cycling - v - running

[andyfromotley]

As my mid life crisis develops i have signed up for the leeds half marathon. So i am in the running shop in wakey chatting to the fella in there, he asks me how much running i do. I blush and mumble '4ish three times a week' i see this isnt impressing him so i blurt out 'oh i cycle to and from work about 3 days a week ....23 miles each way'
He replies 'hmmm thats about equivelant to a six mile run'!!
I had never heard anyone 'convert' cycling miles to running miles before.

Now i have thought about it and i think he is about right, in the effort taken to complete each they kind of even out.

Whaddya think?

andy

 

[waytogoyet]

I've heard it converted before, but I'm a runner who cycles a bit.
I couldn't recall if it was 3-1 or 4-1 he's obviously going 4-1, but you could argue on what basis.
My commute is 17 miles which is about an hour - he is saying that is equivalent to a little over 4 miles. I did that at lunch as a steady recovery and I can tell you which one I can feel the most!!
Much better to use it as time spent on activity than ratios?
good luck at leeds what time you going for?

 

[andyfromotley]

really wanted sub 1.45 but dont think i will have enough miles in. (plus i understand its a hilly course) So am just going to treat it as a learning exercise with it being my first.
andy

 

[waytogoyet]

I've heard its hilly, 1.45 is a decent time though, but right attitude to go in with

 

[monnet]

I don't know much about running but I know of people who've switched between the two sports (going one way or the other, but not doing both) and they all say that running takes up far less time. I've been told that to be a decent county level runner you need to put the same training time as a decent club cyclist. I don't know if that's true though.

A marathon running mate equated doing the British Etape last year (120miles) to running a marathon. I'd like to agree but my knees are too weak to test the hypothesis!!

 

[Yellow Fang]

I used to reckon it was about four to one myself. I reckon about 20mph on the bike was equivalent in effort to 8mph running, which is only 2.5 the distance, but running takes more out of your legs. Usually I find cycling a lot easier than running, except when racing or doing a TT, when it is even harder. This isn't the case when commuting usually. If you're burning the same amount of calories, breathing out the same amount of CO2 in the same amount of time, then you must be putting your cardio-vascular system through the same amount of exercise.

 

[Mr Pig]

Well I wouldn't know, but I do know that my fat carcass can cycle ten miles with ease but would be half dead after running one!

 

[hackbike 6]

Can't really run as it doesn't do my knees any good.I had to give up playing football in 1991.Only played in one match since.

 

[fossyant]

Both are very different sports, the impact damage is immense in running, and the big problem with cyclists is our leg muscles are too big for running and the damage is something we have to build up.

Last year I could run for 30 mins OK - but would say a 2 hour training ride is harder at 4-1 ratio. Depends upon distance. A marathon that's what 3.30 - 4 hours must be like a 100 mile ride - or say a 50 TT race - at a 25 MPH pace. All relative really... All depends upon the effort...50 miles in 2 hours is blooming hard, and you really don't feel too well as soon as you cross the finish line - you soon wonder how the hell you did it !

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

I think there is even more to it than that – training effects and muscle memory – depends what you do the most

years back I had a mate who was very very fit – lots of cycling and running – worked as a personal trainer at The Priory and led classes at the gym etc. Far far fitter than me. At the time I was into swimming – he barely ever swam. Went together one day and he was finding it hard to keep up, on the stamina front (his technique was good).

I’ve often thought the ratios in Triathlons must be roughly equivalent. But then havting just looked them up the ratios vary quite a bit for the swimming element but are fairly close for the bike/run (at very roughly just over 4:1)


EG Iron Man:

2.4 mile swim, 112mile bike, 26.2 mile run


Compared to Olympics?

1mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6 mile run


I’m with Mr Pig on this one – could cycle all day no problem and run about 100m!

 

[Dayvo]

I’m with Mr Pig on this one – could cycle all day no problem and run about 100m!

I assume/hope you mean 'metres' and not 'miles'!

 

[Maz]

I know this much is true; all the cycling I do has really built up my stamina for when I play football each week.

 

[Plax]

I was a runner before I became a cyclist. I find cycling a lot easier. I gave up running as it was giving my knee some jip. I still get the urge to get out there and run from time to time. Last time I gave in to that urge I tried to run the same distance as I used to. This was after about a year or so break from running. The next day I thought my legs were going to fall off. It took me several days to recover.

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

I assume/hope you mean 'metres' and not 'miles'!

nope - my typo - should have been cm

 

[ComedyPilot]

My nose runs better than I do.