WHY DO CYCLISTS DOPE? or "why do some cyclists dope" or "why did cyclists used to dope" or whatever!

There are only two occasions you ever hear of a professional cyclist being mentioned on the news: if he wins the Tour de France or if he was caught doping. Unfortunately, it seems that since the TdF only has one winner each year, most of the publicity around cycling revolves around EPO, Clenbuterol or some other weird-sounding banned substances. Worse yet, when a cycling star finally landed a one-hour special on Oprah, it was to confess that he doped throughout most of his career! It seems that there is no escape, and since this blog is about cycling, we have to shine the spotlight into this darkest corner of our sport!
Before I go on, please be advised that I am not making any excuses or condoning the use of any banned substance by cyclists - explaining is not approving it!

Riding 4000kms in 3 weeks - not for the average human being!
(image by Andrei I. Loas / Wikimedia)

CYCLING IS HARD! Professional cycling is really hard! As in "not-human" hard! Professional cyclists are expected to race their bicycles throughout entire countries - 200kms (120miles) everyday for three weeks straight! This weekend, there is a one-day race from Milan to San Remo which is 290km (180miles) long and since it doesn't go through any high mountains, it's considered a relatively easy race within the pro-cycling circles (so much so, that the organizers add in detours through mountains some years to make things more interesting). Last month, some professional cyclists were racing in 48C (118F) heat in the desert and this week, those same cyclists were racing on a snow blizzard in the high mountains of Italy. People go crazy when a tennis match goes on for over 4 hours, but in cycling, racing for 5 or 6 hours is just a normal day in the office! The demands on cyclists' bodies is such that Jacques Anquetil, one of the sports' last century greats, was once quoted as saying "You'd have to be an imbecile or hypocrite to imagine that a professional cyclist who rides 235 days a year can hold himself together without stimulants." Again, I am not trying to make excuses, but when you see the super human efforts that are expected by cyclists, one can see why some of them try to find a way to "recuperate faster" by cheating.

A bike race can be very competitive - check out this

video for a new perspective on the sport!

SMALL MARGINS - Did you know that you can buy a faster set of bicycle wheels for $3000 dollars? That's just for the wheels, no bike attached! And the return on investment will probably be somewhere around 3% on speed performance! But in cycling, 3% is huge, and those fancy wheels actually sell! Professional cyclists are on the limit of their natural ability and any measurable improvement will pay back dramatically on a race. A 10% increase in cycling performance would be unimaginable, yet a jump from a .240 to .264 batting average (baseball) or a jump from 20 to 22 goals in a season (soccer) would really not be that significant.

CYCLISTS ARE COMPETITIVE - Click on that video above and take a look at how competitive cyclists can be. That competitive nature and willingness to do anything to get ahead carries on outside the race as well. Cyclists lose all possible weight in order to be as lean as possible (all the way down to the 5% essential body fat). They will train in high altitude camps in order to increase their red blood cell volumes. They will even try sleeping in homemade hyperbaric chambers to get an edge! As professionals, they will spend months away from home and in most cases, not have any real money to show for all that work. And hundreds of the fastest amateurs would do everything they can just for the opportunity to join the pro-ranks. The key is that they must be willing to do anything to get ahead.

He might've had the biggest fall, but Lance was not alone!
(image by Paul Coster / Wikimedia)

IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT LANCE - That interview on Oprah was not only about Lance Armstrong admitting he was a cheater. The report and accusations that brought him disgrace also included admissions from many of his former teammates. Basically, almost every American professional cyclist racing in Europe during the Armstrong era has now admitted to doping. But it goes further than that. Lance's main rival during his Tour de France victories was the German Jan Ullrich, who has also confessed to doping. It is the general consensus that many, if not most, cyclists during the  time which became known as the EPO era, were on the juice. But it goes further than that. From time to time, you hear within cycling publications, that even amateur cycling racers get caught doping in local races. But it goes even further than that. When you look back at the history of the sport, many legends and heroes of the sport, Coppi, Anquetil, even Merckx have had their names tarnished by doping cases. The sad reality of it is that until recently, a culture of doping has had its way within the sport of cycling. And only within the last decade or so, cycling has really gotten serious about changing itself.

IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT CYCLING - Cycling seems to be the black-sheep of sports when it comes to doping, but this is not well-deserved. Baseball has had many of its modern day legends implicated in doping scandals. And a Pro-Bowl All Star football player (that's American Football) was caught doping a few months ago and received a 4-game suspension! Cycling, on the other hand, enforces a 2-year ban for any doping case. Cycling has cracked down very hard on doping and has become really efficient at catching dopers. All professional cyclists must provide their whereabouts at all times and be willing to be subject to drug testing any day of the year (whether or not they are racing that day). The only exception is from 11pm to 6am, but even that is now subject to change. With the introduction of a "Biological Passport" for each athlete, a cyclist does not even need to be caught with a banned substance in his system, but any abnormal variation in their blood values will result on an investigation, even if their drug tests were clean. In other words, they are trying! The sport itself recently released the "Cycling Independent Reform Commission" Report (you can download this interesting read in its entirety here) detailing how bad things were in the past, how they are today and suggestions to eliminate any remnants of the doping culture from the sport.

My daily cycling supplement: 2 gummy bears!

I am convinced that professional cycling today is as clean as it has ever been, and that it is no worse than most professional sports. But the cynic in me does not believe that it is an absolutely clean sport. Any abnormally great performance is unfortunately greeted with my skepticism, but I think that's the price the sport must pay for years of cheating. I am also hopeful that the continuing efforts the sport itself is making will result in fewer and fewer bad apples.

For me, the essence of cycling is honesty. You and your bike against any limits, any elements, any mountains. Getting the best out of yourself is what it's all about, and cheating defeats the purpose of cycling at all! I do however admit that I do take my 2 gummy bears every day!

WINTER CYCLING GUIDE Part 2 - What you need to know to ride through winter!

As I wrote last week here on VeloDiet, you can keep riding your bike through winter if you are dressed correctly. But after a few seasons of cycling through snow and cold temperatures, I've learned a few additional lessons that can help you enjoy being out pedaling through the frostiest of seasons!

Let's start with the bike! Winter is tough on the equipment, specifically the salt and/or sand being used to treat snowy roads can do a lot of harm to your bike parts. I currently own two bikes, my race-oriented road bike and a budget oriented mountain bike. During winter, I find myself riding the mountain bike much more often, as it is capable of riding through snow and it is built to take much more abuse.

Keep the "beauty" at home and take out the "beast" to handle ol' man Winter!

 Route selection is also more important when the weather is less than ideal. First, I stay much closer to home and ride a few loops or route variations close to populated areas. You don't want to be stranded in the middle of nowhere at -10C. Second, I try even harder to stay on quiet roads with less vehicle traffic. Motorists get nervous around bikes and snow - actually, motorists get nervous around any snow, period! As a matter of fact, I don't go out riding when it is actively snowing - it's just not worth the risk. As I am lucky enough to have access to the mountain bike, I can instead explore some quieter trails and stay off the roads more often as well.

Road condition is also something that takes some getting used to. Again, having a mountain bike will allow you to ride much more often when roads happen to be covered with snow. Riding through snow is not as hard as you might think. The key is to be smooth. Smooth steering and smooth pedaling are essential, as it is keeping your weight balanced on the bike. You want to avoid abrupt changes in speed, cadence or position. Stay seated and keep a nice smooth pedaling motion, steering through the handlebar (not by leaning). These techniques might also come in handy if you were to encounter some ice that you could not avoid - just relax and try to ride through it. It's best to avoid any icy roads altogether, but if you find yourself heading towards an inevitable icy patch, don't try to brake or steer while on the ice.

Be prepared. It might be pretty, but you don't want to be stuck outside
 in the middle of nowhere.

Be prepared. A cyclist should be self sufficient when out on long rides, carrying basic tools, tubes, etc. This is even more important when the weather is dangerously cold, specially if you are standing around waiting for your ride to come pick you up. Take extra food and drinks as well. You will burn a lot more energy keeping yourself warm during cold rides, so you might need to eat more often than during your usual rides. For drinks, I have insulated bottles and start each ride with a mix of energy drinks and very hot water. Although it may taste like you are drinking tea during the first few miles, the mix takes enough time to freeze so that you can still stay hydrated on longer rides.

Another lesson I learned the hard way is temperature control. When riding through colder temperatures, you will eventually start to warm up with the exercise. I like to feel a little cold when I first head outside for the first few miles, knowing that I will warm up quickly enough. You also want to avoid sweating during cold weather rides, especially if you are not wearing a good moisture wicking base layer. The moment I feel it's getting too warm, it's time to either remove a layer or lower the zipper of your jacket for some ventilation. I personally found that exposing my wrists a bit is a great way to control my body temperature - it's my thermostat!

After a few miles, this may few warm. Maybe even too warm!

