I am male, 41, 6’1” tall, 260lbs, down from 270lbs. & 235ftp. I have been cycling and running off and on for about 6 years. I struggle with my weight, lots of yo-yoing. I have issues with fatty liver disease and need to get things under control to stay healthy. Also I really enjoy riding and being fit, I just have trouble staying consistent. I have used TR off and on for several years so I am familiar and comfortable with structured training.
I am currently doing TR to prepare for a local 60 mile gravel race in March and then I will probably do a handful of road charity rides and centuries this summer and then back for more gravel in the fall. Road and gravel cycling is my primary sport, but I have joined a team for the St Jude half marathon in early December, I would like to do a 10 minute pace but my primary goal is just to survive. I have done almost no run training for over a year.
I am trying to sort out my weekly training schedule. I am currently doing TR low volume plan which is generally 3x’s/week and I think I am going to do the Couch to 5k, 10K, half marathon apps for my half marathon training. It is also 3x’s/week.
My question is should I alternate running and cycling Monday-Saturday and take Sunday’s off or should I do both workouts each Monday, Wednesday, Friday to have the rest days and better recovery? My preference is the Monday-Saturday plan. I appreciate any advice and I am open to alternative plans for running etc.
Thank you
I ride time trials in the UK now and don’t run but I used to do tris and run at a decent level (2:47 marathon). For the last few years I ran I combined it with cycling. You can get a lot of run endurance off cycling and vice versa but you do need some core days for each sport. I would suggest that you run straight after you cycle on the LV week days (Tue/Thr) - if you try and alternate every day will be hard (especially as you say you don’t have much running experience). A short 15 min run after the turbo session will keep you ticking over in the week as you say you have no designs to do more than survive. This still gives you Mon/Wed/Fri to recover. BUT you will need a dedicated run day Sunday which will have to be a proper run session - like start at 30 mins and build up to 75 - 90 mins by adding 5 mins every week and then cutting it back every 4th week - that means you can get up to 90 mins in 3 months. That will get you round a half. You can run the 15 min runs on the road but for the longer run then do it on grass/trails. Make sure you have decent shoes as well and maybe get your gait looked at if you have any injury history. You will certainly need Monday off after that. You could do some gym work as well but you probably have enough on your plate already…hope that helps 
The riding will help w your cardio system improving and weight loss without the impact of the running.
Something not mentioned:diet. Be sure to eat clean. Lots and lots and lots of discussion in the forum about this.
You’re new to running. Are you new to cycling?
dprimm yes, I’m on fitness pal and making alot of changes with diet. I’ve struggled with weight my whole life. I have also had trouble with depression on and off for the past 6 or so years and it often leads to binge eating and stopping exercise when things aren’t going well. Also side effects of antidepressants cause issues with weight gain, energy level, etc. I have given up on medication and am tapering off. My plan now is to just really focus on diet, exercise, sleep, stress reduction, and lifestyle improvements to combat the depression issues. I have always felt my best when I was active and at a better weight so that is what my ultimate goal is.
Allen, I am not entirely new to running, I’ve never been that serious or competitive. Best 5k time was about 1.5 years ago at 26:50. Cycling is my main activity, but I can’t claim to have ever been more than an enthusiastic enthusiast at either sport. Riding 1,500-3,000 miles/year for the past several years. Planning for it to be more of a priority this year, Strava goal of 5,000 ride miles and 500 run for 2020. I’ve been riding fairly consistently since September and just beginning to run.
I think I would have one double per week and then have two dedicated days each of running and cycling. As your cycling season comes to an end, I strongly encourage trying to build to 4-5 days of running per week.
I’m not familiar with the C25K plans, but I have had really great luck with McMillan’s plans (his book, You Only Faster, is a great, resource.
The St. Jude race has a great reputation and is for a great cause. Good luck!
megsambit, the C25k apps are approximately 30 minutes run/walk workouts 3x’s/week, they get longer past the 5k distance but still 3 days/week. The c25k brand is definitely geared towards first timers and enthusiasts, not competitive runners. I will check out the book you recommended. I would certainly love more book recommendations from anyone.
That could work for the original poster - especially for improving his running - the only issue is that if he is doing SSBLV2 now or soon (he said he was on LV) then some of the bike sessions are quite intense and are designed to have a rest/very easy day afterwards which he may not get trying to do a run session (especially as an inexperienced runner) the day after the intervals. If he does a double day plus 4 sessions he will have 3 consecutive days during the week. I suppose he could do a 2 week schedule of 1xdouble,2xbike,1xrun on week 1 and 1xdouble 2xrun 1xbike on week2 - alternating. Gives a bit more rest - making sure he always keeps the longer run day.
I thought doing three doubles per week would be brutal and was trying a compromise suggestion that would still give him two full rest days. I like the alternating week suggestion.
