Running and cycling, are they compatible?

There are some cyclists who are terrified by the simple act of putting on sneakers and starting to run, it will be difficult to get these people off their bikes to practice any other sport. But this should not be the case, and in recent years cross-training has gained popularity thanks to its proven benefits. But then, if I am a cyclist is running good or bad?

Running vs cycling: Friends or enemies?

We have sometimes seen the World MTB XCO Champion, Nino Schurter, practicing other sports on his social networks, in one of them we could see him practicing trail running and this is how the Swiss justified it "Running is a great alternative to your cycling training, especially if the weather is bad. Running is highly efficient, it is very good for working on core stability and you almost never get cold, no matter how bad the weather is."

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To begin to address the question of whether running is good or bad for cyclists, we first have to identify what type of cyclist we are. If we are competitive or high-level cyclists, the discussion will close by sticking to the specific training imposed, where running usually has no place and everything is focused on the bike. If we are amateur cyclists with no more pretensions than to stay in shape and we don't like anything other than riding a bike, here running is also not welcome. 

But there is a third group, where cyclists who like sports and usually practice other sports complementary to cycling are found, in this case running a couple of times a week can be very beneficial and can even make their performance on the bike increase significantly. When we run, other muscles are activated than when we ride a bike, but it is still an aerobic activity that gives us a good base for riding a bike.

Benefits and precautions of running if you are a cyclist 

Benefits

• With 1 hour of running you can replace much longer bike workouts. This does not mean that bike workouts can be completely replaced, but those days when we do not have enough time to ride a bike can be replaced by a run. This is the efficiency that Nino Schurter was referring to.
• We do not depend on natural light. During the winter it gets dark earlier and in summer it is too hot during the day to ride a bike, so we have to make our bike rides without natural light, so we have to prepare with lights, reflective clothing, etc. Some of those days can be replaced by a run in the park.
• Improves endurance and strengthens overall muscle tone. If we only ride a bike we could have muscle imbalances in which running can help.

Precautions

• Start slowly. Running should be a complementary activity so we will have to start from less to more, until we control the distance and intensity that we are capable of running and can continue training the next day.
• Watch out for discomfort and joints. In cycling, as it is not an impact sport, muscle soreness does not usually appear, but with running it does, so we have to be careful and know how to differentiate what is muscle soreness and discomfort typical of a new activity from possible muscle or joint problems.