There are two schools of thought when it comes to stopping for a coffee break during winter rides. Many cyclists don't stop for any breaks when it's cold outside. Once their bodies have warmed up, they will keep going until they return home for their warm shower! The other school of thought actually looks forward to getting off the cold roads and warming up next to a nice cup of coffee and a treat at the local shop. As you might guess, that's the school I belong to! If you do want to enjoy what will feel like the best cup of coffee you will ever taste and let your feet thaw back into the world of the living, there are a couple of things to remember. When entering the coffee shop, remove your winter jacket or jersey and roll up the sleeves on your next layer. You don't want to overheat, and you will need the extra layers to help you warm up again once you leave the coffeeshop. Bring the bottles and helmet with you - they could probably use the warmer temperatures as well! And lastly, prepare yourself mentally for the departure. The coldest part of the winter bike ride are the first few miles after the coffee break.

Winter Riding - it's good for the body, it's good for the soul!

Winter is the season to ride slowly. I don't even have a cycling computer or any speedometer mounted to my winter bike. This is the season I ride just for fun, at any speed my body feels like riding. I always say that riding in cold weather makes for very contemplative rides. You are more aware of your breathing and more aware of your body as it cuts through the wind. The environment  feels more peaceful and quiet, but any sound feels much crisper to your ears. Coming around a bend on the road, coasting for a moment while you face a frozen lake and the world feels like a sublime black and while abstract painting. The sound of the bike chain moving through your derailleur as you shift into another gear and your breathing again falls into rhythm with the pedal strokes. You are one with the machine as you pedal up the snow covered hill, against the wind, against the elements, against Winter. It is an amazingly therapeutic experience. The reward comes from being outside and feeling alive when most people are struggling through cabin fever.

Still...I can't wait for spring to arrive!

WINTER CYCLING CLOTHING GUIDE - What you need to ride year-round!

Most people think of cycling as a warm weather activity. In fact, if you live in a cold climate country, you might've even heard that cycling season runs from April to October (northern hemisphere, of course!) Many cyclists put their bikes away just as the autumn leaves begin to drop and only venture out for a ride again as the flowers begin to bloom. But it doesn't have to be that way! I am a year-round cyclist and have gone out for bike rides even when the temperature has dropped well below freezing.
All it takes is the right clothing and the willingness to enjoy riding in cold weather.

Cycling can be a year-round activity
with the right mentality and the right clothing! 

There are three basic guidelines to follow when dressing for a cold weather bike ride. First, you should dress in layers. Each layer serves a different function and the air in between each layer will also have an insulating factor. Dressing in layers also gives you the opportunity to adjust on the run, by removing a layer in case the temperature rises more than expected. Second, wind and moisture are your enemy. Your outer layer should be able to block wind/rain/snow. Your base layer should also protect you from moisture, in this case, by wicking away any perspiration from your skin. And the third guideline is to avoid wearing any tight clothing. As the temperature drops, it is important to make sure your clothing is loose enough not to prevent any circulation. And as mentioned earlier, any air in between your layers of clothing will make you feel a lot warmer!
Now, if you commute by bike, or just ride your bike around town as a means of transportation, those principles also apply to you. But for shorter distances (say, less than 10kms ride to work) you probably won't need to go out and buy winter cycling specific gear. Just make sure to wear gloves, some sort of facial protection, and you will be surprised how you can still make it to work throughout most of the year with the winter clothing you would wear anyways. However, if you want to ride longer distances, enjoy cycling trips, or keep in form for the next race season without being a slave to the trainer, here is my guideline for appropriate winter cycling attire:

25ºC/77ºF - Standard cycling kit! Smiles all around!

Sunny and Beautiful! 25ºC/77ºF - Let's start with the most typical cycling attire and build from there. Designed for comfort, aerodynamics and to keep moisture from your body, your standard cycling kit will not work too well to keep you warm as the temperatures start to drop...

10ºC/50ºF - A little chilly. Cover things up! Still smiling a bit!

Cold! 10ºC/50ºF - Summer is winding down and temperatures are dropping faster than your willingness to put the bike away. Most cyclists will still find themselves riding around this temperature, even if not intended! At this temperature, you should already have all your body covered, so arm warmers and leg warmers are added. The light cycling socks and fingerless gloves are now replaced by light merino wool socks and full fingered gloves. As I am budget minded, I already use my cold weather long sleeve base layer and cold weather tights under my standard kit. That's my basic foundation to build on as the temperature drops further.

0ºC/32ºF - Things get serious! But winter will not keep me down!

Really Cold! 0ºC/32ºF - Now it's literally freezing and most cyclists are staying away from the roads! This is when you really start to tap into the quiet peaceful winter rides. At this point, you should add some protection around your face. A balaclava does a great job at keeping the cold air away from your ears and neck. Eye protection is also necessary, even if you have perfect vision, as the dry cold air and wind will start to bother your eyes if you stay out for longer periods of time. I also start wearing my winter long-sleeve jersey on top of my standard kit. Not pictured above, is a neoprene shoe cover that slips over your cycling shoe. This is also the temperature, late in deep winter, that you can head out for a ride and start to feel relatively warm. I still remember some of my best soul-cleansing rides having taken place in sunny days with the temperature just above freezing.

