Running vs. Inline Skating?

nenshali
nenshali Posts: 331 Member
edited November 19 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello dear mfp board,

I have a question, once again.
Currently, I have two different workouts I follow up every once in a while;
a) I go running (a 5km round and need 30 min)
b) I go inline skating (a 12km round and need 40-45min)

Now I notice that inline skating is much less exhausting for me, my muscles are less sore, I can go longer timewise (30 min vs. 40-45 min), am less exhausted the next day(s) AND my Polar FT4 watch says I'm burning more calories during.

The thing is; I'm a bit sceptical, how effective it actually is. When running is so much more exhausting, wouldn't that also mean it is more effective?
I'll probably mix it up anyway, because solely running would be too boring for me (I mostly go running when it rained beforehand and it's too difficult to ride).

So eventually, my question is; how can I determine whether my cardio exercise is effective?
Thanks a lot in advance!
xoxo,
Nen

Replies

  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    Over time set yourself some form of fitness test that's repeatable and gives you some form of objective measure:
    • Cooper test - 12 minute running as hard as you can and your distance should improve over time
    • Threshold test - If you have a heart rate monitor, again a 20 minute threshold run and monitor your average heart rate for the duration. You should see your threshold improve, although that's quite a slow changing measure.

    Something like that will tell you how fast you're improving, although it won't tell you which is more effective.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    If you can improve your speed for the same distance it's effective in performance terms.

    If you can increase your distance/duration it's effective in endurance terms.

    You may find your resting HR will reduce over time, you may find your HR at certain speed reduces - both signs your training is effective in improving your CV fitness.
  • nenshali
    nenshali Posts: 331 Member
    Thanks a lot, that's already quite helpful.

    What are the pro's and con's of training performance vs. endurance? Are there different muscles trained, like with long distance running vs. sprinting? If that's the case I can also search for information myself, I'm just not too familiar with the concept and therefore unsure if I that idea itself is correct?

    And well, I did notice that I did get faster over time again.. or rather said, I was quite slow when I started skating again and managed to get to better times again, even though I didn't manage to catch up my best times from 1 year ago, but working on that :) So currently, I'm rather working on performance, but might change that.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    It really needs to start with your goals. Do you want to run a fast 5k or do you have ambitions to increase the distance?

    Example: I'm doing the longest cycle ride of my life this weekend (205km) so endurance has to be paramount just to get the distance - most of my recent training has been long steady rides (working up to six hours).
    But I'm also relatively strong on fast, flat roads but poor on hill climbs and want to improve that aspect. So I'm also doing shorter but very intense hill climb interval training as well.

    As a generalisation training should be varied as there are different benefits from different kinds of training.
    Have a search for slow twitch & fast twitch muscle fibres (or "fiber" for American sourced info) if you are interested in that aspect.
  • nenshali
    nenshali Posts: 331 Member
    Okay, then I have another question!

    My plan is to just get more active in general during summer and after summer, when I earned some money, I want to join some pole dance classes. I know that pole dancing trains your muscles overall, but now I don't know:

    Google says now, that poledancing is for Type II muscle fibres (like for performance).
    Would I now "balance it out" with training for endurance or would I simply be ineffective if I focussed on endurance now?

    I generalle rather prefer to go for endurance, but if that contradicts with my other goals eventually, I'd focus on performance when I get to that.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    nenshali wrote: »
    Google says now, that poledancing is for Type II muscle fibres (like for performance).
    Would I now "balance it out" with training for endurance or would I simply be ineffective if I focussed on endurance now?

    Pole is broadly strength training, albeit using bodyweight rather than weights. I have a friend who instructs it.

    You're in the realms of your balance between resistance/ strength training and cardiovascular training. Your skating and running is predominantly CV training, albeit with some effect on your legs and glutes, adding some resistance/ strength will be complementary to that.

    Training your CV system balances endurance and performance. For me a long steady run is largely endurance related, whereas hill sprints or a shorter tempo run will improve performance. Again the two are complementary. In a race I prefer to be able to pick up the pace towards the end, so both endurance and performance play into that.
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