Cardio is cardio, after all.

Do it but keep it all very easy. Like the cycling equivalent of little boys and girls blowing by you on their bikes.

Can cycling and swimming be used as a means of active recovery from running (relatively) high mileage?

more is more wrote:

Can cycling and swimming be used as a means of active recovery from running (relatively) high mileage?

No.

I absolutely believe so if you take it very easy. It's a great way to get the blood circulating without the weight bearing stress of running. Maybe add in some light stretching/mobility/activation exercises afterwards and that sounds like a great active recovery to me.

more is more wrote:

Is it alright to supplement 60-70mpw with swimming/ stationary bike multiple times a week? As long as you don't let the added stress impede on running, I don't see how this could hurt you. Are fast intervals by means of low impact cardio a good way to improve my VO2 max as well as vVO2 max without increasing the risk of injury? Is it ok to do some light cycling or swimming the same day but a few hours apart from my long run?

I can't fathom why it wouldn't help. I love the eliptical for zone 1/2 aerobic building. It's the perfect time of year to mix it up too. Throw in some strength work after some easy aerobic work, I feel amazing on those days.

Swimming and cycling on top of your 70 miles per week. Yes. Replace your some of your mileage with swimming and cycling. Perhaps. Just remember, nothing can replace running.

Ezekiel bread wrote:

Just remember, nothing can replace running.

This is a big one. I used to do everything right in terms of supplementary work when my running was not up to what it should have been. It is because of the winter that I am looking to mix up the aerobic stimuli a little more on days when I am stuck inside.

Don't be afraid of swimming.

Swimming is the best for recovery, you feel fantastic afterwards, and it makes your core strong as a mf'er. If you were to swim 2 miles a week, you could get away without doing any core/stability work at all. I exchanged 10 mpw of recovery runs for about 3-4 miles a week of swimming (not all easy either), and I definitely came out ahead. This is especially true if you are getting older or are injury prone. Someones going to claim specificity, and they will be right, but swimming will decrease the risk of many injuries, so its a worthwhile trade off, IMO.

Seriously, give it a try, its not going to turn you into a triathlete.

hank jr wrote:

Don't be afraid of swimming.

Swimming is the best for recovery, you feel fantastic afterwards, and it makes your core strong as a mf'er. If you were to swim 2 miles a week, you could get away without doing any core/stability work at all. I exchanged 10 mpw of recovery runs for about 3-4 miles a week of swimming (not all easy either), and I definitely came out ahead. This is especially true if you are getting older or are injury prone. Someones going to claim specificity, and they will be right, but swimming will decrease the risk of many injuries, so its a worthwhile trade off, IMO.

Seriously, give it a try, its not going to turn you into a triathlete.

I second this. Getting in the pool is a secret weapon. You can bury yourself with intervals in the pool with no impact on your legs. Go and google/youtube Jurgen Schmidt for some inspiration.

as a masters frequently injured mid 40s jogger, cycling seems to promote active recovery of my various running niggles

specifically it helps with my achilles tendonosis considerably. I limp way less the morning after a bike ride than not when I'm decreasing my run mileage to promote recovery

biking on top of that helps even more. It may only be for specific injuries of course. And I'm not sure its worth much [anything?] as far as becoming a faster runner [if at all]

agreed. I never feel as good as I do when I'm swimming well.

How much of a resistance should be used during stationary bike sessions?