-12ºC/10ºF - It's war! But that's as cold as I can handle!

Really Really Cold! -12ºC/10ºF - Now things are really serious, and even hardened cyclists are staying off the road. That's the coldest temperature I still typically go out for longer rides. At those temperatures, you must be serious about preparation. A cycling winter jacket, and heavy winter tights are now a requirement for me. I will even double up on wool socks at this point, but it is crucial that you don't make your feel too tight (circulation is a huge issue at extremities). I purchased the warmest cycling gloves I could find at this point, while other cyclists even start looking a skiing gear! A heavy balaclava is used to protect my face, and I also apply vaseline at any exposed skin around my glasses.

Winter Cycling - less about the body, more about the soul!

As with anything in cycling, there is a certain level of experimentation that needs to take place before you find what works best for you. I found that my legs don't suffer too much with cold weather, but my hands and feet are definitely my weakest point, so I invested on very good gloves and shoe covers. And yes, there is a cost associated with all this gear, but if you search your local bike stores or online stores for bargain prices, you can purchase a pair of merino wool socks, winter tights, winter jersey, shoe-covers, gloves and balaclava for less than you would spend on a suit. In regards to brands, when looking at a purchase, I concentrate more on what is available, what is on sale and then research any on-line feedback for each model. I stay away from the cheapest products - as with most every in life, you do get what you pay for! For me, Castelli and Pearl-Izumi have proven to be the best value for winter gear thus far (my opinion might change once Rapha starts to sponsor me and starts sending me free stuff!!!!)

Now that you know what to wear for your next sub-freezing 100km bike ride, there are a few more things you should know...and we'll cover those next week!!!!

MILESTONES, NEW TOYS AND BIG PLANS - A mixed bag of goods!

MILESTONES - VeloDiet is quickly approaching 2500 pageviews! Starting this blog has been an interesting process so far, which included learning how to write creatively again - something I would recommend to anyone! I do feel like my story is worthy sharing and hope it can help someone out there, but it is nice to see, in hard data, that quite a few people have read (or at least looked at) my articles so far.

Warka, Poland - VeloDiet might not have taken off as a jet plane,
but I am happy it has gained traction!

As I am still trying to figure out how to best tell my story and keep readers interested, I've been using many tools that Blogger (that's the "blogspot" from "velodiet.blogspot.com") offers to gain some insight on the site visits. As I type this, there have been 2460 page views in the history of Velodiet, 504 pageviews this last month alone. Most viewers have been from Poland (1321) with the USA following close behind (929), and the page has also been accessed from many places around the world including Japan, Russia, Bangladesh and Kuwait. The most popular posts so far have been WANT TO RIDE BIKES? JOIN THE CLUB! and "DIETING AND EXERCISING" MADE ME FAT!  , while the least accessed post has been THE CYCLIST GOES FOR A RUN! So, apart from readers not being interested in me complaining about joint pain from running, there has been equal interested in both the "Velo" aspect of the site as the "Diet" aspect so far. I've also have heard from readers who are very experienced cyclists and from readers who rarely go out for a ride but enjoy peaking into the cyclist's mind.

Someone from Bangladesh checked out VeloDiet!

Although I am really happy that VeloDiet has had a balanced reception, it leaves me with very little insight of which direction the blog should head. What I would really like is to establish a dialogue with the readers. The comment section below each article has been open to anyone to share anything they want (you don't need to register or log-in and you can even leave a comment as anonymous!) If you have any suggestions, thoughts on any articles, any subjects you want to revisit, or even a funny joke, please feel free to share!


NEW TOY - Last year, during a beautiful Autumn day in Poland, I went for a ride and wanted to capture some of the gorgeous scenery I was cycling through. If you click on the video below, you will get to see my attempt of riding up Lipkowska Hill while filming with my I-phone on one hand and trying not to breathe too hard (it is a lot steeper than it looks). As you can see, the footage will not be nominated for any Oscars and I wasn't really able to enjoy the climb - you just gotta get off the saddle for that steep section! There have also been many times when I see a beautiful moment while riding, which are long gone before I manage to grab my I-phone "camera" from the back pocket.

