Cycling vs Jogging? Looks like I may never run a Marathon...

hefinator

A little bit of history first!! I was diagnosed with Exercise Induced Asthma when I was 6 years old, and although I have hardly ever used my inhaler, its still a health factor I worry about. In school I played soccer and Basketball. I quit school sports after breaking my arm in junior high. I stayed active and in a healthy weight range until after my 2nd year of college. I've never been a runner. more of a walker with some spurts of jogging! A few years back, I tore all the tendons in my right foot. I had to be on crutches and an air cast for weeks. it was miserable.

I'm finally serious about my weight loss, and I hear so many people rave about jogging and running, doing the c25k program, and running 5ks, 10ks, even marathons! I really want to be one of those people! I had my heart set on doing the Rock n Roll Seattle Half Marathon next summer. So, I started doing the C25K program. While my asthma doesn't bother me much, and I can actually do the intervals for a bit without feeling like my lungs are going to collapse, my foot KILLS me! it starts hurting about 10 minutes in, and by about minute 15, i have to stop completely. I can walk for miles with only minor pain, but the jogging seems to bother it so much!

part of me wants to say its just becuase of all this hefty weight crushing down on my legs with each step, but part of me wants to say its from my prior injury. either way, until i'm a much smaller size, i think i should hold off on the jogging.

That said, can I get the same cardio benefits from bicycling? either on a regular bike, or on a bike at the gym? I need to find ways to mix up the cardio in my routine! I do Zumba on the weekends, and I get in almost 30 minutes of walking a day, just to and from the bus station. but outside of that, i really don't do much. I really would like to be a jogger, one day, but until then, is Cycling a viable solution??

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

pinkgigi

Cycling is great exercise, I love it, but you do have to go for longer and further than running. But if you are getting hurt from running, it sounds like it will be easier on the bod. I actually love riding, and hate running, so it is my preference also. You do need to push yourself and just not go at a gentle peddle around the block.

GG

MinaAriel

Do you have access to an elliptical? I broke my ankle a few years ago and unfortunately it was not set correctly. I no longer have full range of motion in the one ankle which has led to a shin splint problem. With the elliptical, there is no impact so I have no issues doing it for extended periods of time.

I have gotten a few decent workouts on an exercise bike but I'm still a bit too big for them. I get too lazy sitting on a recumbent and the upright bikes are very uncomfortable on my bottom.

rajivdubey

I cycle everyday around 10-20 Km and weekends are typically 80 km. I end up doing 150 Km in a week. Its a great feeling and it does not make your back or knees hurt! Join the club!!

daves160

In my opinion, it is the better choice(no offense to all you runners). You get a fantastic cardio workout, and you don't have the jarring and stress on you feet, knees and back.

Just as in running, you need the right shoes, Also in cycling, you need a bike that is fitted to you.

I see a lot of smiling cyclists out there, but I have never seen a runner smiling until its all over with.

I burn about 1000 calories on a one hour ride.

hefinator

Do you have access to an elliptical? I broke my ankle a few years ago and unfortunately it was not set correctly. I no longer have full range of motion in the one ankle which has led to a shin splint problem. With the elliptical, there is no impact so I have no issues doing it for extended periods of time.

I have gotten a few decent workouts on an exercise bike but I'm still a bit too big for them. I get too lazy sitting on a recumbent and the upright bikes are very uncomfortable on my bottom.

There are ellipticals at my gym, however my body doesn't feel the "natural" feeling that most people say they feel when they are on one. I have tried and feel like i'm going to fall off of it!!

shellimus

I have trouble running. It hurts my knees and feet, but I LOVE spinning classes. Have you tried them?

iwantniceabs

I'm no expert, but I've done a decent amount of running in the past 8 years, and biked over 1,000 miles in the last 8 months (outside, not at the gym) - I'd say definitely give cycling (indoors or outdoors) a try. It's not the same as running (because no two exercises are the same but it is still a great workout and a really great way to burn calories. If you have had asthma troubles in the past, you may want to consider starting out inside, but there's nothing like riding in the great outdoors! Good luck! And be sure to wear a helmet if you bike outside.

