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Running to swimming/biking equivalent
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 2009-07-13 11:15 AM |
Veteran  223  Arlington, VA |  Subject: Running to swimming/biking equivalentI'm a newbie coming to this from training for a 10K and now training for a Sprint Tri. I can comfortably go out and run for an hour and 6+ miles. Assuming I had reasonable form in the water (which I have discovered I absolutely do not) and was competent with a bike, how far should I expect to be able to swim or bike comfortably? Just curious what the more experienced folks on the site think. If you have built a running base, what is the reasonable equivalent for the swim or bike? E.g., should someone who can run 5 miles be able to swim 1000 yards or bike 20 miles? |
| 2009-07-13 11:22 AM in reply to: #2281099 |
Pro 5011 Twin Cities | Subject: RE: Running to swimming/biking equivalent Go get on a bike and ride until you drop. Go swim until you drop (er, well...maybe a wee bit before t hat). You'll have your answer as it pertains to you. Really, there isn't much of a correlation. I've seen 2:45 marathoners who can't swim 50 meters or ride 10 miles...and I've seen folks who run 15 m/mile 5ks swim like Flipper. |
| 2009-07-13 11:25 AM in reply to: #2281099 |
Elite 7783   PEI, Canada | Subject: RE: Running to swimming/biking equivalent I don't think there is any direct correlation at all. Last summer, I could swim for an hour or bike for an hour no problem - try to run more than 10 mins, forget it! |
| 2009-07-13 11:34 AM in reply to: #2281143 |
Master 2167 Livonia, MI | Subject: RE: Running to swimming/biking equivalent axteraa - 2009-07-13 11:25 AM I don't think there is any direct correlation at all. Last summer, I could swim for an hour or bike for an hour no problem - try to run more than 10 mins, forget it! x2. When I first started running, I couldn't run a mile at a 10 minute pace without having to stop and gasp for air and I had been a group fitness instructor for 5 years and a swimmer for 15+. It's very humbling being a good athlete in one arena and trying something new  |
| 2009-07-13 12:11 PM in reply to: #2281099 |
Champion 10742 Ames, IA | Subject: RE: Running to swimming/biking equivalent I don't think there is a real good correlation especially when it comes to swimming. When I started the sport I had a great run fitness base, but struggled to do 50 yds nonstop in the pool. It took several months of practice to be able to swim 1000 yds nonstop and comfortably |
| 2009-07-13 4:31 PM in reply to: #2281099 |
Expert 1053 Culpeper, VA | Subject: RE: Running to swimming/biking equivalent Jump in a pool and swim a lap, your question will be answered. I'm thinking you're going to find that swimming is something you're going to have to focus on all by itself. |
| 2009-07-13 5:26 PM in reply to: #2281099 |
Champion 5781 Northridge, California | Subject: RE: Running to swimming/biking equivalent Any carryover of aerobic conditioning from run to swim or bike translates so only so generally that there's really no way to make any meaningful prediction. (Esp. with the swim, as has been pointed out already.) I'd done a 5K in about 20:50 and was running 30-40 miles a week when I bought my first road bike--I thought I'd just jump on it and spin away for 10 miles or more. Wrong. I made it 10 miles, but it was anything but an easy spin. I wasn't BOP on the bike in my first tri...probably partly because of my general aerobic fitness...but wasn't much better than that...top 25% on the run, bottom 40% on the bike. |
| 2009-07-13 6:56 PM in reply to: #2281099 |
| 95 | Subject: RE: Running to swimming/biking equivalent Unfortunately for all of us who came from a single sport background, I think you'll find that there isn't a lot of physical carry over from one sport to the other. One thing you have going for you is the mental toughness you've developed from being a distance runner. I found that this carried over very well from one sport to the other (and for beginners, I think this is critical). Having that background helps you push through some of the mental barriers that might give some other people problems. You already know what it feels like to be tired and be able to continue to push. |
| 2009-07-13 7:50 PM in reply to: #2281099 |
| Master 2460 | Subject: RE: Running to swimming/biking equivalent Running translates over fairly well to cycling, especially at shorter (<25 miles) distances. If you're a powerful runner, you will likely be a good if not powerful cyclist with not too much training on the bike. I haven't seen anybody running a sub-20 5k who comes in lower than back of FOP as long as they're on a road bike. |
| 2009-07-13 8:43 PM in reply to: #2281099 |
Member 53 Nor Cal - Bay Area | Subject: RE: Running to swimming/biking equivalent I agree with most posters. Your running skills do not translate to either swimming or biking. Different muscles, different training, etc... However, there are two good "rules of thumb" for endurance training that I have found fairly accurate: 1. You should be able to do in one day what you normally do in one week of training. If you swim 500 yards three times/week you should be able to swim 1,500 yards in an event. 2. You should be able to do in one event day, twice what you do on any single training day. If you swim 250 yards, 400 yards, 750 yards in one week, you should be able to double the big day, or 1,500 yards for the event. As has been suggested, get in the pool and on the bike. Get in a few weeks practice, and apply these two rules of thumb, and you will have some idea as to what you might do the day of the event. Good luck, John |
| 2009-07-13 8:49 PM in reply to: #2281099 |
Veteran 223 Arlington, VA | Subject: RE: Running to swimming/biking equivalent I appreciate and have enjoyed the thoughtful responses. If I can divert this a little bit just because I like hearing what people who are good think ... my big challenge is definitely the swim. As I concentrate on pushing myself towards a half hour of swimming (I'm shooting for no more than sprints this year, he says confidently), I'm moving away from more time during a run or bike. Has anyone felt like their running or biking fitness has suffered while concentrating on the swim? |