Enter the Polaroid Cube, a low-cost entry action camera which I have just ordered. I had been planning on saving up for a much more expensive GoPro Hero camera, but this new toy not only fits my budget better, it also will do everything I need it to do (share interesting footage/scenery from the rides). So, I hope that in the next few weeks, I will get to show you how I was overtaken by a brand new Ferrari in a small rural road and then had to pass a tractor a few seconds later - instead of just writing about it! Feel free to leave a comment if you have any personal reviews of the Polaroid Cube, or if you'd like me to give it a try at doing some tech reviews!

Hoping to bring more than just still shots of cafe's
and improvised ramps to VeloDiet!

BIG PLANS - Remember the time I decided to run a 1/2 marathon just to see if it would be as fun as riding a bike (well, according to my data, not too many of you will actually remember it!) Well, I've been trying recently to find new ways to challenge myself and find new enriching life experiences, which may just be interesting enough to share. And as the weather begins to warm up and the bike rides get to be longer, I am seriously thinking that some long European bike trips might be in order! This is very early in the planning stages, but I've already starting doing some "test rides" to study different factors of what a long bike trip might require. Very quickly, I realized that I need to learn a new way to ride a bike, starting to focus on distance and endurance instead of speed. But it seems that every time I get on the road bike, I fail miserably at riding at an easy comfortable pace, which I manage to do that much better while riding on the mountain bike. Yet, the thought of riding for 600kms on a heavy mountain bike is not very appealing!

Some possible destinations include Berlin and Prague.

Other factors which I am looking into are route planning and being comfortable in different types of roads. Distance is also a key factor but I am thinking that breaking each day into 150kms or so seems to be doable. Berlin or Prague sound like good destinations at about 600kms away and some interesting places along the way. I have a few experiments in mind to make sure I am up for the challenge, after all, I am not a 37 year-old kid anymore, and have learned to respect my body much more than I used to. Keep an eye-out for further updates on this possible adventure. I am pretty confident that I will do a test-run to Kielce and the Świętokrzyskie mountains and re-evaluate my plans then! Again, if you have any experiences, insights, or would like to volunteer to come along, please feel free to leave a comment below!

DEAR BODY, WE NEED TO TALK! Learning how to talk and listen to your body!

One of the biggest lessons I've learned through my weight loss, is that the human body is self adjusting and it constantly looks for our input in order to regulate itself. Providing this input and being able to understand how your body reacts to it, is much like having a conversation. Actually, the three rules that I keep mentioning often in the blog - "being active on a daily basis", "never be full, never be hungry" and "eat more of the good, less of the bad" - are just ways that I communicate with my body.

As always, everybody is different and everyone will communicate with their body differently. As with learning a language, you need to learn what is the best way to talk to your body and learn how your body sends you messages. It's a very personal language! Having said that, here are some basic ways that I've learned to communicate with my body through my journey.

It may be hard, but sometimes it is best to stay off the bike and rest!

TALK! Food - One of the biggest ways you communicate with your body is through eating. And it might be surprising that one of the most important things to do is not be hungry. You want the body to know that you will take care of it and provide it with the nutrients it needs. If you are hungry, or starve yourself, your body will slow down its metabolism to make the little food it gets "last longer". You also don't want to eat too much and have your body store the extra food it gets. So finding that balance is essential for your body to run as efficiently as it can.
Exercise - Being active daily is also an important part of the conversation you need to have with your body. Especially as you just begin to adopt a healthier lifestyle, exercising or being active every day is important to send your body the message that it can prepare the "fuel" it receives to be spent, and not stocked. As you grow fitter and your activities become more intense, then resting becomes important so you can provide your body a chance to re-charge and heal itself. And of course, being active is important to make sure that you burn all that fuel to begin with!
The message you want to send to your body is that it can burn calories freely as it becomes more and more active, and as you take care of it with the nutrients and the rest it asks for.

LISTEN! Food - Your body will tell you when to eat more or when to eat less. The amount of food that it needs will vary greatly from day to day based on what activities you've been up to. As you learn to listen to your body, it will also ask you for specific foods. As I became fitter, I found myself craving salads, which was unthinkable to me at the time. And although I do find myself craving for protein, I can tell you that I have not had a craving for a "double-whopper with cheese" burger in years! (confession: I still enjoy a good burger, but not of the fast food variety - I found out that my body can tell the difference in quality and it DOES complain!)
Exercise - Being active and burning off calories is crucial to losing weight and being fit, but there are times you need to stay off the bike. Not only will your body need to rest after an intensive hard long ride, but some times, it might be warning you that it needs a day off. In the early stages of an illness, it will give you hints before the typical symptoms appear. You might still feel well enough to go along your daily business, but you will know that a 100km ride is just not the wisest activity to push through. And if you do get sick, it is just as important to wait for your body to give you the green light to hop back on the bike. A good rule of thumb is to play it safe and wait one extra day after you start to feel better, before going on any longer rides. On the flip-side, however, your body will start to ask you to go out for a ride or a work-out if you start settling down for too long. Some days I will have problems sleeping as I feel my body has energy to burn-off and I end up on a late night run or session on the trainer.

