running is hard

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Cheeky_0102
Cheeky_0102 Posts: 408 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I can ride a bike forever, like really two solid hours of cycling is a feat, but not a monster feat. I get off the bike, and once the feeling comes back to my butt, I can still walk around, grab some groceries on the way home, etc... An hour and a half of cycling is like 1500 caolories burned

I can hike all day, climbing mountains, trudging down logging roads with 30 lbs of baby backpack on me, i have had my calories come back as something like 2,000 burned over long hikes.

I run for 28 minutes (week 8 of the c25k), I'm POURING sweat, i almost throw up, as soon as my app tells me to cool down i feel a great deal of releif, I can barely walk home, i sit down at my desk and drink a gallon of water, while the sweat pools underneath me, I'm red and i can't think. (ok overexageration but I'm trying to paint a picture)

for this effort i get 350 calories.

WHY do i feel so much worse after burning that few calories than slow and steady activities that say they are burning three times as much!

I love running right now, i feel like I'm getting a good bang for my buck (i gan break a sweat fast, and i can do it with little prep and planning) and if i wasn't tracking i wouldn't even think about this, but sometimes i feel a little ripped off when i hop off the bike after a nice hour of playing around on the trails, and get this awesome burn

i don't have a budget for a HRM, maybe my runs are way better than i think, maybe my rides and hikes are easier than i think (although I'm always towing or wearng extra weight so i think that compensates for some effort not expended)

this is more of a vent than a question. Anyone else?
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Replies

  • liquidjem
    liquidjem Posts: 138 Member
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    Its not just you...I feel this way sometimes. I just started running a few weeks ago, decided I would try, see what happened. I run (well lets be honest, I walk some too) for about 30 min each day and feel like you...Like wow, I just did this for a half hour and only burned 200 calories?? But, I guess it is better than nothing and it gets me out of my house. I don't have my bike right now, it still exists, just not in my possession at the moment and I miss it!! I used to ride all kinds of trails and paths. I could do that all day long compared to running.

    PS I like the way you described your after...that also sounds like me! :)
  • Krista916
    Krista916 Posts: 258
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    I started getting really serious about running in March. I had always tried to be a runner but really just gave up because it was so hard. I am by no means where I want to be with my running but this is the first time I have not given up. I am noticing huge changes in my body and my weight by adding running to my routine. I may not be burning the calories I want to, but I feel better about myself and I still an able to challenge and push myself harder every time I hit the road.

    If running was easy, everyone would do it. It is hard, but think of it as a way to push harder then you have before. See what you are really made of. :wink:
  • JDHINAZ
    JDHINAZ Posts: 641 Member
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    Running IS harder than other, non-impact sports. Just think about the strike force created by each step when your jogging.

    BTW, check out. http://www.woot.com/plus/monitor-your-fitness , I don't know anything about the LifeTrak C200 Core Activity Monitor, but it might be worth the investment if it fits in your budget. Product changes on this site everyday, so if you think you would like it, gotta go fot it. That being said, it might pop up again a few days later. I purchase stuff off the Woot website all the time, it's a safe website.

    (Hope I didn't break any rules by posting that url. I have no connection to the site outside of spending too much money buying stuff on it.)
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    I think the burn numbers you have are likely not correct. Burning 1000 calories an hour requires a lot of effort, as in continuous strain, for just about any activity. So I question whether you are really burning 1500 on a bike in 90 minutes. It would be almost impossible to do where I live because of the hills. If you peddled with effort you would have to go crazy fast down the hills and if you do any coasting there is no way you would get that much burn. Not trying to be snarky, just pointing out that you may not be comparing apples to apples.

    Also, once you get used to running it becomes easier. I now suspect that Endomondo gives me too much credit for running because I can run 4 or 5 miles and still have plenty of energy left. Yes, I still need to cool and I still sweat like crazy, but it doesn't wipe me out anymore.
  • greypilgrimess
    greypilgrimess Posts: 353 Member
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    I find running hard, but it's my main form of exercise and I enjoy it. I've been doing it a couple of years so I can run a lot further with less effort. But, especially in this heat, I still come home very tired and sweaty.

