Training & Nutrition - Cardio base?

So I was asking my phys. ed. teacher today at school what I could do to improve myself as an athlete (one whose sport was cycling). I had a few questions, which he answered for me. However, he told me that I should definitely work on my cardio base (i agree with him) since i haven't really done anything over the winter.

he said that cycling would take a lot of time to see any improvement in terms of my cardio strength. he recommended that i cross train with jogging/running (at least in the beginning) to speed up my cardio workout.

Now, I understand it's easy for a biker to ride for five hours straight, but I know it's not so easy for a runner to do that. I know running is potentially a greater workout than biking. However, is he right? Would running help me achieve a higher cardio base? he recommended jogging or swimming in place of biking for the cardio.

Just looking for a second opinion.

If you are currently riding a lot, then start by adding one run per week for the first two weeks. Then two runs per week. See how you feel and then go from there. I don't know what your teacher means by "cycling would take a lot of time to see any improvement in terms of my cardio strength" since most pro riders ride most of the time.

Yes, running, jogging, walking briskly, swimming, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, etc. etc. will all improve your cardio base. Anything that gets you breathing harder ,and raises your heart rate up to at least 60% (or so) of your max, and keeps it there for a while, will help. You can accomplish this with one type of sport, but cross-training is good. And it is good to keep doing that sort of thing year round.

I believe the surgeon general and his people recommend at least 30 minutes of that sort of exercise a day to maintain your fitness level, and 60-90 minutes a day to improve it and lose weight. That's per day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! But I'd recommend throwing in a rest day at least once a week.

Running has helped me with my cardio, but you can also do the same thing on a bike, by doing interval workouts and other hard workouts besides just putting in the miles. A 5k run for me is a lot harder than a 20 mile bike ride which is about twice as long. Do what you are comfortable with, but remember that change is also good. Try something besides biking. Do you like swimming, or running, or soccer, or basketball, or racquetball???? The list is endless.

Good luck with whatever you do!!!

I think the ratio is something like a double century being equivalent to a marathon. A 10-hour double guy might be equivalent to a 3 hour marathon guy, so about 3:1 ratio in time-effectiveness between running and cycling. OTOH, cycling is much easier on your joints, and IMHO a lot more fun! So where you might do a 30 minute run, you'd do an hour and a half on the bike.

Yes, running, jogging, walking briskly, swimming, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, etc. etc. will all improve your cardio base. Anything that gets you breathing harder ,and raises your heart rate up to at least 60% (or so) of your max, and keeps it there for a while, will help. You can accomplish this with one type of sport, but cross-training is good. And it is good to keep doing that sort of thing year round.

I believe the surgeon general and his people recommend at least 30 minutes of that sort of exercise a day to maintain your fitness level, and 60-90 minutes a day to improve it and lose weight. That's per day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! But I'd recommend throwing in a rest day at least once a week.

60% heart rate? That's a recovery heart rate. Keep it between 70-85% of your true max.

Cycling is great, and probably better for aerobic base. You can go for longer at the same intensity compared to running, because it takes less of a toll on your overall body (but similar for the heart). But I would agree that running a little bit (more-so over winter) is a good thing, especially while you are still young and bone density/health can still be improved. You don't want to develop osteoporosis later in life because you neglected doing weight bearing activity at an early age.

I would cut down on running from 0-1x/wk during the spring/summer and increase it to 3-4x/wk in the fall/winter.