CaptainMFP

I didn't personally start a running program until I'd lost 30 lbs. (That was down to 210 from 240.) However, I did cycle for about 1 1/2 months before that and continued it as cross training until the weather got too cold for me to bike. Running is very different on the body in terms of physical stresses and demands on the heart, so if you are not comfortable with it now, you'd probably be well served to cycle and walk until you reach a point where you feel you can jog.

When you get to that point, take it slow. I needed about 4 - 5 weeks of run/walk intervals before I could run a 5K distance without a break. Since hitting that point I've taken off and am now training (knee injury permitting) to do a half-marathon in the spring. But it's taken me more than three months of running to reach that level of endurance, speed and confidence. When your body is ready, you can try it...and if you never really take to it, that's okay too. You don't have to be a runner to be fit!

Pebble321

Any exercise is good exercise, specially when you are just getting started!
If you really want to run, look into getting some good shoes fitted for you, and slow down your speed. You might find that your old injury doesn't bother you this way.
Or, if you don't think you're quite ready to run, then go for it with the cycling or whatever else sounds like fun. I think the key thing is to find something that you enjoy and that you can commit to regularly and JUST DO IT.

PS. I can understand wanting to run and I really encourage you to do it if you can find a solution for your foot pain. I have ALWAYS wanted to be a runner and have gone from couch to 12k race this year - the feeling of achievement was huge!! Half Marathon is next )

engineman312

are you kidding me????? i looooove cycling!!! i just couldn't get into running. hard on my joints, plus a lot of fat to move around. but i needed to do some cardio, and i dusted off my old bike and jumped on.

yes, you need to go further and for longer then running to get the same caloric burn, but here is the kicker: YOU CAN!! my first time on my bike i went ten miles! now i'll usually do about 20 on a regular day. sometimes i go to about 30. all outside, on hills, on my 5 year old mountain bike.

and one day it was a little too rainy for a bike ride, so i decided "eff it!! let me go for a run!!" i figured if i didn't feel good after 5 minutes, i would turn around and walk home. 30 minutes later i had done 2.5 miles. longest run i think i've had in my life. and its all do to building cardio strength with cycling. i just did 4.3 miles on monday, and next week i'm shooting for 5 miles.

emmaleigh47

Hi, Im one of those crazy people that started out from walking and now run half marathons.
I am not sure that I think that c25k is a great program because of the amount of running that it has you do ... so here is my advice...

1. Do you have good shoes, have you been fit for shoes, have you tried arch supports, etc. All of the above will help with foot pain. I used to have foot pain from mile 1-about mile 3 until I got the right equipment.

2. Are you running too fast ... with perhaps poor form (heel striking, over striding). Concentrate on slowing down and making sure that your feet stay underneath your hips.

3. Back to the c25k ... scrap that program and try 30 seconds of running and walking for like 2 minutes. Slowly increase your running ... there is NOTHING wrong with doing run/walk for a half marathon. I ran my last one using a run one /walk one ratio and I finished feeling amazing!

Take care - good luck!

Elleinnz

Cycling is good - the other great option is swimming if your foot pain keeps on stopping you :-)

nomorearmflab

Cycling is great exercise, but I always try to go twice as far as runners. I challenge people to bikes v.s. leg routines. Whatever they run, I will bike double that. That sounds like a lot, but it really isn't.

However, it is all up to what you find more comfortable. I get the best cardio from my bike. I have the most fun and I always want to go further. I tried running, but I hated it and wanted to stop so frequently that it wasn't doing anything for me.
For some the elliptical works best, and for others hiking up inclines does. Its all up to what you love to do. or at least like doing!

Elizabeth_C34

Running when you are very overweight or obese is really painful and can cause you to injure your knees, hips, and ankles. Don't feel bad if you struggle with jogging. You'll get there one day.

Cycling is a wonderful alternative. You'll need to go longer and harder to burn the same amount of calories, but it's a lot of fun and zero impact if you are on paved trails. I love cycling. I usually bike offroad on the weekend and jog during the week. Loads of fun!

