Is Running Harder than Biking?
Lance Armstrong said he is going to run the New York City marathon again this year. What blew me away are his comments about the difficult of running. He said running the marathon last year was “without a doubt the hardest physical thing I have ever done…In 20 years of pro sports and endurance sports, even the worst days on the Tour, nothing felt like that or left me the way I feel now.” (article)
That blows me away. It’s hard to imagine running a marathon in three hours would be much more taxing for him than biking for six hours at a time up hills for several days in a row.
I suppose different athletic activities are harder for different people depending on their physiologic makeup. Or maybe it just means running is harder on your body. But it’s interesting.
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February 14th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Well running is just not as much fun as biking, hence the PAIN. Being able to put in 100 miles in one day is nice and all, but I can bike a marathon any day of the week, and not be all that tired…hence, even though running is harder, biking is way more fun.
February 15th, 2007 at 11:44 am
Running is way harder than biking. When you run, your whole body is involved: legs, arms, torso, everything, and the pounding of your feet starts to take a toll. Biking is easy. Around, and around, and around, mostly just calf and thigh muscles. I love the burn in my thighs after biking up a huge hill, but it certainly doesn’t compare to the breathlessness after running up a really steep hill.
February 15th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
I really wish I was stronger on the bike, but I personally find it easier for me to run up a hill than bike. I have ran 3 marathons and they are difficult, I was rather surprised when Lance said it was the most difficult thing he has ever done. I still think the Tour de France is much more grueling than running a marathon. Are you going to run anymore marathons Pic?
February 15th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
I want to get back into running (as always). For the next two months or so I have an intense time for school. But I really want to run again. There are some great mountain runs near the University of Utah, so maybe I will do that after school. Or maybe bike to and from school. What I would really love to do is a triathlon.
February 25th, 2007 at 8:31 am
I think Lance’s comment makes most sense when you consider it from his angle. The body is remarkably adaptable to your habitual activities. In this case, if you ride your bicycle 120 miles a day, eventually, you should be pretty good at it. But that riding would only apply to running from a cardiovascular standpoint. Mechanically, it wouldn’t be much help at all due to the difference in the movements. As a long time cyclist (and racer), I can easily attest to this! When I was riding the most (say, 16+- hours of cycling per week), I thought I was in fantastic shape. But if I went on a hike that previously would have been no problem for me, I would be sore the next day. If I ran, it would be even worse. So, overall, your body is good at what you train it to do. Unfortunately, most folks train it to sit….