So I got a 11km run I want to do with a friend in about 5 months. I’m a 60kg rider with a 300w ftp, training 20h per week (up to 30h per week in the past), with a big aerobic engine and no sprint st all.
I told my friend I’d want to run under 50minutes. Is that realistic if I start incorporating 2 runs into my training (cycling in the morning, runnig in evening)? Could I aim for more? It’s been years since I have been running
It is pretty hard to convert FTP to running pace as there are so many variables in running…stride length, form, cadence, etc. I have seen great runners in tri that suck on the bike and great cyclists who are dog slow running.
That said, you clearly have a good aerobic engine and your goal time of 50’ seems realistic - that converts to a 7:18 / mile or 4:32 / km pace. You might be able to go faster depending on your history of running, form, etc.
ETA - START SLOW!! I have seen so many cyclists pick up running and they run WAY faster than they should because their cardio allows them to, but their body is not ready for the stress of running. net result is they get hurt. You have the engine to run relatively quickly right now, but your chassis can’t support it yet. Run slow so you can build up the ability to absorb the stress.
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What Power13 said. FTP doesn’t really convert, but at 5w/kg, you’re fitter than most by a pretty large margin. And lightweight too. So that bodes well. 7:18 should be doable. Possibly faster, depending on how your runs go over the next month or so.
Adding running to your weekly schedule - twice a week is probably a good place to start. Any more will start to cut into cycling performance. Just remember, your legs will be dead after a run, so schedule your critical bike workouts before your runs (and leave a full day or two after runs before the next).
And start with low miles and build slowly to avoid injury. 10% per week is the rule of thumb. I’d start with ~3 miles per workout, see how it goes, and work up from there. For your target pace, you might not need any real speedwork, just consistent miles at a solid tempo. Start your runs with hip openers/swings/etc and end with some strides (plenty of online resources for both). On race day, slow warmup run, openers/swings, strides, then crush it.
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It might be a good idea to do CP testing for your run to get a realistic estimate of your current running fitness. It’s likely you’ll need to slowly redevelop your run muscles to take advantage of your aerobic capacity.
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I have my high intensity bike sessions on Tuesday and Friday in the morning and plan to start with 30 minute runs in the evening.
I don’t think this is a good idea. A well conditioned cyclist could likely test a really fast pace and then cause them to run way faster than their muscles and joints can support.
I would just start out with a run/walk strategy and run at a pace that feels exceedingly slow. After a month or two you can start upping the pace. This is all for fun and it would not be fun if you really injured yourself trying to run more than your body can handle.
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My intention was to establish current fitness so they can run slowly enough. There’s nothing wrong with testing.
I did mention slowly redeveloping the running muscles. That implies taking care and caution while returning to the sport.
More than one way to skin a cat(fish), right?
I just don’t think a test will correlate at all with the slower pace that they can actually handle.
Someone with a current running history will be able to do much faster/longer training than a non-runner, even if they can both run the same 10, 20, or whatever duration test.
Cause they don’t need a threshold based on fitness but rather one based on their body’s resilience and durability.
I’m ~75kg, ~300W triathlete, and a 50min 10k is endurance pace for me. 11k would be ~tempo.
I get what you’re saying. I just approach this differently than you would. That’s all.
There is a part of this that is going to be age dependent… but based on your weight, current fitness and training it is definitely obtainable. What is your running history?
I found biking after being a runner my whole life. Even with all that running if I don’t do at least 1-2 runs a week it feels awkward running and take a few to get my stride back. If you aren’t doing any running you may want to work a few in… but like many said, ease into it. Your engine is more advanced than the muscles, tendons and bones when it comes to the impact.
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Yup, this can’t be restated enough, so I’ll say it again. Start easy and low mileage. No more than 3 miles at a time and endurance HR. Every time I get back into running (about every other year, I get the bug) it takes a few weeks to get consistent and comfortable again.
Doing some pace testing might be useful, but I wouldn’t bother until you’re a full month into running. Just use HR for now and keep it mellow. Gotta let your ankle bones, shins, and all those tendons get used to the jackhammering, even at your weight.
And buy new shoes. Nothing worse for those bones and tendons than old running shoes.
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I’m in barefoot shoes for everyday life (with a lot of walking every day, probably about 15km) and really don’t want to go back to regular shoes for running.
I had mixed luck with “barefoot” shoes (also worn frequently for walking). But, since you’re already wearing them for significant walking, you might be ok. But, that will make starting easy all the more important.
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If youre light at 60kg and have a 5w/kg ftp then 7:18 is a laughable pace. With 5 months to train, you could run low 6min pace off 3hours of running per week.
I was a pretty good runner before cycling, think long run at 6:30 pace, and I started cycling with a 4w/kg ftp almost right away. You should have no issues.
Your main concern, as others mentioned, is just not getting injured from overuse. I would run super slow at like 8-9min/mile pace for a month, then let your stride open up and you’ll go down to 7min endurance pace comfortably.
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Under 50 minutes seems fairly likely. n=1, awhile ago I did a 5k purely off of bike training at 78ish kg and (on a good day) a 300W ftp. Ran 19:29, the equivalent 11k time would be well under 50 and you’re in much better shape than I was in.
Disclaimer that while I hadn’t run at all recently I was a former triathlete. Coming from zero historical running may be a bit different. Also, the zero running prior to that race wasn’t a good idea as I hobbled around with DOMS for a couple days.
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I hung up the bike and rowed and ran for the last 8 months. It took a month just to get to a 2 mile easy continuous run and my legs would still feel like I had done a threshold workout for two days.
Having cycling fitness my cardio vascular system was never stressed on the runs.
I would even add that the risk of getting injured during an 11k run is low. If OP runs a few days a week leading into this event, it should be relatively easy to hit 50 min.
@pnzr try to go sub 40. Should be easily accomplishable for you in this time frame.
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If I went by my running ability, I never would have started racing bikes. Not a great gait for running at all. Also, I did the same off the couch fast 5k thing, and my legs were in agony for days.
n=2 for similar experiences. I’ve done 4x sub-3 marathons off increasingly less running and increasingly more bike-only fitness, most recently on about 4mi per week in the 4 months leading up to it. The DOMs for the week after is something indescribable. Similarly though, I have a reasonably strong history of running in my past and seem to be able to carry that along.
@pnzr 50min 11k will be a cake walk for you, assuming you don’t have something that would prevent you from safely running fast/far like wrecked knees/shin splints/PF/etc. Assuming healthy, definitely target sub-40min and even that should be very achievable
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