Ride Strong

by Jo McRae

  Without question our bodies are designed to run, but whether we are fit to run depends on what our current status is in relation to the success formula.

  In working through Chapters 2, 3 and 4 of this book, you will probably have some idea where you sit in terms of your overall condition off the bike. If you’re very stiff and have a weak core, you’re probably not in good enough shape to consider running as a cross-training option at this time. However, if you have been working on your essential conditioning for some time and have been including some of the functional strength exercises in Chapter 4, then some running may be a valuable and appropriate addition to your training plan. Even if this is the case, if you have not run or participated in any running games or athletic activities for some time, then I would approach running with caution.

  The impact forces of running mean that you need to have good alignment, a functioning core, and no significant muscle imbalance issues in order to start to run without experiencing injury or problems.

  Even if you know that your core works well, and your posture is good, take a measured and careful approach to introducing running so that you don’t strain or sprain muscles or joints, or suffer from excessive muscle soreness that puts you off running ever again.

  If you have a background in running or running sports, I would highly recommend you include a small amount of running as part of your off-season cross-training, as you will most likely be able to integrate some running relatively easily and without any problems. Bearing in mind the ‘if you don’t use it, you lose it’ concept, you will find it much easier to maintain your running than start again from scratch some time in the future.

  On a more positive note for beginners, if you are starting to run for the first time in a while, or for the first time ever, you have an ideal opportunity to establish good running form. Including short bouts of running or using running drills for technique can often be more effective than starting with slower, longer runs, which can lead to poor form, joint issues and injuries.

  Consciously thinking about how you run, and running at a good speed for a given distance, before walking to recover, can be much better training. A football pitch in your nearest public park can be as good a place as any to start. Focus on running with an upright body, with good knee lift and driving with your arms, for the length of the pitch, then walk across the width of it before repeating along the other side. Three to six laps of this nature will be excellent running training for any cyclist.

  Benefits of running

  •Significant stimulus for the core muscles in particular

  •The impact forces involved can improve bone density, strengthening bones, helping to prevent osteoporosis, and reducing the risk of fracture with falls from the bike

  •Improved balance and agility, particularly if you include off-road running

  •If you can run without issues, you can participate in many others sports, so that more cross-training options become open to you

  •Combining the musculoskeletal benefits with cardiovascular fitness, and restoring our most human method of locomotion, running can be a good big bang cross-training activity, giving you lots of benefits in one go if you are travelling or short on time.

  Risks of running

  •If you run with muscle imbalances and a weak core, you are likely at risk of muscle or joint injury that may affect your cycling for some time

  •Muscle soreness from running can be significant and long lasting if you do too much too soon, so a progressive introduction or reintroduction is prudent

  How much is enough?

  For most cyclists, introducing running as part of a cross-training session that includes other elements is a good way to begin to develop your running fitness without overdoing it. If you are doing some conditioning work at home, going outside to include some running at the start of your session can add interest and balance to a core- or strength-focused session. Always remember that the main benefits of running for you as a cyclist are those related to its impact nature, so just doing enough to stimulate some benefits without causing any problems will probably mean including at the most two bouts of perhaps 10–15 minutes per week as part of a core session, or for those with a background in running, one 20–30 minute run a week.

  If you are including some running as part of a conditioning programme that has some stretching elements to it, include the pre-stretches before you go out to run as part of the warm up, and go straight into the strength and core aspects when you get back in.

  Including short 10–15 minute runs as part of your essential plan can be a good way to experience the benefits of running. Perform any pre-stretches from your essential conditioning programme before you run and then any strength and core exercises after your run.

  Treadmill running

  For some cyclists who have access to a gym or sports centre, treadmill running may be an appealing option. However, treadmill running will not stimulate the natural biomechanical mechanisms of the body in the same way that running outside will. To point out the obvious, on a treadmill the ground is moving as you strike it, which makes the muscle recruitment and impact forces quite different to running on the ground. For these reasons, and in brief summary, I would not recommend treadmill running as an option for time-poor cyclists.

  Footwear factors for cross-training in general

  Minimalist footwear has become popularized in fitness and sports communities in recent years, and the ideology behind it dovetails well with the concepts I outline in this book.

  I would encourage you to use the most minimalist footwear that you can for all the essential exercises in this book through Chapters 2-4. By minimalist, I mean a shoe that is flat (rather than having a heel of any kind) and that has a relatively thin sole to allow you to feel the ground beneath you. In fact, if you are exercising at home, I would encourage you to work barefoot, since that is fundamentally how we are designed to function.

