CYCLING THROUGH CROSS-TRAINING

New Year's Eve, Eve on Gulf Coast Florida. Taken by PKSenagore. December 30, 2016All rights reserved.

CYCLING CAN WIDEN YOUR ACTIVITY FOCUS AND ENLIVEN YOUR WORKOUTS. The article on Competitor.com, “Take Your Running Up A Gear By Cycling During Base Training” by Mark Eller presents a convincing argument for cycling as a cross-training activity for runners. After that it provides a step-wise plan to begin easy with minimal expense for equipment and progress to harder and longer workouts that will likely require a bicycle upgrade.
 
The reasons to cycle-cross train are those you have probably heard before. Cycling allows runners to take a break from pounding the pavement, works the quadriceps muscles more than running does, and boosts aerobic training.
 
An additional reason, which is very important but rarely made, is that cycling “provides a new experience, decreasing the mental burnout and physical over-training that can occur when an athlete focuses on just one activity”.  So says Travis Macy, the ultra-runner and mountain bike cyclist expert quoted by the article,
 
Previously Earned Runs featured swimming as a worthwhile cross-training exercise. However, not everyone has access to a lap pool all year, making it a possible fun change-up workout for the warmer months when chances are better for outdoor pool availability or open water swimming in non-frigid conditions.  
 
Seasonally-adjusting your cross-training exercise can save you money and at the same time introduce more stimulating variety into your exercise life. Somewhat like shopping for fruits and vegetables, depending on where you reside/run, some activities may be “cheaper” at certain times of the year than others.
 
Cyclists will brag that they can rapidly cover more ground and enjoy more scenery over longer distances than most runners. Now you can too, on your non-running days!
 
RUN HAPPY!
 
http://running.competitor.com/2017/03/training/take-running-up-gear-cycling-base-training_162433