Bklyn

Heresy, I know, but even riding an hour and a half a day to work and back isn't the same kind of exercise that running is.
But is it possible to run 5 miles three times a week and still commute everyday? (Or I guess I could stop drinking beer....)

ItoDoeblin

I don't see why it wouldn't be possible - just pretend you're training for a tri and start swimming the other 4 days.

HERESY!!!!!!!!

HardyWeinberg

Shouldn't physically be a problem. Time-wise, I'd have a hard time carving out another whatever that would take, 40-50 min? (I'm old) 3x/wk (+ cool-down etc...) if you do it make sure you stretch and drink lotsa water though

elTwitcho

You're not riding fast enough.

There's no reason any physical activity in which you determine the pace can't be as physically exerting as any other really.


But to answer the question, I know several people who jog as well as ride a bike. Shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't overexert yourself with either

JanMM

So, you don't think an hour and a half of cycling isn't good quality exercise? As elTwitcho said, ride faster.

bikinpolitico

Well, I'm a triathlete and running on top of my commute is the only way I can get in all my training. I actually use my running to drop my kids off at daycare, so I guess I'm running for transportation in addition to biking!

Bklyn

Well, I could see why you'd say that, but I actually haul äss all the way to work and back. It's my workout first and foremost. But 40 minutes on a bike does not equal 40 minutes of running — not nearly. I'd hesitate to come up with an exact ratio, but I knew a triathlete who estimated that for her, an hour's run would require a five-hour ride.

I just was really looking for somebody is a runner who happens to commute also.

Danre

Why to you want to run 5miles 3x/week? Is it weight loss? Are you training for something?

Bklyn

A five-mile run three days a week was my workout before I started commuting three years ago. It's a very good workout, keeps you lean and gives you tons of energy. And it's also a very different sort of workout than fighting through traffic; you can actually reflect on things, and you almost never swear at anybody!

Navy_Chief

I am a runner and a commuter. The best way to go about this IMO is to get to where the rides are not a complete drain, i.e. back off some, then start mixing in your runs. The system that has worked out the best for me so far is to get home and do kind of a transition area type thing to my running gear and get moving on the run; this allows me to just keep my momentum going on the workout and to get one shower to cover both workouts. After you have done both for awhile you will not need to go easy on the rides and can do both easily, the trick is to train to that point without injury.

Lizzylou

I reflect on things while riding... and I've lost 20 pounds in the past 6 months from riding. So I'd say it's a pretty good workout.

d2create

I don't think anyone said it wasn't and congratulations, but running is most definitely different (and a harder workout per hour) than cycling. I've done both though, and I would equate one hour of running (about 10 miles for me) to about 2 hours of cycling.

uke

Running is much more difficult than cycling in terms of energy expended per unit of distance. It's also tougher on the body--particularly the knees. I like my knees, so I bike instead of run.

Industrial

You'll have to eat alot of carbs. I like to run between my commutes and I find it works out very well. The ride in kinda loosens things up a bit for the run and the ride home is a nice recovery exercise. I lost alot of weight doing the run/bike thing when I finally plateaued from just cycling. Now I'm plateaued from the run/bike thing...

tjspiel

I've been a runner for years and have also been commuting for quite a while. I've being doing triathlons for the last couple of years. You can certainly do what you're asking but you still need to give your body rest.

As far as the relative value of each type of work out, - it varies. About a decade ago I was running marathons and I have a tendency to run at a pace that I can maintain for a long distance, -even if I'm not going that far. Since I do triathlons and since one spends more time on a bike than running during a triathlon, I make sure my bike workouts, and hence my commutes are intense.

Only a couple of hills to climb on your commute? Climb one, turn around, go down, then climb it again. Rinse and repeat. Then do it again on the second hill. This adds a little time to your commute, but sure gets your heart pumping.

It's easy to cheat and rest on a bike in a way that you can't while you're running (at least while actually running) but you can compensate by doing intervals of really intense riding followed by a brief recovery, then another blast of hard riding. For me this at least seems to be a better workout than running at a steady pace for the same period of time.

