Why Every Runner Should Add Cycling to Their Routine

The idea of movement competency is simple: can you consistently access a wide range of movement patterns without pain or Running and cycling are two pretty intertwined activities. They’re both forms of cardio that get you outdoors and cover terrain on your own. It’s no surprise that many runners like to hop on a bike occasionally and vice versa.

However, combining running and cycling in your training plan often leads to doubts and questions. Runners often wonder if cycling is actually helping or hindering their running game. Does all that pedaling fatigue your legs?

In this guide, we will explore cycling for runners, examine its benefits, and compare cycling with running.

Can Cycling Make You a Better Runner?
If you’ve been running for some time, you know that cross-training is an essential part of your running plan.

Whether you run for a healthy boost or weight loss or are training for a half marathon, building strength and endurance
is the best way to get the most out of your run.
Dr. Robert Berghorn, a physical therapist at Ascent Physical Therapy, helps runners and other endurance athletes train to compete while preserving their bodies.

He advocates for cross-training in general but also emphasizes cycling for runners as an especially effective method.

“Cross-training, just like in every sport, is a very important aspect of a training schedule for every athlete. Cross-training allows you to get out of the usual cycle of repetitive movements, using different muscles and muscle activation sequences that either complement or enhance primary sports performance when they return.

Cycling for runners is a wonderful way to cross-train, especially if you need to have a good recovery day after a hard training cycle in the off-season or if the runner is injured.

Incorporating cycling as a recovery day during or after a hard training cycle can be used to flush out the legs and reduce soreness while still getting a good cardiovascular training effect at the same time.

Injured runners who cannot tolerate the impact of running but still feel fine cycling can use this as a tool to maintain some level
of fitness and cardiovascular health while recovering.”

What are the benefits of incorporating cycling into a runner’s training routine?
Recovery and cross-training are the two major benefits of cycling for runners, but those advantages run even deeper.

Active Recovery
Cycling aids recovery by increasing blood flow to your calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quads—all the muscles you need for running.
Cycling provides a low-impact cardiovascular workout and will build endurance for those who want to give their joints a break from pounding the pavement.

Cycling flushes out lactic acid, which removes stiffness and delayed onset muscle soreness from your muscles. As your muscles burn more energy, they produce lactic acid, which breaks down into hydrogen ions.

The hydrogen ions then lower the pH of your muscles, which slows down the muscles’ efficiency. That’s what creates the burning sensation and keeps you from getting the most out of your muscles during a workout.

Cycling is a good use of injury recovery time. If you are unable to run because of the impact, cycling on a flat surface can keep your muscles and lungs active and ready to get back on track. It is also a good way to prevent overuse injuries.

Cross-training
Cycling helps build up your cardio. Since you often cycle longer than you run, you get that additional boost of cardio training
in your schedule.

Cycling builds strength in complementary muscles. Both sports activate similar muscles, but each one targets the
muscle in a different position. Using both will help build overall strength among those critical muscles used in running.

Cycling improves run time. It develops stamina and endurance without putting a load of stress on your leg muscles.

How often should runners incorporate cycling into their training routine?
If you want to build that additional strength and endurance, riding a few laps around the waterfront will not do you that much good.
The number of times per week you engage in cycling will depend on your goal.

If you are trying to just switch up your routine and run less days during the week to avoid some impact, you can replace one or two of your easy runs with cycling.

If you are injured, you may need to also replace your speed workouts or other running workouts you have planned until you get the go ahead to be able to run again.

How to cycle correctly for runners
Personal trainer and postpartum running coach, Alison Marie, gives advice on how to make sure you’re positioning yourself correctly on the bike.

“When cycling, one should check that the seat height is adjusted correctly to allow for the full range of motion without overextending:
at the straightest, the knees should bend at about 145 degrees (this happens to be around the knee angle of the ideal “triple extension” in running as well).

Clip-in type pedals are ideal because they allow you to truly pedal through the motion instead of simply pushing the pedals down.
When cycling, the range of 80 – 100 RPMs is the sweet spot for cardiovascular endurance. One can also use high-resistance intervals
to simulate something like a hill workout or speed intervals to help work on running cadence.”

So, runners, by blending cycling into your routine, you can improve performance so you are better equipped to go the distance.

This article was edited for length and reprinted with permission from the Marathon Handbook – www.marathonhandbook.com.  

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