  For running, I recommend you start on grass, which should help you work with a more minimalist running trainer. I’m not a fan of trainers designed with a big cushion under the heel to support the ‘heel strike’, when there is growing evidence that optimal running involves a mid-foot landing to facilitate the natural biomechanics of the foot, leg and all the mechanisms up through the body via the fascia.

  A detailed discussion of footwear choice for running is outside the scope of this book, but I would encourage you to choose a more minimalist style trainer and start by running on grass, thus encouraging your body to develop a natural and efficient running style.

  Swimming

  STAR RATINGS:

  Flexibility: 2–3 Core stability: 1–2 Strength: 1 Cardiovascular fitness: 1–2

  For many cyclists, swimming is something that you either love or hate. For some, like myself, a general ability in endurance sports may mean that you swam to a good level when you were young, and have never really forgotten the skills and drills that you learned through length after length in the pool. Those cyclists who were first triathletes are also likely to be able to use swimming as an adjunct to their training with relative ease.

  The other group of cyclists are probably poor swimmers, and find that when they do get in the pool one or two lengths can leave them so out of breath that the idea of constructively swimming for cross-training seems an impossibility.

  In my view, both strong swimmers and weaker swimmers can use swimming as an effective cross-training option, provided you recognize what it can do for you, and use your time in the pool constructively and intelligently, rather than just thrashing out the lengths without much thought as to how you swim.

  The biggest benefits associated with swimming are in improving flexibility and mobility, promoting relaxation and offering an alternative mode of exercise for injured riders who are forced off the bike. If you know you are very stiff and pick up injuries easily, swimming may be an ideal activity to add some variety to your conditioning plan.

  If you have a fracture in your pel
vis, hips or legs, or a serious enough soft-tissue injury that means you cannot ride or even walk easily, being able to embrace swimming as an exercise option can be what keeps you sane while you heal enough to get back on the bike.

  There is both scientific and anecdotal evidence to suggest that exercising in the water does something special for your flexibility. The feel of the viscous fluid that surrounds you when you swim stimulates touch and pressure receptors around joints, which helps your body to loosen up and move more easily. Since water represents a very low-impact environment for movement, as well as supporting 90 per cent of your body’s weight with its buoyancy, water-based exercise has been embraced in rehab settings for some time, enabling a quicker return to exercise and movement from injury.

  The other unique thing about swimming, or any movement in water, is the resistance offered in all directions, which is of course a blessing and a curse when trying to move through it. The water surrounding you provides constant and immediate feedback. Learning to interpret the feel of the water and slip through it with the least effort is what makes the difference between a skilled and an unskilled swimmer.

  Using drills and skills for variety and interest

  Whether you are a good swimmer or not, since your main reason for being in the pool is to develop your flexibility, mobility and alignment, I would urge you to break down the time you have into distinct practices so that you are focused on efficient and effective movement that enhances these aspects from your time in the pool.

  The simplest way to break up your time is by using all of the different strokes that you can swim in order to work your muscles and joints through the widest range of movements possible. An even better way would be to use drills and skills that focus on different elements of each stroke to maintain your interest and improve your swimming style.

  The simple principle behind any drills and skills practice is to practise the whole stroke, then break it down into certain parts, before working on the whole once more. For the cyclist who is in the pool to improve their flexibility and mobility, this approach can not only make you a better swimmer but will also allow you to isolate certain joints and areas where you are looking for more mobility.

  A very simple example might be to swim two lengths of front crawl, then swim two lengths of leg kick and arms only respectively, before swimming two lengths of front crawl again. If you have some swimming experience you may well remember certain practices and drills that you have used in the past that you could incorporate into your cross-training in this way. If you don’t have much swimming experience, but plan to use swimming constructively in the off season, it might be worth paying for a swimming lesson with an instructor who can teach you some elements to work on to keep you motivated and engaged in what you are doing.

  ‘Drills’ as a term applied to exercise describes an element of the practice designed to focus on one aspect of a given movement or in a team sports context, the game. Swimming drills exaggerate or expose elements of the stroke so that you can work on them in a conscious way before incorporating them into your swimming style. Cycling drills can be used in the same way to improve your pedalling efficiency, for example by repeating a seated hill with an emphasis on using the up phase of the pedal stroke, in order to improve climbing style and efficiency while seated in the saddle.

  Choosing strokes to suit you

  Some swimming strokes are particularly beneficial for working on certain areas, while others can be problematic if you have specific postural issues that you need to work around. Contrary to what you might believe, the low-impact nature of swimming does not mean it’s completely without problems in certain circumstances. For example, if you have neck problems, the hyperextended position of swimming breaststroke with your head out of the water can cause pain and worsen your problems. Equally, if you have instability issues in your lower back, or knee problems, you might find the hyperextension of the lower back together with the breaststroke kick to be problematic. In the section below I have broken down the three main swimming strokes into their benefits and potential issues for cyclists, so that you can choose what to include to give you the biggest benefits.

