[tick_magnet]

Right now, I am mainly focused on low intensity aerobic trainer rides but these get sort of boring. So I am also doing quite a bit of running and gym work (keeping HR in zone 2), but since running is harder on the body, I typically only do 1.5 hour runs versus 2-4 hour rides. Gym sessions are about an hour. I am wondering - in terms of cardiovascular impact and mitochondria development, is 2 hours 2 hours regardless of the activity? Or does a 1.5 hour run, for example, provide more stimulus than a 1.5 hour ride? I ask because the perceived effort in running at the same HR feels much easier than cycling.

I am only asking about the cardio side of things ignoring that different activities work different muscle groups. Thanks.

 

[LMN]

Right now, I am mainly focused on low intensity aerobic trainer rides but these get sort of boring. So I am also doing quite a bit of running and gym work (keeping HR in zone 2), but since running is harder on the body, I typically only do 1.5 hour runs versus 2-4 hour rides. Gym sessions are about an hour. I am wondering - in terms of cardiovascular impact and mitochondria development, is 2 hours 2 hours regardless of the activity? Or does a 1.5 hour run, for example, provide more stimulus than a 1.5 hour ride? I ask because the perceived effort in running at the same HR feels much easier than cycling.

I am only asking about the cardio side of things ignoring that different activities work different muscle groups. Thanks.

I don't think there is a person in the world with knowledge who could answer your question with any kind of confidence.

My gut says that running in the off season is going to improve your overall athleticism and becoming a better athlete in the off season is going to help you achieve a higher bike specific fitness come race season.

 

[tick_magnet]

Thanks. I appreciate your knowledge and your humility in your approach to training.

 

[FortOrdMTB]

1.5 hours of running is indeed “more“ than 1.5 hours of cycling. When running in college and post collegiate, training for the Olympic Marathon Trials aerobic runs during the base phase was about 60-75 min. Long runs we’re 16-20 miles which were 1:45-2:30. I can tell you…running is much harder on the body than riding the bike for the same 1:45—2:30.

In the base phase after a couple weeks we add in strides, hill reps, tempos. I’m a firm believer that you just can’t stay aerobic for 6 weeks and not feel flat. We train all zones all the time, the base phase just has much more recovery between sessions.

I wish I had Strava back in my running days. Also wish I would have taken up mtb after college. Would love to have known what I could’ve done on the bike in my 20’s in 2:20 marathon shape.

 

[Skier78]

Trainingpeaks have tried to make a comparison with their rTSS (Running Training Stress Score (rTSS*) Explained | TrainingPeaks).
I think it works reasonably well to quantify how hard you are training when mixing running and cycling, at least as an estimate.

Personally I can't handle longer runs (more than 1.5 hours) before my ankles and knees start to give me problems, but I still run a lot during the fall/winter to get some time off the bike and to use the muscles a bit differently.

 

[bikeranzin]

I can skin up the local mountain for about 1.5 hrs every morning, and it beats the pants off the trainer. I'm taking the gamble that this movement pattern will pay dividends on the bike later in the season.

I'm also waiting for a fatbike that I ordered. After demoing one a few times on the local trails, I've decided that fatbiking in the snow is probably the most aerobically hard type of biking I've done, at least when it comes to just trying to ride a trail.

Perhaps a big point about doing some other endurance activity versus strict trainer riding is that you'll hopefully keep some mental freshness and motivation for when the workouts start to get rough in the spring. Having done winters on the trainer, March is usually a tough month for me, and I'm usually ready to quit racing by July.

 

[kosmo]

I've decided that fatbiking in the snow is probably the most aerobically hard type of biking I've done.

Quickest way to squeeze in a 3 hour ride is to go for a 2 hour fat bike ride!

 

[Sidewalk]

2:20 marathon shape.

Yikes

 

[FortOrdMTB]

Yikes

Sadly 20 years and 30 pounds later I’d love to be within an hour of that now.