Hot answers tagged exercise
14
The short answer to your question is "probably between 2.5 and 3.5 miles; the faster the runner the closer to 2.5 while the slower the runner the closer to 3.5." The long answer is quite long.
As you already noted in your question, the full answer depends on pace; but it also depends on the surface being run or ridden on, whether it is up hill, down hill, ...
12
If you want to do a competition which gives a (good runner, mediocre cyclist) even chances against a (good cyclist, mediocre runner) then you might use the same ratio as the Ironman triathlon.
It has a 112-mile (180.25 km) bike and a marathon 26.2-mile (42.2 km) run which puts the ratio of distance cycled/distance run at roughly 17/4.
EDIT:
Based on ...
7
Breath however you need to, to get oxygen in. This may be mouth, nose or a combination of both.
When you see riders on their trainers warming up, the cotton has something like vapor rub or similar, to help open up the nasal passages. They don't have it in their nose during the race itself.
7
Breathing in the cold air probably didn't help, but what you describe happens to most people after doing hard intervals and only goes away with recovering. As far as preventing it in the future, the only thing I can recommend is not maxing out and going anaerobic by chasing cars and going into zone 4/5 heart rate.
Edit for Clarification
When I refer to ...
6
The NuVinci system is fantastic in principle and one day all bikes might come with it, but we aren't there yet. As the system stands there are a few matters that might not make it the answer to your prayers of an easier time going up hills:
For hilly terrain you need gears - it goes without saying. The steeper the hills the bigger range of gears - going up ...
6
I don't think you have a problem here. Physiologically, your thighs are the engine room of your legs. They are designed for endurance and power and can keep working at a high output for extended periods of time.
Your calves are more for short bursts of power, such as jumping or sprinting. They can't sustain high power output for any length of time. In ...
5
The problem here is that the effort spent is differently.
A "good" 45 y.o. runner capable of qualifying for Boston Marathon might do a 3:30 marathon (26.2) while a "good" biker on reasonably flat course might cover around 90 miles on a bike in the same time (87.5 miles @ 25 mph). The marathoner would likely be very much done for the day while the biker ...
5
In the same way you train for your running you'll likely want to vary the rides you do on your bike. Bicycles offer you the same options like:
Tempo ride: stay just below your lactate threshold
Interval training
Find a long flat section of road
Go above your LT for a bit, then a little below for a bit (stay above 70% of LT)
Many times this is 1 minute ...
5
There is a technique known as "toeing". Basically, as you turn the crank with your feet your toe angles up and down -- up at the top of the stroke and down at the bottom. This makes use of some of the strength/energy of the calf muscles.
But to do this well you must be riding with the ball of your foot on the pedal (generally implying toe clips or ...
5
While the idea of comparing the distances of the cycling and running portions of the Ironman triathlon might seem appealing at first, you'll quickly see that the times of those distances don't correlate at all. The cycling portion of the Ironman typically takes participants about twice as long as the running portion, varying somewhat between competitors but ...
5
For some people, weather conditions (specifically: temperature and humidity) make a big difference. Not so much for direct intake of oxygen, but because repeated inhalation of cold, dry air directly through the mouth can cause significantly more irritation of the airways and lungs, triggering asthma symptoms. Breathing through the nose warms and slightly ...
4
I'm over 50, starting my 30th year of cycling, and raced for 10 years when much younger. I've been tracking my performance over the 30 years with detailed training diaries.
The main age related issue I've found is that it takes longer for me to recover from hard efforts. The consequence is that I cannot train as hard overall because I cannot handle as many ...
4
First off you will need to have a think about what kind of riding you want to do. For roads you'll want a touring bike, and for off road, a mountain bike. The key differences are:
Weight - riding rough trails and off road requires a strong frame. This will impact weight
Suspension - again, this adds weight, but can be essential on really rough terrain
...
4
It could be due to your bike fit, but there's a lot of power in your quads, and if you will note a lot of pros (very noticeable track) cyclists have large quads.