Anyway, I'm not saying you should skip the running, only that while a ratio of 5 riding hours = 1 running hour may have been true for your friend, it certainly isn't for me.

Highcyclist

Yes, it can be done, but you must make very sure to give your body adequate rest and nutrition. I do agree that running is much more draining than riding. I used to run a lot, but not so much since I started riding again. As far as the knee damage argument goes, I find that cycling strengthens the muscles around the knees, making them less vulnerable to injury while running. However, daily riding burns my quads to the point that they feel somewhat overtrained when running. I absolutely love riding, but I admit that running is far better overall exercise for the body. It is, after all, one of the primary activities are body evolved to perform.

paulwwalters

Just shoulder the bike for 5 miles of your commute... make it like a cross race.

GearsForFears

You need a singlespeed.

DallasSoxFan

Why not pick a point 5 miles from work, lock up the bike, and run the rest. Of course, the return ride might be murder after a 5 mile run

Mr. Underbridge

Absolutely. My commute isn't as long as yours, at 6.5 miles each way. I usually run about 12 miles per week in addition to commuting.

I tend to get hypoglycemic pretty easily, which sucks bad when running (not much fun on a bike either, but I don't seem to get it as bad when riding). The key for me is getting my 'running meal' down. I've taken to wolfing down a bunch of carbs (and not much else) about an hour-ish before running. I'm talking a couple cups of plain white rice with maybe a drizzle of flavored oil or something on top. Usually takes 45 min - 1:15 to clear my stomach. After that, I'm good.

On running days, I usually take my commute easier than usual, get home, eat my rice, wait an hour, then run. Nor worries. The carbs are usually enough to fuel me for at least 8 miles, and my legs usually give out before my energy does.

EDIT: Don't stop drinking beer. That's heresy.

littlewaywelt

Absolutely. It can actually be beneficial to do both. You'll have to build your run mileage more carefully, and watch for telltale signs of overtraining, but it can definitely be done. Based on your commute you likely have a solid cardio base, so it's just a question of building up the different muscles.

Consider using your commutes at different paces for recovery days, etc.

I wouldn't jump into 3 days a week right away. i would do it in cycles.
1- I'd try two days a week, (one being a day where you don't ride) for a three weeks with 3-4 days in between the runs (run on Wed & Sat), then do a recovery week where you don't run.

2- then start another three week cycle with a third day and reduce the total three day mileage so your total weekly mileage isn't more than 10% increase over your two day mileage. Do that for three weeks, and take another recovery week.

3- then on your next cycle move to run 3 days a week 5 miles a day and take a recovery week on the fourth week.

I would definitely advise keeping one day a week where you don't ride or run and take advantage of a rest week whenever you feel you need it.

My commute is deathly short (3 miles), but I have found it very beneficial to my running, particularly for recovery. I'm a recreational runner, running one or two marathons a year, at a moderate clip of 3:30-3:45 and probably avg 20-25 mpw over the course of a year, excluding a weekly long run day of 10-20 miles.


If you get serious about it, I highly recommend Chris Carmichael's book (Lance's trainer) on training techniques. It's completely and easily adaptable to running.

popsicleian

I run about 5 days a week in addition to my commute (well, at least I did until I hurt my foot 3 weeks ago), but my commute is only 5 miles roundtrip so it's really no comparison to yours. I've always struggled with trying to balance my running and biking workouts, though. I love both, and wish I could do both everyday.

Indie

I love the mental image. Are you carrying the kids or towing them in a rickshaw-esque contraption?

ontheroadid

I do both. On days that I'm going to run, my ride home takes a couple minutes longer, and I drink at least half a 24-oz. water bottle during the ride. Once I get home, I eat maybe half a Clif bar, take care of some stuff at home for 30 minutes (feed the dogs, get the mail, etc.), then stretch for 10-15 minutes, and then head out.

I'll echo what others have said: go slowly at first. If you haven't been running for awhile, start with a couple 3-milers, and gradually build your mileage and frequency as you get stronger.

danadear

I've heard the 4:1 ratio. Four miles of riding is equivalent to 1 mile of running.