I have recently opted to cycle instead of run for a week or two due to pain in my calves.
I do tons of running and sprinting so my aerobic and anaerobic capacity is great.
Despite this, whenever I get on a bicycle (stationary or road) I have trouble keeping the same heart rate that I would be able to maintain effortlessly when running. For instance, a 30 min run at 170bpm would be 'fun and easy', but a 30 min cycle at 170bpm is very difficult for me, especially if you add in hills.
Can anyone suggest why this might be?
I can think of a few possibilities:
- Since cycling uses solely your lower body, while running uses your entire body, my difficulty with cycling emphasises my poor lower-body strength, which is compensated for with upper-body strength when running.
- My neuromuscular system has simply not had enough time to adapt to the new, 'fast' cycling action I wish to perform, even though I have used bicycles (although as inefficiently as I do now) for my entire life.
Could it just be that I need to spend more time and eventually cycling will become as easy as running?
Thanks!
I do tons of running and sprinting so my aerobic and anaerobic capacity is great.
Despite this, whenever I get on a bicycle (stationary or road) I have trouble keeping the same heart rate that I would be able to maintain effortlessly when running. For instance, a 30 min run at 170bpm would be 'fun and easy', but a 30 min cycle at 170bpm is very difficult for me, especially if you add in hills.
Can anyone suggest why this might be?
I can think of a few possibilities:
- Since cycling uses solely your lower body, while running uses your entire body, my difficulty with cycling emphasises my poor lower-body strength, which is compensated for with upper-body strength when running.
- My neuromuscular system has simply not had enough time to adapt to the new, 'fast' cycling action I wish to perform, even though I have used bicycles (although as inefficiently as I do now) for my entire life.
Could it just be that I need to spend more time and eventually cycling will become as easy as running?
Thanks!