jasjas wrote: ↑Mon Apr 12, 2021 1:12 pm
Tricky though isn't?
As you say running doesn't really rely on the importance of being able to stay on the wheel (or feet) lose that wheel and your toast, staying in a gruop, even in a so called steady ride there will be efforts, s not everyone will remain totally disciplined.
I really don't get the long slow training argument, everyone (i know inc myself) who has ever trained that way off just a few hours per week, ends up being very good at riding slowly.
Comparing that with a young pro knocking out 25 to 30 hrs per week is rather false.
I get it with running, which is punishing on the body (crashes accepted)
Plus, many of us like going out and enjoying our bikes, be that sprinting over the top of hill or staying with your mates, we are amateurs and many of us are not that young any more!
As I said before, and I'll repeat just so we're all on the same page - if you're only training a few hours a week (less than 6 or so), I would not recommend a polarized training approach for cycling for numerous reasons.
And you hit on one of the big reasons - cycling tends to be a group activity, with a lot of variables that affect pacing during an outdoor ride (traffic lights, inclines, etc.). This obviously makes cycling far more enjoyable than running alone, so I don't really run anymore because it's just boring
But that's a separate issue from whether or not you want to be the best cyclist you can be given real life constraints on time.
In running, you are more or less forced to maintain a steady pace. Running is a high impact activity involving a lot of pounding, and where sudden changes in pace / overpacing even for a few short seconds is punishing and can abruptly end your run.
Anecdotedly, this is part of the reason so many cyclists struggle with the triathlon. They're used to cycling hard, changing pace, etc., having fun, so when they try to run hard, or do more intervals than they should be doing, they find themselves injured.