Stop eating!? Finish it off!? Ask for more!? Your body knows the answer!

There are dangers to this strategy, especially when you are starting to learn this new language. First, you can easily confuse hunger with gluttony. In other words, your body doesn't need any more food, but you just want to eat more cake! I still get those signals crossed; that's when I reach for a banana! Going back to my healthy snack of choice quickly tells me if I really needed more nutrition, or if it was just the good ol' fat guy struggling to put his fork down! And when it comes to being active, you can just as easily confuse being tired with being lazy. Here, what we have is the comfortable couch keeping you away from the bike on a cold day. When that's the case, I will still go for a brisk walk outside or take my daughters to the playground. It's amazing how just a small amount of activity will make you forget about the couch and get you on the bike for a nice ride. And if you still feel like you need to give your body a break, at least you were out being active for a bit. Again, as with learning a language, the messages your body sends you become clearer with time!

As I mentioned in a previous article, my daily calorie intake these days is pretty similar to when I used to weight 310lbs (140kgs). In a way, all I had to do was learn how to ask my body to stop being "the fat guy who couldn't lose weight" and become "the skinny guy who can eat anything he wants!" Once you and your body are speaking the same language, your body will start working with you. That's when things start getting really easy!

THE CYCLIST GOES FOR A RUN - Impressions from a beginner runner.

As I hope you have noticed by now, this blog is a bit more than just random thoughts or reflections that I have on a daily basis. At least, it attempts to be more than that! Given my unique personal experiences, VeloDiet actually has a theme which I hope could help and/or entertain readers - namely, weight loss through cycling. It really is just an excuse to write more about two of the things I love in life: food and riding bikes! As such, each post I write is part of a bigger story; within that story, a post about running was going to be showcased much later, probably along the lines of me exploring other ways to live an active lifestyle.  But due to a variety of circumstances I've been running a lot recently - so far this year I've run 108.8km, including my first half-marathon, which I ran for this article yesterday - more on that further below. So, this week, we are interrupting our originally planned schedule, so that we may bring you a post about "the wonderful world of running"!

I find myself wearing the wrong pair of shoes quite often these days.

Before reading any further, caveat emptor applies here! I am very much a beginner runner; these are first impressions and lessons learned as I start running. I have a feeling that if I continue to find myself jogging along wintery trails, much of what I write here will change with time. And, as mainly a cyclist, most of what I write will be comparative to cycling, which is after all, what I would rather be doing anyways!
First of all, just as a properly fitted bicycle will be key to your enjoyment as a cyclist, finding the appropriate pair of running shoes will be equally as crucial. I might go even further and say that the difference I felt with running shoes was much more apparent than any change of equipment I've felt as a cyclist. If you plan on becoming a runner in order to be active, going to a local running store and having them examine your stance, foot size, running style and then finding the right shoe for you is simply a must. Now, with that out of the way, my impressions of running as it compares to cycling can be broken down into positives and negatives!
THE GOOD - Running is simpler than cycling. You need less equipment, less setting up and less planning. Running is quicker than cycling. If you have only one hour to be active, you can get much larger fitness gains running than you can on a bike. Running is not as risky as cycling. You are far less exposed to vehicular traffic and tripping at 10km/hr is potentially much less harmful than falling off the bike at 30km/hr. Lastly, you can run on almost any road condition. Cycling on active heavy snowfall, icy or slushy roads can prove to be too much for even the craziest cyclists.

You can explore your neighborhood during runs, but the range is quite limited.

THE BAD: Running is riskier than cycling. The high impact nature of running, coupled with the endurance factor, brings certain health risks to running, specially to joints. Running is harder than cycling. As cycling can start you at a slower, gentler pace, running quickly becomes strenuous and even a run around the block may be difficult for beginners or people just looking to adopt an active lifestyle. Running is quicker than cycling. You don't get nearly the amount of stress release on a long run as you do on a long ride; also, with the limited range of distance available to most runners, there will be many less places to explore. You might have noticed that I considered many of these negatives based on the inability of running to get people hooked into it as an active lifestyle. As I wrote earlier here on VeloDiet, if you wanna stay active, you gotta have fun!
But for me to really understand how cycling and running compare as an activity, I wanted to tap into the psychological aspects a bit deeper and see if I could substitute the high I got from cycling as a runner. To do that, I came up with two tests designed to mimic as a runner, two of the most psychologically rewarding cycling activities: the Hill Sprint and the 100 Mile Century epic ride.



