18 Nov Run v Bike – The morning after the day before!
Just a quick word for all you “reticent” runners out there. At Openhealth Clinic we have been doing more bike and less running over these last six months. Don’t get me wrong, I love my running. I only do between 3 to 4 miles, once occasionally twice a week.
When I say “love”, I mean once I’m a mile in to it and for the rest of that day. The following morning is a completely different story. My first few steps out of bed are not without pain. Pain in my lower back, slightly inflamed left achilles tendon, aching right knee, and of course tight quads, no matter how much stretching I’ve done. All this minor discomfort passes eventually, but my first thought is generally thank god I don’t have to do that again for a few days.
Contrast that with my post bike experiences. I ride for between 15 to 40 miles at least once, sometimes two or even three times a week. I have a mountain bike with semi slicks and I’m on a combination of roads and trails. I would say I test myself, possibly even more so that when I run. The following morning is an absolute delight! I have no, and I mean NO, pain. Not even aches. Honestly, my first thought is “when can I get out again on my bike!”.
Fitness is quite simply about routine. Your body both performs at its’ best and recovers from exercise as part of a regular training programme. The more you enjoy an activity, the more likely you are to do it. The more injury niggles you have, the more likely you will find an excuse not to train. So for all you Reticent Runners out there, try biking. It is a lot less taxing on the body. You might even be a convert!
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