Who is the better endurance athlete?

Its a tough subject to judge, Lance Armstrong is an amazing athlete, but there are so many "endurance sports" to consider. The guys who swim the greatlakes, ultra runners (my vote goes here 100mile RACE...insane!), nordic skiers, the idiots runing the 1000mile race...j/k they don't count.

Lance is dangerous he can bike, he can run and he can win at both. Somebody stop this man. Wait till he tries Vaam.

It's Lance, hands down. Day after day of several hours of redline riding. Like KK running a couple of 2:10 marathons every day for a couple of weeks, with a one day break.

Herblindsey, you're back. How'd the surgery go? Walking, PT, running or what?

But its not like that at all or he couldn't keep it up. Cycling is non impact, which makes it easier to keep activity up for longer periods of time.

I have a good friend who is a cylclist/runner who has won some decent money biking. He always tells me cycling makes him more tired, but running makes him hurt much worse.

My roomates at school are swimmers they relate the same thing, running hurts more swimming makes them sleepy.

I mean Lance can bike and he can run, i have no idea how fast though. Its not something thats really comparative.

This is a redundant thread, but I'll put in my thoughts again.

Running is probably the most competitive individual sport in the world, with perhaps only soccer with more participants overall.

In comparison, cycling is predominately a European sport with many fewer participants world-wide. Armstrong may be on the top of the heap but it is a smaller heap.

Using this logic one could conclude that the best runners have to be some of the best athletes around. They have to be. They have to compete against pretty much the whole world.

Don't forget that Lance can swim really well too. While he is no longer putting in the triathlon type swimming workouts he once did, he periodically will workout with and or train at the UT pool while in Austin. The man a phisiological freak of nature gifted at many endurance events. I'd love to see him retire from cycling and go kick everyone's arse in the Ironman. I have no doubt he has the ability to do it.

I agree with Lance as the best. Is this the Herb Lindsey who ruled the roads in the 80s?

In response to PIL, I don't think that cycling is as small of a sport as you make it out to be. It is the second largest sport in the world behind soccer, and has the most spectators day after day of any sport, (barring the olympics, which cycling is a part of anyway,)especially during the Tour de France.

ARMSTRONG-the amazing engine he has on the bike constantly befuddles me. The guy is not human. He is hands down the most mentally and physically tough person I have ever known. There is nothing that clouds his vision, as will be evident again in a few months when he kills the tour again despite alot of off the road attention swirling around him. The guy dies if he has to take a day off-constantly needs to be out on the bike so he gets to burn it every day to get the feeling. I hate bicycling, riding, etc., the only time I rid is to prepare for the Ironman, I live to run only-but this guy is simply beyond anyone I have ever met in this capacity.

Lance would get my vote. Is this the Herb Lindsey of road race fame from the 80s?

Might be the same but the MSU grad and '80 & '81 ROY spelled his last name LindsAy.

PELE- you are absolutly correct ... cycling is the 2nd largest sport in the world... second ONLY to soccer!! Over a BILLION people watch the Tour De France worldwide, it's the LARGEST sporting event in the world! end of story.

lookit me maw, I'm one in a billion!

Does this number include just CYCLISTS or the millions of kids riding their ten-speeds around popping wheelies?

Is this true? More people COMPETE in cycling races than in road/track/xc races? I find this hard to believe.

Perhaps you are thinking of that cycling is the 2nd-most popular spectator sport in the world behind soccer. This sounds more plausible.

anyone who wins the leadville 100. 100miles at 10,500ft or above, insane.

My vote is for Lance. Not only because of his longevity at this point, but because of the length of suffering he has to go through. How many hours do you runners do a week? You silly people:)

Just because cycling is 'a smaller heap' there is no way you can dismiss the athletic ability of professionals in the sport. It has be proven time and time again that the anaerobic power of cyclists is WAY beyond that of runners, and they are second only to cross-country skiers (an extremely small heap, but still the some of the greatest athletes in the world).

Lance was a pro triathlete prior to his cancer diagnosis so I have little doubt that he could cut it against some of the world's top runners and/or swimmers.