ecandl said:
I am an aspiring triathlete but really want to improve my cycling. I plan on doing more triathlons but have considered doing some bike racing in place of or in addition to triathlons. I plan to focus on cycling and wonder if running on rest days is okay or counterproductive for improved cycling?
With all due respect, I am not sure your question is properly asked.
If you want to train like a triathlete, then ez runs are mandatory, and they will generally occur during ez days. In this case, they are a good idea because you don't even have the choice. You have to run, and from this running volume, a significant part has to be done a low intensity. So I'd say good idea.
If you want to put triathlon aside and focus more on cycling. And if you're wondering about the benefit of running during rest days in order to improve cycling performances, then no. It's a bad idea.
Running, even when it's slow, is taxing. Therefore, say you have a tough bike workout on monday, and an other tough one on wednsday. Running on tuesday isn't likely to improve wednsday bike workout.
1 hr of run <> 1 hr of cycling, no matter the intensity. Though I didn't take time to verify it in the scientific litterature, I'd say that 1hr of easy running = 1hr of cycling at level 2-3.