| 2009-07-13 9:31 PM in reply to: #2281099 |
| Regular 56 | Subject: RE: Running to swimming/biking equivalent I agree, I am a distance runner and cover quite a bit of distance every week, my wife kept telling me to get on the bike.....get on the bike. My response to her was that I am going to be so far out there on distance that my fitness level will just carry over into the bike. Wrong! I finally got on the bike this morning and after 5.4 miles at 16mph my a$$ was dead and I had trouble walking. So, I have caved in and now I will add the biking to my training schedule along with my swimming and running. Totally different muscle groups, the bike for some reason burns up my quads, whereas the running doesn't effect them as much. I just hope that I haven't started the biking too late. The race is Aug 9th. I have a quick question regarding the seat. After that ride this morning I was sore, how long can I expect to go thru that? Hopefully, by the end of the week I will be beyond it. Jason |
| 2009-07-13 10:35 PM in reply to: #2282748 |
Champion 7595 Columbia, South Carolina | Subject: RE: Running to swimming/biking equivalent johnrsims - 2009-07-13 9:43 PM I agree with most posters. Your running skills do not translate to either swimming or biking. Different muscles, different training, etc... However, there are two good "rules of thumb" for endurance training that I have found fairly accurate: 1. You should be able to do in one day what you normally do in one week of training. If you swim 500 yards three times/week you should be able to swim 1,500 yards in an event. 2. You should be able to do in one event day, twice what you do on any single training day. If you swim 250 yards, 400 yards, 750 yards in one week, you should be able to double the big day, or 1,500 yards for the event. As has been suggested, get in the pool and on the bike. Get in a few weeks practice, and apply these two rules of thumb, and you will have some idea as to what you might do the day of the event. Good luck, John Hmm. Never heard these 'rules' before (and they don't appear to be totally consistent with each other, but maybe I'm misreading them). I'm not sure what you mean by 'applying' them, but if you are suggesting that OP should (or could reasonably) swim at most 750 yards in a session in preparation for a 1500yd swim, then I'll suggest, to the contrary, that this is a really bad idea. I would say the same for the bike and run. The only time I've heard of anybody going only half the distance is in the run portion of the ironman marathon, but even there, I believe that most people would do a longer run than 13 miles in training. For anything else, I think you are setting yourself up for a world of hurt. (For example, if your longest bike ride before a HIM is 28 miles, you are going to hate life during the race, I'll bet. Maybe you can finish, but you won't be racing, and you won't be liking it, I'll bet.) I don't have vast experience -- it's just my 2c. To OP: yes, 'stealing' time from one discipline to focus on another will probably result in some losses. I've dialed back my running a lot to gain fitness on the bike and swim. I've lost some running fitness, but the gains in bike and swim easily outweigh those losses. |
| 2009-07-14 10:44 AM in reply to: #2283071 |
Member 53 Nor Cal - Bay Area | Subject: RE: Running to swimming/biking equivalent Experior - 2009-07-13 10:35 PM johnrsims - 2009-07-13 9:43 PM I agree with most posters. Your running skills do not translate to either swimming or biking. Different muscles, different training, etc... However, there are two good "rules of thumb" for endurance training that I have found fairly accurate: 1. You should be able to do in one day what you normally do in one week of training. If you swim 500 yards three times/week you should be able to swim 1,500 yards in an event. 2. You should be able to do in one event day, twice what you do on any single training day. If you swim 250 yards, 400 yards, 750 yards in one week, you should be able to double the big day, or 1,500 yards for the event. As has been suggested, get in the pool and on the bike. Get in a few weeks practice, and apply these two rules of thumb, and you will have some idea as to what you might do the day of the event. Good luck, John Hmm. Never heard these 'rules' before (and they don't appear to be totally consistent with each other, but maybe I'm misreading them). I'm not sure what you mean by 'applying' them, but if you are suggesting that OP should (or could reasonably) swim at most 750 yards in a session in preparation for a 1500yd swim, then I'll suggest, to the contrary, that this is a really bad idea. I would say the same for the bike and run. The only time I've heard of anybody going only half the distance is in the run portion of the ironman marathon, but even there, I believe that most people would do a longer run than 13 miles in training. For anything else, I think you are setting yourself up for a world of hurt. (For example, if your longest bike ride before a HIM is 28 miles, you are going to hate life during the race, I'll bet. Maybe you can finish, but you won't be racing, and you won't be liking it, I'll bet.) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> John's reply I was only giving an example of "applying the rules", not making any suggestion as to how much to train. The "rules of thumb" are only that. "Guidelines", not absolute truths. Nor are they inconsistent. I agree they are not "exactly" the same, but very similar. I doubt you cover the same number of miles every day of the week for your training. Sum the total for the week, and the rule suggests you should be able to cover that amount of ground on an event day. Provided you train different distances during the week, double the big day, and that will typically be close to the weekly total. I am certainly not suggesting that these are ideal levels for training, but only provide some idea as to what you should be able to do. If you train more, you should be better prepared. Regards, John Edited by johnrsims 2009-07-14 10:49 AM |
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