DATA: Strava File for the Agrykola Hill Sprint interval.

The Agrykola Hill Sprint: A hill sprint consists of finding a long steep local hill and trying to get to the top as fast as possible, and in the process kicking all the demons and the stress out of your system - no excuses, no self-pity: just you and the hill. So I headed to Agrykola hill, about half a kilometer long and averaging about 6-7% (don't believe the elevation profile on the graph above, there is no tapering off near the top!) I started with a proper warm up and a generally slow paced run to the bottom of the hill. As I attacked the hill, I adopted the cycling technique of starting at a slightly lower pace than my maximum and potentially raising the speed for the second half of the effort, reaching the top giving it all I had. Tapping into the pain cave and staying there was very similar to cycling, but the red-line comes quicker and much more abruptly than I expected. The other interesting factor is that the effects of such an effort lingered much longer and extended beyond just my legs' muscles and joints. My shoulders started to bother me and it was very hard to establish a proper breathing rhythm for the remainder of the run. My time and result were surprisingly strong, netting the 3rd best time out of 226 runners compiled through Strava, and I definitely felt the high from conquering the hill. But the impact on the body, in particular to the cardiovascular and breathing, seems to limit an all-out "give it everything you have" soul-cleansing effort. I don't think I would ever attack a hill with complete disregard to my physical limits while running again - and yes, that's something that I do quite often on a bike.

DATA: Strava File for my first unsanctioned Half Marathon.

The Half-Marathon Epic Run: I have been running 10kms consistently this year, so I chose the 21.1km distance as it would be pushing my current limits as a beginner runner. It would hurt me much more than a 162km century ride would, but I really wanted to tap into the "epic" feel of a long effort! I must admit that for starters, I have much to learn about longer distance running and have the wrong tools at my disposal. Specifically, I did not have a way to hydrate or drink water during my run and didn't have any tool to keep track of my pace. All my data would be gathered by the I-phone in my pocket.  Most of the run would take place doing long laps at a large park uninterrupted, and I gave myself a reachable goal of completing that distance in under two hours. I prepared well, with proper nutrition, stretches and warm-up prior to starting. I set off on my run and got my cardio to a comfortable pace, so I could concentrate on my running form - my main concern was how my joints, tendons and muscles would handle the distance. The beginning did not feel good and I felt like my body was having a bit of an off-day, but I stuck with my original strategy, realizing that my 2-hour goal might be tough to reach. But at just about the 8km mark, I felt better and found my rhythm. As I went further past my usual 10km runs however, my mind started having to do a lot of work to stay focused on keeping a good form, to handle the psychological effects of some joint discomfort, and maintaining a good pace. When I returned home, I had run 1.3kms further than the half marathon and still had more left in the tank in terms of energy and muscles, but not much distance left on the joints. I felt short of my goal, finishing the 21.1km distance at 2:02:49, but running 22.4km (14miles) made me feel I completed something epic. Afterwards, I did feel the positive effects of the stress release, but I can't say that it was a mentally relaxing time. Much to the contrary, the experience was mentally very difficult. Twenty four hours later, I can say that the effects of that effort also linger longer than a similar long ride, and yet again, specifically the joints - my knees feel like they need some WD-40! Looking back, I don't think that I would be doing many more long distance runs, and if I have two hours available to me, I will probably be riding the bike!

Cold, Icey and Slushy - Running can still make it a beautiful day!

All said and done, there are many similarities between cycling and running. And after these first few months of running, I am convinced I will continue to run when I don't have much time available to me, or if the roads and weather force me off the bike. But at the same time, there is no way running could become a substitute for cycling as a lifestyle for me. That left me trying to understand what made cycling so special to me and it finally came down to the bike. After all, it is with this machine that, combined with our human body, enables me to perform super-human feats. Yes, that simple bicycle enables me to achieve speed, strength and endurance that feel out of this world!
I like that - when you look at it this way, it makes sense that with super human feats, you have super human feelings.

THE "FAMILY MAN" CYCLIST - A balancing act!

Time. Being a cyclist takes a lot of time. It's part of what makes cycling such a great activity, after all, it takes more than just 45 minutes to erase all the stress gained over a few days at the office. It is also a big part of the reason why cycling burns such a tremendous amount of calories. Keeping your heart rate elevated to 150 beats per minute for 3.5 hours will allow you to eat that piece of cake without any guilt. As you start to ride bicycles and start feeling the benefits from being active, the 1-hour ride will become a 2-hour ride. And once you decide to ride to that town a bit further down the road, you will realize you were out for 4 hours. And before you know it, you will be riding 125miles (200kms) and spending most of the day cycling with your friends. If you cycle multiple days a week, those hours add up quickly - this year alone, I've already spent over 40 hours on the bike.

