Scheduling long rides and long runs

I do my long rides Saturday and my long run Sunday.  I like it that way cause it gets my legs use to running tired.  After a while, as your conditioning builds up, you won't really even notice unless your doing a race simulation on your ride.  Then you might be a little more tired then usual

I do my long ride/run on the weekends. Mostly my ride is on Sat and run on Sun but that is just to fit my schedule. I prefer to ride the day before my long run because it is easier for me to recover from a long ride than a long run.

I've always done my long runs on Friday and long rides on Sunday.  I prefer the Sunday ride as there is less traffic and I use Saturday for an easy spin to the gym for an easy swim and an easy spin back home.

I've never agreed with the long ride/long run the next day to get you used to running on tired legs but it seems to be pretty common.   

Two main thoughts in longer distance tri training; one long bike Saturday and long run Sunday. Other thought is to get quality workouts in for both long run mid week and long ride weekend when time is more available.

I've done training both ways and currently spread them apart.

In agreement with everybody else, During my training leading up to IM CDA next weeks my long rides of 70-130 miles were on Saturday and Long runs up to 3 hrs were on Sundays.  Also would always run for 15-20 minutes straight off the bike to help with muscle memory and remind my legs they have to start running as soon as the bike is over. 

I guess I'll find out this time next week if this was the proper training philosophy... 

When I heard Paula Newby talk once on IM training, she outlined her Key Workout Training Program and recommended if possible doing your long run Sat and long ride on Sunday.  The reason being is that the chance of injury is lessened by running on fresh legs.  Then you can use the first 15-20 minutes of your long ride to spin out your legs.   Some people like to train on tired legs because it simulates what you would feel in a long race and get used to the feeling.  But to me the long run takes the most mental focus to hold form when you get tired and I'd rather do that when I'm physically fresh.

The absolute best is, if you can do your long run mid-week and long ride on the weekend.  When Ironman training I would do my long run on Wednesday morning.

I schedule mine back to back. Long ride Sat and long run Sun. Works for me.

Some will say to have a long ride one weekend and the long run the next. I don't do that... as I can't fit it in the miles I need on the bike/run if I switch weekend like that.

Lots of great advice here.  I might switch around my bike/run this coming weekend.  I can see both the point of running on fresh legs to avoid injury so doing my run Saturday and riding Sunday, but also running on tired legs as that is what I'll be doing in the actual triathlon.  Seems that argument has its supporters and non-supporters.  I'd love to hear more!

I recently started running long on Tuesday mornings and ride long on (mostly) Fridays so that I don't have to be away from my family on the weekends. I prefer having a long run on fresh legs b/c I feel that it's more beneficial. If I want to run on tired legs, I'll bike first.

Most ppl run and bike long on weekends b/c it's most convenient, IMO.

I come from a running background as well and I prefer to go long run on Saturday and long ride on Sunday. I find it easier to ride on running tired legs as opposed to run on cycling tired legs.

When you do your long rides, are you hitting it hard or just doing a Z1-Z2 ride?  You may be able to keep the intensity of your long bike down so it does not add too much fatigue to your legs.  Maybe use your shorter rides for some intensity?  I know it can be tough finding time.

This summer I am alternating weeks to do a long ride on Saturday, long run on Sunday with long ride on Saturday, long run on Tuesday, that way I can get the best of both worlds: Running on tired legs and running with more recovered legs.

I also like to take it easy and sleep in on Sundays once in awhile!

That's not a bad idea...I might do something like that.

A long run just doesn't take as much time, so I can fit that in on a weekday (up to 3 hours).

I used to do long ride Sat/long run Sun. I thought it made for good race simulation.

But this year I am moving up in distance, so the chance for injury is high. I noticed when I tried to do my normal routine of a long run the day after a long ride, sometimes I would have pain in my knees. Since my dh just went through months of physical therapy to get his knees back to normal, I don't want any sort of joint issues before my big race.

For me, preventing injury trumps all else this year. In other years where I didn't have one super important race, and my long rides were 2-4 hours and my long runs were 1-2 hours, the Sat/Sun thing worked fine.

How long, in time, is your long bike ride? For IM training the last couple of years I was sometimes getting 3 hour mid week rides in after work. That wasn't my long ride at the time, though it would be plenty for half IM or shorter racing. It pretty much kills a whole evening for anything else but that would let you keep the Sunday long run, and on fresh legs.

I aim for Thursday's as my long run. I never run longer than 2:30 though. For 1/2 IM trainings its perfect as I peak at 2hrs/16 miles. Saturday or Sunday is the longer ride, ride both days if I can fit it in. I have to drive 45 mins to ride my bike, so its a bit of a hassle to do both. I try and schedule 48hrs between key workouts.

Edited by running2far 2010-06-21 10:50 AM

I'm training for a sprint so my long rides will probably stay within the 1.5-2 hour range (unless those with more experience would suggest I go longer?)  Two weeks after my sprint on Aug. 21 I'm racing a half marathon (defending my 1st place women's finish 2009!) so my long runs are key workouts.  I think it might make more sense for me to space out my long ride/long runs so I am doing my long run on fresh legs.

Since I've added cycling into my routine I have noticed a few knee twinges when I run where I have never had pain before.  I wouldn't classify the twinges as pain necessarily, but more like "hello, knees saying hey!"  Injury prevention is on my priority list as well--now that I've hit 40 I know I won't bounce through injuries quite as easily as I used to!

When I am doing longer rides, (25-40 miles on the MTB, 50-60 on the road bike), I try and do them on Monday or Tuesdays. My long run is always Friday.

Ideally you would separate them by a few days.

Obviously due to time constraints that is not always possible.  But if it is even remotely feasible, move the long run to a weekday (as someone else mentioned, running takes less time physically that riding).

If you are longer race distance training and just looking to finish with a decent time, then some would argue that there is not even a reason to run longer than 90 minutes in your "long run" training.  If you are looking to be uber-competitive, then longer runs might be in order.

Remember:

Training load (volume) = frequency (how often) + duration (how long) + intensity (how hard).

I would rather have athletes I work with do more workouts of shorter duration than shell themselves on the weekend with two long low quality workouts and be spent for the rest of the week.

X2

As long as you take the fins off I think you will be fine either way.