  Front crawl

  Front crawl is often the most difficult stroke for the inexpert swimmer (aside from butterfly) because of the timing and position needed when breathing. Although learning to breathe correctly can take some time and effort, once mastered, front crawl is a great option for cyclists looking to improve the mobility in their lower and upper back in extension and rotation. The crawling action of the arms (and counterrotation of the legs and hips) is much needed by those with a stiff thoracic spine, and the sideways turn of the head means that even with limited neck mobility you will be able to breathe and move relatively easily.

  Even if you find the breathing part of front crawl difficult, I think it’s worthwhile from a flexibility/mobility standpoint to swim front crawl as far as you can with your face in the water, and then stop to stand up when you need a breath before setting off again.

  A simple push and glide off the wall, or off the floor of a shallow pool, represents a whole body stretch as you reach forwards with your arms and stretch your legs out behind you. This movement decompresses the spine and stretches all the muscles and tissues along the length of your body. The push and glide from the wall can be a drill in itself, which helps you develop this lengthened position, so don’t be deterred from doing what you can just because your swimming is not to Olympic standards.

  If you have a current shoulder impingement then swimming front crawl may not be recommended, as the extended arm position coupled with a stiff or rigid upper back can exaggerate the problem.

  Backstroke/back crawl

  If you are comfortable swimming on your back, it’s well worth including some backstroke as it offers many of the benefits of the rotational action that come with front crawl without the difficulties associated with breathing.

  In particular, backstroke will offer you the biggest benefits in terms of shoulder mobility, as the backwards rotation of the arms tends to stretch out the front of the shoulder, which can get stiff from hours spent on a bike.

  Breaststroke

  Although most people can swim breaststroke one way or another, swimming breaststroke with your head out of the water can lead to problems for the neck and lower back. The ‘frog kick’ leg action of breaststroke can also aggravate some knee problems, particularly if your leg kick is asymmetrical.

  When swum correctly, breaststroke is an undulating, propulsive stroke where the head comes out of the water briefly for the breath and then is submerged again at the same time as the main thrust of the legs that propels the swimmer forward. The head and neck are lifted out of the water together with the upper body, allowing for an easy breath without excessive hyperextension of the neck, and the spine (and lower back in particular) is in a relatively neutral as force is generated with the propulsive phase of the leg kick.

  In contrast, most casual breaststroke swimmers keep their head out of the water throughout all phases of the stroke, which leads to potential problems from hyperextension at the neck and lower back in particular, especially where the thoracic spine (or upper back) is relatively fixed in a hunched posture.

  For these reasons, if you have neck problems and you swim breaststroke with your head out of the water, I would be cautious about including breaststroke swimming as part of your cross-training. Since the hyperextended position of your neck in the pool is very similar to your head and neck position on the bike, you may find that you provoke issues that might actually get in the way of your riding. Swim backstroke or front crawl with your face in the water as safe alternatives.

  The breaststroke leg kick can be beneficial to cyclists because it strengthens the muscles of the hips and legs in the frontal plane, on the insides and outsides, as well as utilizing the glute muscles (where cyclists can often be weak) as prime movers in the action. The circular motion at the hip also can help maintain or improve hip mobility,
balancing for the limited one-dimensional motion of the hip when pedalling.

  Breaststroke leg kick practised on its own, with the arms outstretched in front and with your face in the water, is another drill that you can include for variety, and also to strengthen the glutes and leg muscles while at the same time mobilizing the hips.

  Pre-stretching before swimming for maximizing mobility benefits

  If the pool you are using is attached to a gym, you can maximize the flexibility benefits by including the essential pre-stretches that you have chosen from Chapter 2 of this book immediately before you swim. Mobilizing the spine in particular with the foam roller can prepare the spine for the movements in the water, and using pre-stretching and swimming together will give you a bigger benefit than using one or the other in isolation.

  Benefits of swimming

  •Improved flexibility and mobility in the spine, shoulders and hips in particular

  •Using swimming drills and skills and swimming more than one stroke can help you personalize your swimming to maximize the benefits where you need them the most

  •The low-impact nature of swimming makes it a relatively safe cross-training option if you have significant injury problems and issues that rule out some of the other alternatives

  •The relaxation some people enjoy in the water, together with the focus afforded by practising drills, can have a beneficial mental effect, reducing stress and enhancing recovery