Triathletes - Which part of training helps your running more? Cycling or Swimming? NO COUNTING injury time from running

If you want to go long just bike, if you need an interval type of work swim. Remember that the efforts are quite different from a muscular point of view so the suggestion is from a cardiorespiratory point of view.

For instance if you have a little injure you can try to skip the long run and substitute it with 3hrs -3h30 long ride (if the injury allows you to do it). If you want to do something like a tempo you can do 40’ on a flat or rolling hills .If you want to skip intervals, try something like 20x100 +100 easy + 20x50 with about 10” rest .

Of course the main difference between a triathlete and a runner is the fact that the triathlete can swim and bike @ an elite amateur level, while the runner will have a lot of problems in completing a 3h30 bike ride or a set in the swimming pool.To give you an idea, professional triathletes can swim sub 16:00 in a 1500m , ride competitively in amateur Gran Fondos or with Continental Professional Teams and run sub 30:00, sometimes sub 29’ for a 10k

I'm not a triathlete but even though I am biased (for cross-training purposes) more towards swimming than cycling, I can agree to agree with the ITU triathlete poster's views. Certainly, when a triathlete has got his or her sh-t together (like Luke Verzbicas or Gwen Jorgensen, etc.) the whole system seems to make them crazy strong and fast. I am of the rather stubborn opinion/theory that biking, in the whole system and when that whole system is working, can be good cross-training. But my personal and bitter life experience of having biomechanical injuries and trying to incorporate cycling as "cross-training" or recovery--and even using it as cross-training--is what makes me have a negative opinion of it. Sometimes, cycling can exacerbate the injuries/deficiencies in the first place. Of course, to some extent, swimming will be similarly problematic, especially if there is a hamstring issue.

When it comes to injuries, what should be a priority is seeing an extremely competent professional (physical therapist) and incorporating a life-long and continually tweaked biomechanical balance maintaining program--at all stages of health--accomplished through certain movements and strength training activities. If cycling and even swimming interfere with fidelity and priority to that, then that is a bad thing.

Swimming and cycling proper (not stationary) have technical and logistical demands, too, that might vary from person to person depending on their circumstances and preferences.

This is a very interesting question, OP and hope to hear from some triathletes of all variety, in this thread.

I am also of the opinion that it is easier for someone to overdo/do improperly cycling, whether its stationary or proper (outside, in various conditions) than it is for someone to go wrong with swimming.

If you have good strokes ability and a decent history of engaging in swimming training, then I think--short of drowning (heaven forbid), ear infections and pool chemical irritation--it's hard to go wrong.

There are probably many reasons why swimming, at least in my opinion, can be so beneficial to overall health, physical fitness and ability and distance running training, many reasons of which I can't list here, but one big theory I have is that at least moderately hard swimming training with high stroke competence "teaches" you to breathe.

There are running training theories/philosophies that advocate speed and muscle strength, not as opportunity costs/tradeoffs for endurance but as essential assets in the toolkit. I think this might be even more applicable for the contribution in regards to breathing that swimming entrains, i.e. having less diminishing returns, as the ITU triathlete suggests, moving up distance.

But then again, I am not a triathlete--certainly am nowhere in the league of being close to the realities of Iron man triathlons--and certainly have never combined swimming training with training for anything marathon distance and up.

I posted a similar thread to this yesterday, this is all good information and helps me so thank you!

Kyle's Killer Lemonade wrote:

I posted a similar thread to this yesterday, this is all good information and helps me so thank you!

Just a coincidence then on my part.

I have never cycled beyond the common "bike ride". But swimming really sharpens my cardio & breathing.

Swimming is better, hands down. Cycling just doesn't have anywhere near the cardio demands of running (unless you're spinning, which is another beast entirely).

Swimming isn't perfect either but will augment fitness, speed up recovery, develop muscles you don't often use and give a bit of a break to those that you do. Technique does matter. You won't get a good swim workout without a basic understanding of stroke technique and bilateral breathing.

Let me know if you want any good swim workouts.

I would go with cycling. Same muscles for the most part used in a similar movement.

Most of propulsion in swimming is from the upper body.

luv2run wrote:

Most of propulsion in swimming is from the upper body.

True, but just because the legs aren't directly responsible for moving you across the pool doesn't mean you aren't using them. Quite the opposite: it takes a good strong kick--one that will seriously challenge your lungs if you do it right--to maintain proper body position in the water.

The leg cycle, especially for triathletes is (and should be!) very light. Strong kick is mainly used by sprinters who have a 6kicks cycle. When you go longer you should use a 2 or 1 kick cycle. To give you an idea look at Laure Manaudou here

You seem to know very little about swimming. First, while every decent swimmer can breath bilaterally, the majority of them has a favorite side (in my case right) and, especially long distance swimmers (400-1500-open water) tend to support more on one side (in my case on the left). For instance Laure Manaudou in the previous video has a strange and asymmetric breathing pattern with a dominance on the left. If you want something clearer, check Michael Phelps here

he swims exactly like I do, i.e. breathing on the right and supporting on the left but with a 6kicks cycle, given he’s a 200m guy

I made this point to show luv2run that just because one's legs aren't the propulsive powerhouse of swimming doesn't mean they don't get a workout when swimming (and provide a good amount of aerobic benefit in the process). I used the word 'strong' not to invite comparison between different styles of swimming but to further contrast the legs' actual function with luv2run's incorrect presumption.

Not sure why you picked a fight with me here. Nothing you say contradicts my statement, especially if you take my statement in the correct (and obvious) context: that for a novice swimmer, which I presume the OP to be, acquiring the ability to comfortably breathe bilaterally is fundamental to developing a symmetrical stroke, promoting good body rotation and preventing shoulder injury. Furthermore, I completely agree that during competition a swimmer might use a preferred breathing side more comfortably than he would bilateral breathing; that doesn't mean that bilateral breathing no longer has a place in training.

Oaklandia wrote:

Not sure why you picked a fight with me here

[quote]Oaklandia wrote:

I read everything really fast, sorry. I didn’t want to be as aggressive as I resulted in my response, seriously