Good luck to you.

sleepytexan

No reason to run unless there's someone bad chasing you.

Hop on a bike -- so much more fun and will not damage your joints. So much to see in the great outdoors!

BTW, I teach spin, and my classes are full of ex-runners who are done being injured. Spin is big bang for the time spent; I burn about 550 cals in a 45 minute class. If you don't have the time to go out on the road, spin is a great alternative.

maryloo2011

Ummm, I'm just going to respond to your subject line (TOPIC: Cycling vs Jogging? Looks like I may never run a Marathon...)

Never say never!

1. I have exercise-induced asthma as well and finally got treated for it in March. I take a couple puffs of Advair (sp?) every night before bed and I almost never have to use Ventolin (rescue) inhaler. I get everyone is different with degrees, though, I thought I'd NEVER be able to run.

2. I've had two big foot injuries in the past four months. I was in a boot (a big, black walking boot!) for the later half of the summer and even went backpacking in it. Then I went running on it again for a few weeks and another injury in a different place (with new gym shoes nonetheless). It's healed again and I'm back to my running routine. I AM planning to run a half by the end of 2012.


Other than that, I echo others in that cycling is still beneficial. I hop on the bike very often and prefer it to the elliptical throughout the week but do the elliptical so my body doesn't get used to the cycling too much. Go for it, it's so much fun I think! If you do the bike at the gym, go for the bikes that you sit and lean forward (not the ones you lean back on the seat).

Good luck!!

Awake_Alive

I wanted to be a runner, but I am in a very similar situation. I got on the treadmill, and my feet screamed for mercy. I got on the elliptical and my hips cried out to the gods. I got on the bike...and I rode and rode, until I was sweaty and all athletic-y feeling. :glasses:

I love it! I ride 25 miles a day at over 100 rpm and I burn around 1500 calories in 80 minutes. I'm a big fattie, and if I can make it work, anyone can! :flowerforyou:

SmartFunGorgeous

Definitely do the cycling, but unless you hate it, don't discount the running forever. I started the C25K at 279 pounds, and haven't had any problems. I go SLOW, don't get me wrong, but it may still be in your future. Who knows? Cycling? Running? You may be adding swimming in a year or so and doing triathlons before you know it!

teasdino

The main thing is to up your heart rate. What ever way you choose to do it is 'the' right way. If you are first starting out then your heart is going to beat harder than someone who is fitter. You can google heart training zones and it will give you all the info you could ever want. A fitness dude was asked what the best workout was to get fit. He told them 'the one you do'. Doesn't matter so much which one you pick as much as which one you can do that will get the blood pumping :-). Good luck and good health.
Jac

Lanfear

I see a lot of smiling cyclists out there, but I have never seen a runner smiling until its all over with.

this made me laugh!

I'm a runner and a cyclist and I've got to say, that I smile a whole lot more when I'm running than I do when I'm on my bike!!!!

They both have benefits and drawbacks. For me, my cardio endurance didn't really improve until I started running - and I've only been doing that since May, whereas I've been cycling for over 3 years. Likewise, cycling never really did anything to help me lose weight or "tone up". But, cycling is no impact on the joints - all you need to get used to is sitting on the saddle and having a sore bottom to start with until you get a bit more used to the pressure points.

I cycle to work/back every day now and at weekends if I'm not out running. Go for whatever doesn't hurt and makes you happy

trijoe

I started walking to lose weight and get in shape. As I lost weight and got stronger, I started jogging. Just a little. And not very fast. Eventually I was strong and thin (HA! Really?) enough to race half and full marathons. Very slowly, of course... I'm still pretty big, and BOY OH BOY does doing lots of running cause problems. I've had everything from groin pulls to runner's knees. And a few injuries in between. Not pleasant, or helpful.

So I switched to triathlon. Swimming - now there's a calorie burning low impact workout for ya! And cycling is pretty darn great too. There's little in life more exciting than feeling that wind blowing past you as you zip down the road. As somebody else mentioned earlier, a properly fitting bike is critical. Safe roads are a big plus, also.

