[vanjr]

I am come from a runner background. I know there is no "magic" amount of training necessary to be a good runner. I run/race better doing 40 miles a week rather than 30. I do better still if I run 50 a week and even better at 60 a week. With 4 kids/wife and full time job I don't have time to run the 80-100 a week I would need to race my best. However I know that at least 40 miles a week lets me be competitive in masters running.

My question: How many times a week is necessary to optimize my biking? Have upped my schedule from 1 bike ride a week (with 6 runs) to 3 bike sessions a week (with 4 runs) over the last 2 months. Is this a reasonable inflection point to be a decent biker (ie want to keep up with the faster guys during local group rides)? Currently a decent week is one day on the indoor trainer for 1 hour, 1 day fast local ride of 30 miles and 1 day of almost as fast 37-45 miles.

tia

 

[Ed Leahy]

That sound reasonable

My "break point" is 100 miles a week but I don't run as much as you. Try it and see how it works, then adjust your training as necessary.

 

[Kerry Irons]

7 hours per week?

From Basic Training for Roadies by Fred Matheny: here's a 7 hours a week, weekly schedule that works for many riders:

Monday: Rest day with 15 minutes of resistance training.
Tuesday: Ride 1 hour with 3-8 sprints or other short, hard efforts.
Wednesday: Ride 1 hour at a steady, moderate pace.
Thursday: Ride 1 hour including about 20 minutes of any type of hard effort.
Friday: Rest day with 15 minutes of resistance training.
Saturday: Ride 1 hour at an easy pace.
Sunday: Ride 3 hours at a varied pace. Group rides or hilly courses are good choices.

Remember, intensity is one key to this program. If you could ride 200 to 400 miles per week, sheer volume would guarantee a high level of fitness. But you can't.

 

[fleck]

my range is 150 - 250 miles a week. 150 leaves me wanting more but is nice after a 250 week. If i do 3 weeks of 250, i'll be really needing a rest period but life makes getting 3 250 weeks in a row sometimes difficult. Just listen to your body. And keep a journal.

 

[vanjr]

getting at least 7 hours a week of something...

last 7 weeks:
bike averaged: 3 hours 50 minutes (road and trainer) a week (range 3:20 to 4:20)
run averaged 27 miles a week (range 20-36-probably 3.5 to 4 hours or running avg).

that puts me between 7 and 8 hours a week. I guess I will stick with my current schedule and hope I see some improvement in my biking. I certainly can add some changes to my schedule (running speedwork). I just wonder how much (if any) I am losing to others who are biking the same about a week??

 

[jeff262]

I struggle with the same issue. I consider myself a runner first and a cyclist second. I refuse to give up one or the other but find that it is best to alternate focus. I build my schedule around target events in cycling or running. I then make one sport the focus for 3-6 months and the other takes a maintenance role while I train for a target event in the one sport. After I pull back in one sport my increased level of training for it seems to keep me going longer as I transition into the other. I always focus on quality over quantity on the non focus sport. For expample if I am working on cycling I make sure my running includes some solid track work to keep up my speed and that it includes one long run to keep up my running endurance. I find that focusing on one or the other alows me to do better at the target events rather than just being mediocore at both. Just my $ .02

 

[whoawhoa]

last 7 weeks:
bike averaged: 3 hours 50 minutes (road and trainer) a week (range 3:20 to 4:20)
run averaged 27 miles a week (range 20-36-probably 3.5 to 4 hours or running avg).

that puts me between 7 and 8 hours a week. I guess I will stick with my current schedule and hope I see some improvement in my biking. I certainly can add some changes to my schedule (running speedwork). I just wonder how much (if any) I am losing to others who are biking the same about a week??

What are your goals? Running races? Bike races? Both? Duathalon? Or just general fitness?

 

[vanjr]

Goals:
Biking: keep up with my wife, also just be able to stay up with the faster group ride leaders
Running: None specific, race 5-10 times a year and be competitive in Masters divisions

 

[Guest]

Well coming from the same situation i found that running six times a week for pratice with the team doing about 55miles a week and then going on lon 45-60 mile rides on sundays keeps me in good enough shape to do both competitvily. Im about 17 out of 40 in my league for running and the last race i was in (juniors) i placed 13 out of about 45. I found that running helpls cycling more than the other way around becuse of the aerobic capacity required for running, but cycling is way more fun so now that its "off season" only 45 miles a week i try to do a couple a double workouts a week, bike in the morning and run in the afternoon. Seems to be working out great and i know that when season roles around ill be in that much better shape because of it

 

[vanjr]

Follow-up.
I have had 2 good months of bike/running. But ran 1 minute slower for my July 4th race this year (26:03 for 4 miles) than last year and over 2 minutes slower than 2 years ago. Running was 50 week two years ago and 40 ish last year. I felt ok yesterday, but I clearly saw I need either more speedwork or faster steady runs.

 

[Spunout]

You are running slower because you are cycling more?

And vice versa. Be acceptable at both, but your best at neither.

IMHO cycling rewards specificity.

 

[vanjr]

I agree. Specific training is best. That is why I am trying to ask the question what balance leads to the optimum level for both sports. It will be a continous experiment of one to find out. I was hoping others who have gone through the process could shorten my "trek" to find a good balance. I know now that even though biking "feels" like running speedwork, that it is not, so I have to bump up to at least once a week running speedwork.

 

[vanjr]

After 3 months of biking 3-4 times a week and running 3 to 4 time a week and not improving enough on the bike I will try for August and September to bike/run at a rate of about 5/2 or even 6/1 and see if improvement occurs.

 

[kiwiiceberg]

Have you tried running off the bike? Maybe do a quick 20-30km ride and then go for a run.
Or try going for a short run after doing a 3 hour bike ride?
I have found this type of training quite effective, you are running with fatigued muscles. And you've kept the cycling your number one focus.