    As someone who does not enjoy cycling, I'm actually very surprised that an hour and a half burns you 1500 calories. The very few times I've been on the bike machine at the gym (admittedly at a relatively low pace and resistance) the calories burned for me have been significantly lower than those burnt whilst running for the same time. What I've read tells me that running burns more calories than most other forms of cardio exercise (depending of course on speed, incline, etc).

    All I can say is stick with the C25K, it seems like you're doing fine to me, it will keep getting easier, I can guarantee that!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    A few things come to mind...

    First, running for 28 minutes, burning 350ish cals = 12.5 cals burned per minute, which is really good. You don't get anywhere near that during your other activities. That's part of why you can't sustain it... because the intensity is so much higher.

    Second, sweating and nausea aren't good gauges for calorie burns, only intensity relative to your current ability (and the body's need to cool itself).

    Last, my bet is that your calorie burns aren't correct. 90 minutes of cycling likely doesn't result in 1500 calories burned.


    IMO, worry less about the numbers and more about your effort. Do what you can for as long as you can. Then, over time, you should start to be able to push harder for longer. If you can't something isn't right and you should re-evaluate.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Last, my bet is that your calorie burns aren't correct. 90 minutes of cycling likely doesn't result in 1500 calories burned.


    IMO, worry less about the numbers and more about your effort. Do what you can for as long as you can. Then, over time, you should start to be able to push harder for longer. If you can't something isn't right and you should re-evaluate.

    Yeah...no way 90 minutes of cycling...especially, "playing on the trails" as you put it OP...no way that burns 1500 calories. For me to burn even close to that would require me to basically cycle non-stop pedaling at roughly 30 MPH for 90 minutes...even then, it would be more like 1200 or 1300 calories. On an average 90 minute ride I burn in the neighborhood of 600 calories give or take...a few more if I'm throwing in some sprints or something.

    I'd also agree to worry less about the numbers and more about your effort. I don't even really pay much attention these days...I just train and try to do better than last time...
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    A big part of it is simply adaptation. I know people who can run forever but say they struggle with being able to jump rope for more than 30 seconds. Me, I can jump rope for 45 minute sessions but can't run for more than a minute. Practiced activity becomes easier regardless of fitness level.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    A big part of it is simply adaptation. I know people who can run forever but say they struggle with being able to jump rope for more than 30 seconds. Me, I can jump rope for 45 minute sessions but can't run for more than a minute. Practiced activity becomes easier regardless of fitness level.

    agreed.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    For starters, slow down with your running. Don't run at a speed that makes you want to vomit. You will gain speed as you increase your cardiovascular fitness.

    As for the biking, I think your calorie burn is way off there. I use a HRM and biking for an hour for me is maybe 250 to 300 calories. It's about half of what I'd get running. Mountain biking would be more, but biking on paved trails with some rolling hills that's about what I get.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    Endurance gains are no different than strength gains. A big part of it is not so much strengthening muscles or cardiovascular endurance, but also the body learning and optimizing itself for the activity. There are tons of people in the world who have muscles that are plenty strong enough to do pullups but can't manage a single one. It's because strength, just like endurance, is a optimized through practice. Training the body how to recruit the muscle fibers in a way that is most ideal for the strength task, or teaching it the proper rhythm and exact movement pattern to stretch your endurance.
  • actlc
    actlc Posts: 84
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    I've been running for a few months and have added some biking recently.

    As far as I know, running is the most calorie burns cardio (about 110 calories / mile for me)
    Calorie burn from biking is about 30 - 40 calories / mile (got info from bikers at different websites)

    My biking app 'Mountain Bike' almost double the calorie burnt than it really is.
    for me,
    30 minutes biking: 200 calories (about 10 miles / hour speed)
    30 minutes running: 330 calories (about 10 min / mile)
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
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    Well, when you ride you can coast. When you hike, you can take breaks. When you run, it's a constant drain on your oxygen supply. The longer you run, the less O2 there is for you body. You can also achieve this on a bike, but I have found there is always a hill, a little tail wind or something that drops the heart rate.

