Double workout run/bike

[Diatad]

Afternoon,
I was wondering if anyone here has experience with training in both running and cycling in the same day. I just started road biking, have one 20 mile ride under my belt and am going for 30 today. I've been training for track with my high school team (home from college for the summer and have no one to run with) and theres a practice today. The way I've plotted it out now ill ride from about 230 to 530 to arrive at the track at 6. Is this too much? I know you'll need some experience biking and running in the same day for competition purpose, but im afraid of overtraining, injuring myself, or not giving either cycling or running sufficient attention and effort. How should I balance these two activities, considering I'd like to improve steadily in both?
Additionally...
After my first ride i felt i had a decent workout, primarily because i had never ridden a bike that long. As i get accustomed to more time in the saddle, what are some ways of cracking into a real training program for cycling? I don't necessarily want to look to coaching until im more experienced, but want to make sure im not just going for another bike ride.

 

[Skoorb]

Afternoon,
I was wondering if anyone here has experience with training in both running and cycling in the same day. I just started road biking, have one 20 mile ride under my belt and am going for 30 today. I've been training for track with my high school team (home from college for the summer and have no one to run with) and theres a practice today. The way I've plotted it out now ill ride from about 230 to 530 to arrive at the track at 6. Is this too much? I know you'll need some experience biking and running in the same day for competition purpose, but im afraid of overtraining, injuring myself, or not giving either cycling or running sufficient attention and effort. How should I balance these two activities, considering I'd like to improve steadily in both?
Additionally...
After my first ride i felt i had a decent workout, primarily because i had never ridden a bike that long. As i get accustomed to more time in the saddle, what are some ways of cracking into a real training program for cycling? I don't necessarily want to look to coaching until im more experienced, but want to make sure im not just going for another bike ride.

Duathletes and triathletes will train both on the same day, sometimes back to back. It comes down to your comfort level with the two disciplines and how long you've been doing them. You can definitely improve both at the same time. Obviously, riding 30 miles first will impact your running speed, but you will find that the more you combine them (known as a Brick workout with run right after the bike) the less the cycling will impede your run afterward.

Basically it just takes time of doing both. I wouldn't worry about overtraining as long as you're sleeping and eating properly. Injury is too different from person to person to have much of a comment on, but step things back and give a bit of rest if you start feeling pains that you think are more than muscular.

 

[Romis]

I do both run and riding bike, usually if the same day, then short run and long riding session. If I do a long run, then no riding that day. But as long as I train for MTB/XC races, I do much more riding, than running.
IMO, run has improved my rough terrain racing pace, and I use it when I have no time to ride, because running takes less time for the workout, especially at higher intensities.

 

[mnizz]

I would suggest riding earlier in the day to give a little extra rest so you have it in your legs for the run, unless its just an easy run. The one time i rode then ran over the summer it was my second longest ride ever and a waited about 2 hours and went out on a hilly 3 miler and it was my fastest paced run of the summer even though it was my easy run. It was 6:59 pace and since then all my runs have been under 7 min pace. I think you get a nice mental boost if you can pull off a faster run after your ride easily. I also seem to have fast runs the day after a ride even if my legs are dead, maybe its because im used to the higher cadence so ill have quicker turnover. Well see how i do today because i did a hard ride yesterday and am running a 5k race as a tempo today.

 

[dmstone1]

I do it when I have time. Im also home for the summer... I would run and ride everyday but with the amount I work and 75 miles a week of running I dont always have time to bike. Heck, I'd swim everyday too if I could. I DO believe in over training, I also believe a human body can adapt to ANYthing. I would give your legs more of a rest at first...Or even bike after. cycling will help you losen up the lacitc acid in your legs after a run... Hope this helps

 

[Diatad]