So, guess what I'd recommend? Yup! Triathlon. You have three separate disciplines that work your body in three separate ways. This has had so many positive benefits for me: 1) Less running injuries, since I run less. 2) Cross training cross training cross training. My body never knows what's coming next. 3) I never get bored with the same old routine. 4) Since it's easier to stay enthused about my next workout, I actually workout more. Sometimes a lot more. HUGE PLUS!

Just a thought. I hope this helps.

jfinnivan

I have a mild form of exercise-induced asthma. I occasionally use an inhaler when the need arises. By slowly increasing my run time and speed, over the course of 6 months I noticed the asthma slowly stopped showing up and I can now run without a breathing problem. I don't know how much of a factor losing 30 pounds was, but I just ran a 3.5 mile race at a 7mph pace. A year ago I could not have done that.

iuangina

I've done both and cycling is definitely just as much of a workout (if done correctly). Just like running/walking, you will only get out what you put into a cycling workout. I love spin classes (especially when it is cold, rainy, and snowy)! They are a great way to burn calories and rehab an injury. Also, marathons are painful. They hurt for days! I did a triathlon with a 0.9 mile swim, 26 mile bike ride, and 6.2 mile run and I was not in any pain when I got done. I love running and cycling. Don't count yourself out of the running completely. I know when I started running at 326 pounds everything hurt! But it got better once I lost weight. Good luck!

andreae13

I have always wanted to be a runner but I've always ran into the same ankle/foot pain every time I tried so I ended up sticking to walking. I finally went to a podiatrist about a year ago and got diagnosed with plantar fachitis (sp?) and got orthodics for my shoes. Those helped the ankle pain a little but I still wasn't able to run. When I started working with a trainer in January I told him my goal this year was to run my favorite 3 mile loop in Seattle by the end of the year. I mentioned my ankle/foot pain so he put me on 2 plans...

1. my cardio plan
-wk1 4:00 min walking at a fast pace, 40 sec running as slow as possible
-wk2 3:45 min walking at a fast pace, 40 sec running as slow as possible
-wk3 3:30 min walking at a fast pace, 40 sec running as slow as possible
-wk......just keep shaving 15 seconds off your walking time each week till you get to just running

2. balance plan
-my trainer started incorporating balance exercises that focused on my ankle/foot strength. The best one, I think, is where you stand on one leg, with the other leg straight out behind you and slowly bend down and touch the floor..or as close to the floor as you can...then slowly come back up (this exercise reminds me of those plastic birds that people put on the edge of a glass that dip down and touch the water). I do 10-12 reps of this with each leg and a total of 3 sets, and let me tell you the tendons in my feet and ankle are SCREAMING by the time I'm done but I have not had ANY pain in that area for about 6 months and I can now run 5k's and I weigh 239lbs!!!

You can definitely be a runner, its just a matter of finding a way :bigsmile:

baldzach

Hi, Im one of those crazy people that started out from walking and now run half marathons.
I am not sure that I think that c25k is a great program because of the amount of running that it has you do ... so here is my advice...

1. Do you have good shoes, have you been fit for shoes, have you tried arch supports, etc. All of the above will help with foot pain. I used to have foot pain from mile 1-about mile 3 until I got the right equipment.

2. Are you running too fast ... with perhaps poor form (heel striking, over striding). Concentrate on slowing down and making sure that your feet stay underneath your hips.

3. Back to the c25k ... scrap that program and try 30 seconds of running and walking for like 2 minutes. Slowly increase your running ... there is NOTHING wrong with doing run/walk for a half marathon. I ran my last one using a run one /walk one ratio and I finished feeling amazing!

Take care - good luck!

As a cyclist who works in a running store (and has run 4 marathons and 3 half marathons), I completely endorse the above. Go to a running store and get analyzed by an expert who can fit you to the right shoes. It will make a world of difference. You can run, and you can ride, and honestly I find having two exercises I enjoy helps to break up the monotony. Good luck!

mrecker

Cycling is a great way to workout, you just have to make sure you are riding hard and not casually puttering along if you want to get the most benefit out of it.