    Keep running, it will make your other sports seem easier.

    Use a heart rate monitor.
  • TheLongRunner
    TheLongRunner Posts: 688 Member
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    I think your burns are probably not as high as you think for your biking/hiking and higher for running. Until you can get a more formal way to measure, I guess there is no sure-fire way to know...but the amount of sweat and effort is always a good indicator in my opinion...
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
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    I think the burn numbers you have are likely not correct. Burning 1000 calories an hour requires a lot of effort, as in continuous strain, for just about any activity. So I question whether you are really burning 1500 on a bike in 90 minutes. It would be almost impossible to do where I live because of the hills. If you peddled with effort you would have to go crazy fast down the hills and if you do any coasting there is no way you would get that much burn. Not trying to be snarky, just pointing out that you may not be comparing apples to apples.

    Also, once you get used to running it becomes easier. I now suspect that Endomondo gives me too much credit for running because I can run 4 or 5 miles and still have plenty of energy left. Yes, I still need to cool and I still sweat like crazy, but it doesn't wipe me out anymore.

    Are you using a HRM with the Endomondo? Whole different ball game.
  • lizsmith1976
    lizsmith1976 Posts: 497 Member
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    Sounds like you are running too fast and getting heart rate too high - that's what makes the rest of the day feel sluggish and tired. And sorry, but you are WAY off on the cals burned through biking.

    I burn about 350 cals in a HALF HOUR of running and about 450 cals in an HOUR of cycling, and I actually race, not "play around in the trails". So check the math on that one.

    I think hiking and cycling are great, but running is awesome. For so many more reasons than the burn. If you don't like it that would be one thing, but you are doing it, so you must like it... Keep at it but slow down for awhile :)
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
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    I think the burn numbers you have are likely not correct. Burning 1000 calories an hour requires a lot of effort, as in continuous strain, for just about any activity. So I question whether you are really burning 1500 on a bike in 90 minutes. It would be almost impossible to do where I live because of the hills. If you peddled with effort you would have to go crazy fast down the hills and if you do any coasting there is no way you would get that much burn. Not trying to be snarky, just pointing out that you may not be comparing apples to apples.

    Also, once you get used to running it becomes easier. I now suspect that Endomondo gives me too much credit for running because I can run 4 or 5 miles and still have plenty of energy left. Yes, I still need to cool and I still sweat like crazy, but it doesn't wipe me out anymore.

    This. Get a HRM, you are not burning 1500 calories in an hour and a half of cycling, I can assure you. I cycle and run. I use a HRM. An hour of cycling, complete with some nasty hills and my heart rate in the 70-85% max heart rate zone, burns me around 520 an hour. An hour of running for me, burns close to 700 an hour.
  • Alwayssohungry
    Alwayssohungry Posts: 369 Member
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    When I got my HRM I was surprised at how few calories I burned on a 2 hr 12 mph average bike ride. In the two hours my heart rate was 'up' for only about 6 minutes. I started doing C25K and get the same burn in 31 minutes that I did in 2 hours and I'm only on Week 2. That's the main reason I started the C25K - to save time.

    The first two times I ran I was exhausted. More than exhausted and napped for two hours in the afternoon. The next few times I ate more protein after the run and felt much better.
  • travisgenetix
    travisgenetix Posts: 6
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    running is VERY hard :flowerforyou: but its all about pushing past your own limitations and expectations!
  • jmc0806
    jmc0806 Posts: 1,444 Member
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    I just started running last month and 3 miles at 10/min a mile, I burn about 500 calories using a HRM.

    When I used an exercise bike with full resistance I'd burn about 350 in 30 minutes doing about 9-10 miles

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