@Jarrin_Rudd, I do actually remember C25K for the 5K. It’s a decent program, but if you are really coming off the couch, or off an injury, it can be a little too aggressive with its increases. There’s no shame in repeating a week or two on that program.
I’m new here–would it make sense to look at the run workouts for the half distance tri plans?
You could be right - I suppose when your only 5’7" and about 130 ilbs you forget how tough running can be for bigger people…as you say getting to the start line uninjured is going to be the biggest challenge.
As far as getting to the starting line uninjured with the running, make sure you have a slow, gradual buildup in volume. Wear good shoes that provide good support. Stay stretched out after the fact to help avert the many little gotchas that can come with running. Listen to your body, back off when needed (this is important). Don’t worry about tempo runs and improving pace, keep the pace comfortable and on the easier side for your entire training. The goal is it to build a base and avoid injury. Consistency is generally your friend.
Alternating days bike/run with a day off is a good place to start so you end up with 3x bike, 3x run, 1 day rest and recovery. If you want to keep the 3x bike after all your bike events but would like to add a 4th (or even 5th) weekly run, then you either have to sacrifice the day off or double up on one or more day. If doubling up, I’d recommend making one of the rides an easier recovery (endurance) ride and add a shorter run that day. I’m not going to lie, doing a late day run after you’ve ridden in the morning can be rough, but you should try one and see how you are able to deal with it. Maybe that would work for you.
Good luck, you can do it.
Good points - especially as the OP says he only wants to get round the half. If he is going to double up I would do the run (short and easy straight after the bike) - like a tri brick workout - that way he won’t have the chance to stiffen up and when it’s done it’s done as they say.
I would follow low volume HIM plan minus the swims. You can always add another ride or run if you feel you need it.
megsambit, I should have mentioned, I will definitely be repeating many of the weeks and possibly doing all of them twice with the extended timeframe I have.
Route66 has it right. I’m 43, 6’3, 240. Compete in about 3-4 triathlons a year and completed my first 70.3 last year. Running after cycling is tough, especially when you’re big. SSBLV plans are no joke so they will affect your running no matter how you structure your workouts. If cycling is your preferred sport, I’d stick with your TR plan and run on your off days. Keep your running SLOW. Remember, nobody cares how fast you’re running but you. If any little runner/triathlete says anything, you can whip their ass.
Build your mileage up slowly and enjoy your 13.1.
You are right that running after cycling is tough - and I certainly fitted into your description at the bottom of your post as I am 5’7" and 61kg. However, I just worry that if the OP does alternate days every day is going to be kind of tough - I look forward to easy/rest days on TR after a tough o/u session - not sure I would do if I had a run planned and I wasn’t very good at it (he certainly needs to keep the pace slow regardless). Triathlon is an interesting sport especially at the age group level in the UK - I haven’t done one since 2016 but it amazed me how little running some people did (as opposed to swim/bike where the standard seem better). I was running 36mins for 10k off the bike aged 47 and nobody bar the winner usually was going quicker (my swimming sucks so that only used to squeeze me into the top 10) …so I think it is more that running off the bike is tough if you don’t do a lot of it (which I appreciate is a problem if you are bigger or injury prone). Fortunately I avoided getting my arse whipped as most of the big guys were in survival mode by then
I recommended the alternate day approach which the OP had suggested because that’s more or less what I do. I find the alternating day approach works pretty well for maintaining overall aerobic fitness, which is all I am doing now. Usually I find myself ready for the next cycling effort if I’m not riding back-to-back days, and the running day inbetween doesn’t seem to cut into cycling recovery for me at lower run distances. But everybody is different, so it’s a bit of trial and error for each of us.
If I were planning a half marathon, I’d consider lifting my running volume at least 2-3 months out and be hitting 4-5 days a week, but OP is still quite a ways out from that at this stage.
I have primarily focused of cycling the last few years but have sprinkled in a few running races as well. My typical strategy has been to ride 3-4 days a week and run 1-2 days. These runs can be easy and provide good cross training as well as recovery. Last fall I ran a half marathon 3 weeks after my A road race and far exceeded my expectations for how little I had run. I did something similar this spring preparing for a spring gravel ride but did almost no running. I increased the running volume too quickly and injured my foot 2 weeks before the half. I still ran but I was in pain and it is still nagging me now.
Moral is I think you can focus on cycling with a little running mixed in, since it seems like cycling is the focus of your early season and still do well in the run. You are building your aerobic engine either way, just be careful when you ramp up the running volume and listen to your body as other have said.
Since you have so much time before the HM, you could do very small run workouts 3-4 times a week and not worry about where they fall. You have 11 months, so I would think you could do 3-4 15-20 minute run/walks a week for a month or two and experiment. Do your legs feel fresher on the bike when you did it on the off day or when you did it in a brick? I would think very short/light stuff like that will start to build that run base a bit so you can take on a proper regimen in plenty of time for the HM while really minimizing the chance of injury.