I think this might help you, it shows what muscles are responsible for what part of a pedal stroke: http://dropbar.freetonik.com/post/4994370468/what-muscles-are-responsible-for-what-portion-of
4
You've just become familiar with the feeling of exercise induced nausea. Don't worry, you're not at all alone. No matter your long distance endurance, it happens after a period of over exertion ( any amount of exertion more than your body is used to, regardless of your fitness level ), and is sometimes exacerbated by not enough or too much hydration.
3
If your commute is only 4 miles each way then my advice is to extend it once or twice a week. Can you take a detour along some quiet roads? Any hills in the area? Do you pass a park around which you could do some laps?
Take it easy on the way into work in the morning to save your energy, then go have some fun after work.
3
There is a period of about an hour after exercise where your body is more likely to replenish your muscles with carbs and protein rather than storing it on your body as fat. It may be worth waiting until you get to work before you eat your breakfast.
To increase the intensity, maybe consider panniers with additional weights.
3
The best advice I'm seeing here is to go to your bike shop and try out a few bikes. When you have a few test rides behind you, then you'll have a better idea of what questions to ask.
What this boils down to: Test-ride a few bikes, buy one, have fun with it. Everything else is details.
Bike types
I'd concentrate my search on hybrids and hardtail ...
3
Whether an interval training is effective or not depends mostly on your particulars relative to the interval. Heart rate is only a very inexact measure of effort, but you seem to be roughly in the ballpark. However, such quick switching between on/off interval state does not generally produce interval-like results and should be viewed as a single 30-minute ...
3
I already have my helmet and lights. What other accessories are recommended?
It depends on the weather:
Rain coat and warm clothing
Fenders (aka mud-guards)
Rack and pannier (to carry e.g. any spare clothing, wallet and keys)
Cycling gloves, and cycling shoes
Shorts
Adequate tires (size, width, pressure, thickness, tread, puncture resistance)
Snack, ...
3
A sports hybrid is named for being a hybrid of a mountain and a road bike. One advantage of a hybrid is the upright cycling style where your face is pointed more straight ahead rather than looking up with drops. This can also be achieved with drop handlebars by raising them until they are at a level or slightly higher than the seat. This is easier to do with ...
3
I would think that it isn't much that cycling has over running if you already are an accomplished runner but it does have it benefits. cross training would definitely help get over plateaus and would also add an element of fun into your training. hill climb rides would help stretch your endurance and give your quads a good burn. as mentioned, a cycling club ...
3
Of course, as with any exercise, stretching is worthwhile. Mostly a few slow warm up laps around a short course, or taking it a bit easy the first few trips out, as you get used to riding a bike again. Mostly, try riding 2 or 3 days a week, with a rest day between, until you get fit enough to ride comfortably.
3
$50 - $100 isn't going to get you much in parts, especially any that would be an "upgrade" from your current setup. If you're riding your bike often, it's possible that you'll spend an amount approaching that this year on new tubes and/or tires when you get a flat or wear your tires out.
My suggestion would be to ride this bike and enjoy it. You'll get your ...
3
I don't see much point in "improving" the bike until you decide what improvements you need. About the only thing I can think of that you might want to change right off is the tires, if they're heavily lugged (which I can't tell from the description) and you prefer road to off-road riding. And, of course, you may find that a different seat would suit you ...
3
Probably best to see a doc.
But it would probably work to lay off for 3-4 days (at least until you can gently cycle without immediate pain), then start up again, being careful to limit the stress on the area. If your pain level stays low then SLOWLY work up, otherwise back off or stop (and see the doc).
You should probably find some stretches (from a PT ...
2
Years ago, I read an academic journal on exercise physiology. From memory, almost all measures of fitness decline from around age 30, except strength. The test subjects in the study increased their strength to whatever the maximum age measured in the paper.
Mind, my own experience is greater endurance as an older athlete than when younger. Mostly due to ...
2
You should have:
Bike (obviously)
Helmet
Suitable shoes -- What's "suitable" depends on how aggressively you bike and what sort of pedals you have
Lock -- Whether you need a lock and how secure depends on your local conditions
Some sort of rain gear (unless you have an alternate arrangement for getting home if you get a surprise rain)
Some way -- backpack, ...
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