A good cyclist, but a bad runner?



Edgar

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May 5, 2003
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Hi People,
I have been wondering if any of you have this.
I have always done all my execises on the bike, and am very trained. My pulse is in the 40's, my doctor says that I have right and left ventricular hypertrophy-athlete's heart-.
The strange problem is that I never, ever tire easily on the bike, but if I go play a game of soccer w/friends, and begin running not even at a high pace, I begin to breathe extremely hard and sometimes so hard that I feel like if I am holding my breath for minutes and then have to sit down. My friends ask me what is the problem.-almost none of them do exercise-. But on the bike It is a different story.
could it be due to sports-specific adaptations, and if so, how so "perfectly' to loose performance in other aerobic-based activities.

Thanks!!!!:confused:
 
: could it be due to sports-specific adaptations, and if so, how so "perfectly' to loose performance in other aerobic-based activities.


- Yes, your adapt to what you do and don't do
 
I have the same problem. I rode my bike all summer and when I went to school and had to run 100 m . My time was so slow that at first I couldnt believe it. Now I have been running about 3 times in a week and I hope that I will run faster in spring. Cycling makes your feet slow and muscular, you dont need speed for cycling, only thing you need is strength and muscles and ofcourse good motor;)
 
Originally posted by Author
I have the same problem. I rode my bike all summer and when I went to school and had to run 100 m . My time was so slow that at first I couldnt believe it. Now I have been running about 3 times in a week and I hope that I will run faster in spring.
If you are an endurance cyclists (which most on this site are) you should find that your 100 m is poor; yet your distance running is better. These endurance cycling and 100m are very different events (i.e. sprint v's endurance); and you shouldn't expect to be good at both in the same way that we wouldn't expect Lance Armstrong to be good at BMX or Matched Sprints on the track!

Your running 3 times a week, won't make you a much better 100m runner unless you are doing 'sprint training'. If your runs are long and steady then your endurance running will improve most. Most of this improvement will be due to imporved efficiency (i.e. technique) and not fitness so wont transfer to the bike.
Originally posted by Author
Cycling makes your feet slow and muscular, you dont need speed for cycling, only thing you need is strength and muscles and ofcourse good motor;)
I'm not sure I agree; to run a fast 100m you need to be strong and muscular just look at the olympic athletes. In endurance cycling its the oppersite, lean and light weight (i.e. Armstrong). As for speed I also think you need lots at times in a RR your legs might turn at >150.

I think your right with the 'good motor' though, unless you have the aerobic fitness your not going to be able to stay with a bunch let alone win the final sprint (which of course requires 'anaerobic fitness').
 
Originally posted by Edgar
Hi People,
I have been wondering if any of you have this.
I have always done all my execises on the bike, and am very trained. My pulse is in the 40's, my doctor says that I have right and left ventricular hypertrophy-athlete's heart-.
The strange problem is that I never, ever tire easily on the bike, but if I go play a game of soccer w/friends, and begin running not even at a high pace, I begin to breathe extremely hard and sometimes so hard that I feel like if I am holding my breath for minutes and then have to sit down. My friends ask me what is the problem.-almost none of them do exercise-. But on the bike It is a different story.
could it be due to sports-specific adaptations, and if so, how so "perfectly' to loose performance in other aerobic-based activities.

Thanks!!!!:confused:
Definately due to sport specific adaptations; first there is cycling to running and then endurance to sprint (i.e. football). Most of the difference will be in technique (i.e. not efficent at running). Some simple sprint training off the bike and some steady runs will help you 'catch up' no end. People who are untrained may have a similar/greater ability to sprint than you as you are more endurance trained.
 
Specific adaptations are very common. Cycling is the only sport I do and I can ride for hours on end. I used to be a good swimmer at school but now I can't swim far without running out of breath.

It just happens.
 
I could go out and run 10km now, but my knees would ache for the next 4 days. I don't think I could sprint 100m any more. My other sport is rowing and it combines well with cycling. I also play golf and an 18 hole round still makes me a bit tired (equal to a 20km medium paced ride). I think your body and muscles react to what they are used to and train for.
 
The process of adaption to any specific training is ( as we all know ) conditioning of the muscles by building mitochondria and capillaries. AND develop thicker muscle fibres and better neuromuscular pathways. MEANWHILE the muscles we are not using are atrophying or at the very least becoming detrained.

When we partake in an activity that recruits most of the trained muscles in a similar way, we expect some cross training effect, ie: I can cycle therefore I should be able to run.

What occurs is, the muscles are not recruited in exactly the same way so other muscles in the body ( or the same muscles ) work anaerobically. Toxins are created that effect the whole body, resulting in early and unexpected fatigue.
 
Glad I caught this one.

One of my 23 year-old sales guys challenged me to a fitness contest (strength, run) stating that "cyclists are relatively weak athletes". While I am very confident he does not stand a chance on the strength stuff...the run...(100m / 400m and 5K) is different.

I started to run again, yes it does hurt a bit, but was never much of a runner, rather a sprinter back in my US football days. Though I can tear it up on two wheels, I too find that this running stuff is not easy . I frequently hear of pro cyclists, Marty Nothstein for example, who train in the pool to work on their aerobic capacity.

My question, then, is both a statement and an inquiry.

- Granted, to become a better cyclist one has to cycle to recruit muscular development of cycling muscles...given. That being the case, is the development of your VO2 max system also "sport- specific". Better stated, does your aerobic system know/care what you are doing at LT or above? If no, then would it be true that cross-training your system with new (ie running) muscle groups can help your aerobic system develop more depth and range of performance. If so, I would guess you can take that to the bike.

+ I predict that some members would retort with suggestions to simply "do your VO2 max training on the bike" to develop cycling specific VO2 and cycling muscles. If so, would any cross training help?


T miuns 60 days til the "competition". Don't want to throw my season away on it though.
 
Cross training/Running has helped me tremendously on the bike. Increasing mental toughness and aerobic capacity, mainly. I don't worry much about VO2 max, though. I probably should, but I really just like to ride.
 
I think we could start a whole new thread on cross training

Cross training can be very advantageous or it can be very destructive. There is enormous amounts of anecdotal evidence supporting both the for and against argument.

There was a female Canadian marathon runner, at least I think she was Canadian, for the life of me I can’t remember her name. She retired from running because of ongoing knee problems. She started putting on weight so she began swimming. After a while she began to run again but only once a week or so. Her running training cut back dramatically. Anyway the first marathon she decided to run in after her retirement she won very convincingly.

The thing this story does not disclose is all the little variables, her natural potential, her training history and how her knees may have been holding her back ?

Most people cross train to limit the strain of excess of just doing a single discipline and / or balance the development of the skeletal muscles.
 

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