FrenchFit 

Well, 10 pairs of running shoes, UD vest,3 or 4 running bottle contraptions, running watch, a variety of different music appliances, a couple of boxes of running specific clothing, maps, sticks, rollers, yoga mat, water additives, running poles, sunglasses, hats, training logs and entrance fees if you are racing You can make it complicated and expensive, like anything else.

wphamilton

If you have the knowledge and experience, it would be a service. I've thought of it myself, but aside from the fact that it's been less than a couple of years, what I've learned may be atypical.

Treadmills suck, but they help me get the miles in and set a pace, while I'm still strengthening some things that can go haywire on pavement. Just one of the things I wish I'd known from the start.

FrenchFit 

If I was using treadmills I'd use the treadmill trainer series, for fun. Especially the hill trainer mp3, you just can't replicate hill intervals very easily in the wild, unless you are doing repeats on the perfect hill series. I have no association with this guy, but I respect his products: Hill Training Runs | Best Treadmill Workout for Runners

Beside the fact you apply less pushing on a treadmill, your feet are always level. which I think that's pretty unusual in the real world. Real world your feet are always adjusting to changing terrain, road crown, etc., and that's healthy for your ankles and joints in my experience. (One leg balancing on a BOSU ball is also a nice lower leg strengthener too) I try to limit my absolute flat ground running (asphalt) to once a week.

Retro Grouch 

Years ago I got to thinking about how to compare bicycling to running. I decided that a bicycling century must be about the equal to running a marathon. Roughly a 4 to 1 ratio. My logic was that either is do-able by an ordinary mortal, but both require about the same degree of dedication.

Retro Grouch 

Running shoes only last about 500 miles. I used to try to push that but easily surpassed anything I saved by not buying new shoes with podiatrist bills. My Achilles tendons are still screwed up decades later.

KraneXL

Let that be a lesson to you. Seriously, that's devastating. But rest assured I know the feeling. I had a related incident when I first began running in a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars figuring "what's the difference?" My shin boar the brunt of my ignorance, and was swollen for 2 weeks. From that point on I learned to treat my feet like royalty.

livedarklions

In the summer months, I ride multiple centuries on the weekends. I did one yesterday, and I am doing one today. I've also ridden as much as 168 miles in a day. I'm 57 years old. I'm pretty sure I couldn't do anything like that if a century equals a marathon. The wear and tear running brings and the pain involved is just not comparable, even if the calorie counts might be.

I should probably mention that I have foot and ankle problems that make jogging absolutely impractical for me. In the winter, I rely on the elliptical. I find if I do that at high resistance for long periods, it makes my endurance ridiculously high, and is great training for hill climbing.

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bobwysiwyg

Lazyass

I've ran a couple of marathons and ridden many centuries. The marathons were MUCH harder to me, you have no break unless you want to walk and my pride wouldn't allow that. On the bike you can always coast, and if it's in a group I'm coasting a bunch in the draft anyway.

But I haven't ran a mile since I retired from the army 8 years ago. I was a 6 minute mile guy but I don't miss it and my knees thank me.

mpath

You're not one of those runners who carry three water bottles, phone in armband, long tri-socks, and a headband headlight to do a 5k in the morning are you?

Kidding aside, I rotate a couple of running shoes which lasts me about a year, ~1000km. Running shirts/shorts are a fraction of cycling gear. My bike Garmin 3X more than my running Garmin. Sunglasses, energy gels/blocks, pre/post powders etc. the same ones I use for cycling. Haven't bought a cap in years but seem to have new ones appear from various places.

mpath

Me too. I had to diligently train for my first marathon six months out - that's following a training and diet plan, and multiple trips to physio and chiro as part of the regime. I'll ride a couple of centuries a season, and in knowing a few guys that I ride with, you don't have to be in tip top shape to be able to do it.

KraneXL

Truer words cannot be spoken. Take if from the bad knee guy, I'm becoming more and more convinced that's the worst thing we can do. See above.

wphamilton

Maybe that would be a sliding scale, on what distance running is equivalent to a century. I think that at our age the low impact training for a century is a lot easier than the high impact training for a marathon, while for someone in their 20's the stress of impact may be no priority. Since the stress and impact is what I hear most often from runners who decide to take up biking, and even those who still run but only at a reduced pace.

FWIW 10 or 11 mile run wipes me out, about the same as 65-80 miles on the bike. So I'd guess that a half-marathon would be closer to a century than would be a full marathon.

FrenchFit 

LOL, sometimes I think I'm that guy. But, most of my runs last a couple hours and involve sunlight, and I'm not Mr. Gadget,

But I'm somewhat OCD about shoes. Once they start to break down they're in the trash, and I use a different shoe for speed, distance, hard or soft. Right or wrong I believe that picking the right shoes has keep me injury free and allows me to have a much more fun, effortless run.

stevedaytona

It's been a lot of years but I used to run and bike. A 100 mile TT is nowhere near the effort of a Marathon in my opinion (though ironically enough my marathon and best 100 time are almost identical!). I would equate a marathon with a 12 Hour TT in terms of preparation and training required to get through.

OldTryGuy

Doesn't sound like much effort was put into that 100 mile TT.

jskash

I couldn't run a half a block without pain in my feet, knees and back, and probably a few other places. Cycling does not hurt my body. I am grateful that I came to love cycling later in my life.

downhillmaster

KraneXL

That's usually because people begin running to lose weight -- which means they start when they're already overweight. My first rule for choosing a weight loss exercise is that if you're overweight, you should never run. On the other hand, you can weight a ton and still enjoy cycling. The low impact of cycling mitigates any weight disadvantage.

RDW3261

I have rode many centuries and ran several marathons. They don't compare. The training alone to run a marathon tears up the body. I now run 3 to 6 miles three days a week to go along with my biking. Lots easier to get a cardio workout in a 40 minute run.

GadgetGirlIL

I completed several marathons, both running as well as 100% walking. No matter the pace nor the amount of walking nor whether they were on roads or trails, I was always beat up by them. I have ridden many centuries over the years and more recently have ventured into 200K brevets. I have never felt beat up by them although some of those bike rides were hard of my butt. I have finally settled on a seat that minimizes discomfort for my really long rides.

With my recently diagnosed arthritis in my left knee, a consequence of missing cartilage on my left femur, my days of running are over. Just too much pounding on the joints.

mike.b

Not much of a cyclist or runner but I managed to do both a couple weeks ago when I participated in a local duathlon.
A run/bike/run of 2/13/2 miles. I'd rather bike but now that I've done it once I'll probably sign up for it again next year.

mike

rydabent

Cycling does not ruin ankles, knees, and hips nearly as fast as running. Have you ever seen slow motion films of the shock waves running up and down a runners leg. If not you should.

KraneXL

A pair of good shoes won't bring back the cartilage but they will take a lot of the pounding out of your run. If that's not enough there's always rubber running tracks. It's the 21st century! No excuses.

livedarklions

Those weren't excuses, those were damn good reasons to go to lower impact exercises. Some things just can't be fixed by "good shoes".

I have issues with my feet and ankles that might be worked around by trial and error. The problem is that the errors in the past have laid me up for so long, I have no interest whatsoever in taking the risk again.

It's the 21st century, there's a lot of alternatives to running that will keep you at least as fit. Running isn't somehow superior because it includes suffering.