i need to get in shape for mountain climbing this summer, and i hate running cuz i suck at it (i'm happy if i get 1 mile in 10 min.) so i can ride my mountain bike a few times around a trail i made, its about a 1/4 mile loop. whats the best way stretch before and after a ride. i'll probably ride in the morning. and is running or mtbiking (or a combination of both) better for conditioning the heart, lungs, and legs? i notice that when i run i get lower back pain (a long time problem) and sometimes i have a bad hip. any suggestions for anything

Ah, it's the perrenial problem

Patient: Doc, it hurt's when I do this.

Doc: Then don't do that.

Mountain biking is great conditioning, but a few times around a 1/4 mile loop isn't much. I usually ride a 8-9 mile loop at least every other day when I ride the nearest trail to me. It's extremely hilly. When I ride some of the trails in Columbia, which have some flat areas, I do about 15 miles. If you have a trail near you try to do some longer rides.

If you have lower back pain while running you need better shoes to absorb the road shock to ankles, knees and hips. Don't worry about how fast you can run a mile. You are not racing; you are training.

Stretching before and after exercise is good because it warms and loosens the muscles and reduces the chance for pulled muscle injuries.

What helps the heart, lungs etc is the amount of continuous time you spend exercising --about 30 minutes at your target heart rate.

Combining biking and running can only do you good.

Running sucks for me. I climb; Riding is the best cross training that works for me. Put a back pack on with gear and a coil of rope and jump on your ride and see what it does for ya. Running is hard on your joints. You don’t need pain in your joint if you’ll be pulling off some 5-10s or what ever your ability is. I made some good moves in the past and I think it was due to my strength from riding

If you're willing to take a little time to read, and spend about $20.00 for the book, I'd recommend "Power Yoga"by Beryl Bender Birch. Available at any bookstore chain, or internet store/ ISBN #0-02-058351-6.

I got into it a few years ago, as a rehab, after a series of small injuries sidlined me. Whenever I need to ease back into exercising I use Yoga as a warmup. You can do as little, or as much as you feel like/need. BTW, this ain't twist-yourself-into-a-pretzel yoga. It can be a very physically taxing muscle building routine, if you so choose. Follow chapter 2 and you'll find yourself working up a sweat while standing perfectly still (really!!!).

Enjoy

I thought I was the only one that could sweat standing sill

When I have lower back pain I find some pushups followed by some back streaches cure it. I find walking slow is what makes my back hurt the worst followed by having to wear a tie.

Riding a bike is much more fun than running because you see more in the amout of time, but I think both are good. I always found weight training to be useful as well.
HTH
Joe

thanks for your help guys. by mountain climbing, i was referring more to hiking, and glacier travel on big mountains, such as mt. baker in a few weeks and mt. ranier this june.

what if i take a 5 mile ride on the roads, on a mtbike? is it better in the morning before school, or in the evening?

Road work is always a good thing. The important thing, as far as fitness is concerned, is to keep the crank turning.

Morning or evening rides boil down to personal preferance. I like 'em both, when I can squeeze them in. Mornings because the air seems sweeter, the birds singing just for me, the traffic less congestive... Evenings because, watching out for the attention-challenged drivers notwithstanding, I can clear my head of the days worries and stuff.

I'm not even close to being an expert on this sorta thing but, if'n it were me, I'd do my road work closer to the time of day that I'd be exerting myself.

Have fun.