Such a significant amount of time can be hard to fit into the busy schedule of our modern lives. And it becomes even more challenging if you are married, have kids, and want to spend time with your family.

Active Recovery - post ride activities typically include
trips to the playground or to a kid-friendly store.

Balancing the "cyclist" and the "family man" has become an integral part of my new active life. Very quickly after starting to spend time on the bike, I realized I had to focus on my priorities: family would come first, with work and cycling in a close battle for second. As you can imagine, once the demands of life at home with children and a busy work schedule start to take its tow, it is very easy for cycling to be compromised. If you are not committed to staying fit and being active, the pressures from daily life will push you back into that comfortable couch.

Luckily, there are a few techniques that can help you stay on your bike, while still being able to spend time with your family, being a good spouse and parent. The easiest approach is to find the best time of the day to go for your ride. For most people, that involves waking up early on weekends, getting some good miles in while most of the world sleeps and heading back home with still most of the day ahead. But I am not a morning person and my daughters and I enjoy our weekend breakfast together, so I generally head out around "nap-time" for our youngest daughter. That allows me to spend a fun morning with the kids, fit a good ride in the middle of the day, and come back in time to play some more with the family. During weekdays, if you have a flexible work environment, that might involve  working a few extra hours on certain days so that you can leave work a little early in time to make it to the local Tuesday Night World's ride. But more often than not, it will also include some 10pm sessions on the indoor trainer after everyone goes to sleep! Flexibility is the key word, and sometimes that will mean a last minute change of plans to an extra early morning call on Saturday, or yet another late night session on the trainer.

Another approach is to focus on shorter bike rides whenever time allows. You can still reap many benefits from cycling even from riding less than an hour around the neighborhood. This is a particularly good option if you live in an area near good cycling roads where you don't need to ride 30 minutes in order to escape major urban roads. Commuting by bicycle is also a good alternative for weekdays - being on the bike instead of siting inside your car stuck on a traffic jam certainly has its appeal. Even serious cyclists who race can find training programs that allow them to maintain top fitness while focusing on shorter rides by increasing intensity. Recently, even going for a run has become an alternative for me when time is really short. Going for a 10km run when you have less than 1hr available, makes for a great quick burst of physical activity.



The cool down after the weekly Derby Ride in Michigan. Such rides are
not only about the bikes, but also about friends - and pain...lots of pain!

The reality is that with time, cycling starts to take over and fulfill other activities that used to take part of that busy schedule. Obviously, if you become a cyclist, you can start crossing off a lot of the time spent at the local gym or on other exercise activities. You also find yourself spending a lot less time watching sports on TV on weekends, and instead find yourself actually practicing your favorite sport. This is specially a benefit if you happen to be a Detroit Lions fan! And with time, cycling becomes a bigger part of your social calendar as well. Group rides become more than just exercise and start to feel more like social gatherings where you catch-up, joke and share a beverage with good friends.

But regardless of how much I've tried, I must confess that compromises have to be made. Appropriate cool-downs at the end of a long ride are often substituted by sprinting madly towards home in order to make it back in the allotted time. The necessary resting and recovery time after marathon-like bike rides become instead active recovery sessions at the playground - struggling through cramps while you are chasing your kids around the monkey-bars and swing sets is not ideal recovery. And I must admit that my bike is never as clean or well maintained as it could be. The goal is to spend most of the "bike-related" time actually riding the bike.



Combining your passions! The laughter and giggling coming from
the bike trailer compensate for the extra weight you are pulling uphill!

Another option is to try to combine the best of both worlds and introduce your family to the wonderful world of bikes! Cycling dates with your spouse is a great way to enjoy time together, and it will also help them understand why you spend so much time on the bike to begin with. My wife understood after only a couple of outings, how a few hours on the bike can feel like a week long vacation. If you have young children, you can buy a bike trailer and go on adventures with the little ones. They will not only laugh and giggle during the ride, but also get a kick of getting ready for the bike, with helmets and all. Just note, however, that after 20 miles or so, the novelty might wear off for the kids and your legs will start feeling the extra weight you've been pulling around town (not to mention the time you spent chasing your kids again during the obligatory playground stop!)

As in most things in life, it's all about reaching balance. If you find that balance, you can not only keep your family as your main priority, but by adding some hours on the bike, you can also become a healthier, happier, less stressed and more energetic family member. And trust me, if you have a couple of toddlers at home, you need all the energy you can get!