Cycling to build base for marathon

Red Belly

Just looking for some views on this. I've completed a marathon in each of the last four years and have knocked a few minutes off my time this year and last year. I've used the bike for cross training, but next year I'd like to really work on the bike with a view to completing a few of the longer sportives next Summer.

So, would a fairly arduous cycling training programme provide a sufficiently good endurance base to start a marathon training programme for Dublin in September? I wouldn't give up running completely but I would be looking at long bike rides 100k to 200k effectively replacing long runs up to September.

Is this a mad idea?

RB

Tombo2001

I wouldnt try it myself......

hardCopy

I wouldn't drop my long runs for anything.

In my experience, any run training you do will benefit you on the bike but I've never found bike training helped much with my running.

ChickenBalls

Cycling will help with your overall cardiovascular system thus helping you with your running but don't substitute long runs with long cycles - at best switch a medium-long run (8-12 miles) with a 40/60km cycle, saying that it depends on the type of cycle you'll be doing, whether it's hills/flat and how much effort you put in. For instance, hilly cycles will help with your hill running and vice versa. This is just an example, there's many other factors to take into consideration it just depends on your needs.

In my experience this year I focused on Triathlons because too much running caused injury; my cardio system improved big time from training in 3 different disciplines without too much hardship on my body. I built up to 12 hours a week (2 Hours Swimming \ 6 Hours Bike \ 3 Hours Running on grass only! \ 1 Hour Yoga - highly recommend it) - after the triathlon season I followed an 8 week program for the DCM - 90% on grass - body recovered well from each run, only disadvantage was I didn't know my race pace too well - took advise from KrustyClown (from 2 road runs we did together) to go with 3:20 pacers and that's exactly what I did it in. Hope I helped with this info

Peterx

It doesn't work out.
As Hardcopy and others have said you cannot afford to miss the long runs.
The legs and the connective tissues need the long runs to get used to the cumulative effects of 26 miles of pounding. Your lungs will be fine but they aren't doing the running:)

personal anecdote alert - I was going OK both on the bike and in multisport races in 2009 and subsequently blew my lights in the Dublin marathon, my little leggies just weren't hardy enough. (after two hours all I wanted was a bicycle and if I had been given one I would have kept going at a good pace but I just couldn't maintain the pace on foot)

hardCopy

Just to clarify my own point, I don't see anything wrong with cross training on the bike as you have been doing, but make sure you do the long runs.

As Peterx said, you need to be strong enough to handle the repetitive impact of long running.

There's nothing wrong with combining a long Saturday run with a long Sunday cycle or even a brick session

foxyboxer

I guess it's a question of what is your priority.
What is your A,B and C priority?

Do you want a competitive time in the marathon?
Do you simply want to complete the sportives?
etc etc
Find out your A priority event and that will be a good starting point.

If you just want to complete the marathon, then once you do the long run each week from the start of september then you'll be ok. Sounds like you have a solid running base as it stands.

bambergbike

I cycled about 140 km on Saturday to get to a running event (12 km) and home again afterwards. I found the cycling easy and the run tough even though I was pretty slow. I need to run more.

But you're already a "runner", you won't lose all your existing biomechanical adapation to running if you replace some time on your feet with time in the saddle for a limited time.

Plus, what I would also say in favour of your plan is that cycling can possibly help with fat adaptation. Having done a few easy-effort six hour cycles on pan y agua (without the pan) in the run-up to the sportive season might come in handy come mile 20 of the marathon.

Proceed with great caution?

Zillah

I could cycle all day without much trouble, but I'll last about five minutes running before I feel ruined.

Surprisingly little cross-over on the fitness.

Red Belly

Thanks for all the feedback so far. Plenty of food for thought. I'm considering starting a conservative marathon training programme towards the end of August and aiming for something later than Dublin, Clonakilty maybe.

I'm also considering the wisdom of cutting the long runs. Maybe a weekly quality run session with long runs on every other week would be better than keeping shorter runs during the week?

One of my problems is that life/work for me means that three workouts per week is the norm with a cross training session or two squeezed in when possible.

Thanks again for all the input.

RB