I do it when I have time. Im also home for the summer... I would run and ride everyday but with the amount I work and 75 miles a week of running I dont always have time to bike. Heck, I'd swim everyday too if I could. I DO believe in over training, I also believe a human body can adapt to ANYthing. I would give your legs more of a rest at first...Or even bike after. cycling will help you losen up the lacitc acid in your legs after a run... Hope this helps

how long are your rides? i guess ill try both (before and after)... I suppose if the kenyans train every day in grueling heat with recycled shoes i shouldnt worry too much about overtraining. It appears youre into triathlons? During races, what do you feel is your most polished sport? I also want to get into triathlons (high hopes as i just started road cycling), do you train all 3 an equal amount? I only ask because maybe one could help the other. Guitarists can play bass well, whereas most bass players are awful at guitar. Can running help my cycling or vica versa? (im assuming that neither one has much to do with the swim) Thanks

 

[lbraasch]

how long are your rides? i guess ill try both (before and after)... I suppose if the kenyans train every day in grueling heat with recycled shoes i shouldnt worry too much about overtraining. It appears youre into triathlons? During races, what do you feel is your most polished sport? I also want to get into triathlons (high hopes as i just started road cycling), do you train all 3 an equal amount? I only ask because maybe one could help the other. Guitarists can play bass well, whereas most bass players are awful at guitar. Can running help my cycling or vica versa? (im assuming that neither one has much to do with the swim) Thanks

I recently got into the sport of triathlons. I usually train 2 of the sports a day, leaving out the third for the next day. My weakest sport is swimming, so I attempt to swim every day, and then either run or bike, however biking being my favorite, I tend to bike a lot more than I run.

I found that through biking and swimming, running (which is the most natural to me) became far easier, because I had already developed my breathing and pacing through swimming and biking.

If you do begin working out two sports a day, make sure your intake is adequate. I've had to cut out a lot of foods from my diet because although they filled me up, the did not provide enough fuel for my dual workouts. Also, listen to your body, especially your legs. If you're having a hard time walking up and down long flights of stairs, perhaps you should back down the training a bit, or give yourself a day off. Its easy to get carried away with the training once it becomes a routine. I have to force myself to take days off, as well as shorten my bike rides, as otherwise, I'd be biking 20 miles a day, 7 days a week, along with swimming and running.

 

[Skoorb]

I DO believe in over training

I agree. I think that overtraining is something a weight lifter needs to be concerned about and a person needs to worry about in terms of energy to fitness and the amount they eat/sleep and their joints, but all those things covered, it's REALLY hard to overtrain in cardio. Elites consistnetly train quite ungodly hours. Granted, their genetics are better, too, but the average joe is going to have to start seriously impacting his family life and sleep before he needs to worry much about overtraining.

Can running help my cycling or vica versa?

You better believe it, and swimming helps, too. I, because of knee pain, am barely running now at all and yet because of the cardio fitness from swimming and from cycling I can still run very fast for the amount of training I do (and winning my age group in local sprint tris confirms that fact). All of the sports have specificity of movement that you can gain only by doing it (i.e. fastest cyclist in the world may suck at swimming because he's not got the technique down and his body isn't used to the motion), but there is definite overlap with the fitness aspect of it. My approach tris, and it's a successful one, is put my hours in the pool and on the bike and do enough running so that my body doesn't wonder at T2 what the heck it's doing, but otherwise I hardly run train. Still hoping to solve my knee issues and get back into it, though, because certainly I'd be faster if I could run even 15 miles/week (my peak now is 2X3 mile runs at fairly high speed).

I have to force myself to take days off, as well as shorten my bike rides, as otherwise, I'd be biking 20 miles a day, 7 days a week, along with swimming and running.

It is an obsession, but unlike meth use, not really a bad one :0

Tri is the best sport, period!

 

[Diatad]

I have to force myself to take days off, as well as shorten my bike rides, as otherwise, I'd be biking 20 miles a day, 7 days a week, along with swimming and running.

I understand where youre coming from. I've had morning runs and felt like going again in the afternoon but im not sure how healthy or effective that is. Now ill just go for it

These questions may be better fit for a trainer, but i dont have the money or status for professional help yet so...
Whats a regular training day like? How much time separates workouts, and how much time daily do you (or anyone for that matter) typically spend training? Id imagine that on days not involving cycling that time is much shorter. Should there be a day of the week with no cardio at all?