace for your first run is nuts. I hope you get away with it but seriously that's a recipe for injury. As handful said, you're likely to be much stiffer and sorer 36-48hrs afterwards than later the same day.
Seriously, anyone considering going for a run without any recent experience - do it, but take it easy. Get out and run no more than a couple of km today, wait a couple of days and if your legs and everything else feel okay, add a bit the next time and again the time after that. A good rule of thumb is 10% distance increase per week although you can perhaps ramp it up a little faster for the first few runs if your first run is cautious as suggested. If you decide to use minimalist footwear which I think is worth considering, then be especially careful and start with tiny distances (like 400m) as your calves, achilles and feet need time to adapt (tendons, ligament and bone don't heal or adapt nearly as fast as muscle). IMO the bad press minimalist shoes have gotten regarding injury is entirely down to people transitioning or starting too fast. If you start gradually they're fantastic and I've had no injuries in 3 years using them.

bflk

I've come into cycling from running when I had bad shin splints. I try to do at least two sessions each per week of running and cycling to keep the different mucscles and joints in shape and do running races, mostly parkruns and a couple of 10ks. I think my long rides have helped my 10k time but these things are hard to prove.

norvernrob

Ai_1 wrote:

Prhymeate wrote:

NorvernRob wrote:

It's the first run I've done for at least 15 years. I did 6.2k in 33 minutes, my quads feel a bit stiff but other than that I'm fine.

I'm impressed, I did about 4.2k in 23 mins and struggled to get down the stairs for two days and could still feel it after five. The second time was better though, I guess I'll just have to slowly increase the distance/speed.

Starting out witha 6.2km run at a 5:20min/km pace for your first run is nuts. I hope you get away with it but seriously that's a recipe for injury. As handful said, you're likely to be much stiffer and sorer 36-48hrs afterwards than later the same day.
Seriously, anyone considering going for a run without any recent experience - do it, but take it easy. Get out and run no more than a couple of km today, wait a couple of days and if your legs and everything else feel okay, add a bit the next time and again the time after that. A good rule of thumb is 10% distance increase per week although you can perhaps ramp it up a little faster for the first few runs if your first run is cautious as suggested. If you decide to use minimalist footwear which I think is worth considering, then be especially careful and start with tiny distances (like 400m) as your calves, achilles and feet need time to adapt (tendons, ligament and bone don't heal or adapt nearly as fast as muscle). IMO the bad press minimalist shoes have gotten regarding injury is entirely down to people transitioning or starting too fast. If you start gradually they're fantastic and I've had no injuries in 3 years using them.

You're probably right but I was genuinely taking it really steady, the first half of the run is uphill and it took 5.30-6.07 per km. The last two km home were downhill/flat and they took me 4.45 and 4.33.

https://www.strava.com/activities/245701270

I really surprised myself at how much fitness cycling has given me, I was breathing quite heavily but nothing too serious. I do feel stiffer today but only in one place - my quads, which are sore. Nothing else aches at all.

Although I haven't done a run for so long (in fact it's longer than I thought - I helped my mate train for the army when we were 19, I'm 38 now so 19 years without running) I've been a postie for 18 years so walk 7-8 miles a day including today - walking up all the stairs in the flats was ok, walking down was interesting so it's not like I work in an office all day then suddenly decided to do some exercise.

The difficult thing for me now is fitting in running with cycling, I train on the turbo/go for a ride 3 times per week so realistically I'll only be able to fit one run in and have enough recovery days - hopefully that will be enough to get used to it as I really enjoyed it.