It’s been raining pretty continually here in Kansas this whole week. Like all day, sort of like Portland in the winter. My day is very weather dependent. I think most cyclist’s days are weather dependent, but when I’m not riding I’m usually doing something outside.
So, yesterday, I went a little stir crazy, plus Bromont was bugging me to go run, so I decided to go run with him. It was raining pretty good, but I don’t mind running in the rain. It isn’t for long and there isn’t really a wind chill. I just put on some shorts and ran in a t-shirt.
I put Bromont on a leash, which I hardly ever do. When I got down to the bike trail, I let him off the leash. He immediately took off. I think he thought I was on my bike and he could run full speed. I was running moderately hard. I was only going to go a couple miles. I was carrying my Garmin with me and I couldn’t believe how slow I was going. Something like 7 1/2 minute miles. I wasn’t breathing hard, not really hard at all. But my legs were turning over slow. I’m not sure what that was all about.
I woke up this this morning and could barely walk. I think that I should be able to run two miles anytime during the year and not be sore. It seems like as an endurance athlete, that should be something that we should all be able to do. I think I’m going wait until I’m not sore and then try it again.
I never ran much. I used to do a few running races every year or two. I’ve won a few. As cyclists, we’re very good at running uphill, but horrible at running downhill. I think that might have been my problem yesterday, too much running downhill. I don’t know. It is sort of depressing.
I haven’t ran a timed mile in a few years. I used to run one each year to make sure I could still do it under 5 minutes. I would be very surprised if I could do that if my run yesterday is any indication.
You get slower if you don’t run and age seems to affect your running performance more than it does your cycling performance. I have notices that when I run the Topeka to auburn I seem to fly up the hills but you’re right. Going downhill is harder for me. I like to run but I’ve never been very good. I used to run 7:30 -8:00 minute miles for training and could get down around 6:30’s in a 5k race. That was when I was in my 30’s now Im in my 40s and have slowed. I guess it doesn’t matter. I’m a cyclist who likes to run. Remember you weren’t racing either. You were on an unplanned run in poor conditions with high humidity which I think really affects running performance. Anyway, that’s my 2 cents
Actually 7:00- 7:30 mile pace for an easy run isn’t slow for a non-runner. I would train that pace on easy days when I was racing under 15:30 for 5000 meter track races.
When I switched to competitive cycling I would at most do a few runs a month. Surprisingly my legs where fresh and I would be running faster than if I were doing an easy day as a runner. So maybe what happened was that you are in shape and your legs were fresh for running “fast” but the pounding just killed them from lack running.
Two things are going on. One, specificity tells us that for your body to adapt to the specific stresses you are putting on the body, you perform that activity. Thus if you are not regularly running during the week or month, your body is having to adapt to a new stress. In relation to this is the incredible amount of pounding stress running has vs. cycling. Two,(don’t take this wrong) you are getting old and as we age our bodies take longer to recover to what it perceives as new stresses. I’m sure if you get out and run some more, get a massage, your body will recover faster. You know your body better than anyone, I’m sure you will do what needs to be done.
Cycling has no eccentric muscle contractions, whereas running does, especially running downhill. This is mainly what causes delayed onset muscle soreness. The ground contact, also non-existent in cycling, is what causes most of the connective tissue (ligaments and tendons) soreness. In the winter I run some on the treadmill, I prefer it over the trainer, but I always run with a substantial incline (> 8%) to avoid getting really sore (the incline takes away a large portion of the eccentric muscle action).
Bromont’s no fool. He took an opportunity to assert his alpha maleness by dusting you when you weren’t on the bike.
Every now and then in the winter I will go for a run, mainly when i am sick of sitting on the trainer. For like a week after my quads are so sore. I have found that if I wait a few days, for the soreness to go away a little but not completely, the next run is easier and the soreness goes away really quickly.