The winter is arriving in the south, and cycling is not that fun anymore. And I know that, to anyone living in places where real cold happens, 13 degrees Celsius is nothing. But it is uncomfortable for me, as I am used to temperatures between 25 and 35 degrees.
So, for these months, I have shifted the balance from cycling toward running, and I am doing quite well. It is not that I stopped cycling or suddenly started running, but during winter the balance naturally changes. During summer I ride much more, while during these colder months I run more. It seems the long bike rides during summer have helped a lot.
Over the last 16 weeks I have done this: 98 km running in 9 hours, and 546 km cycling in 36 hours. But if we split them into two blocks of 8 weeks each, what we have is:
First block: running 27 km in almost 3 hours and cycling 355 km in 17 hours. So, in distance, 93% cycling and 7% running, and in time, 86% cycling and 14% running.
Second block: running 70 km in 6 hours and cycling 192 km in 10 hours. So, in distance, 73% cycling and 27% running, and in time, 62% cycling and 38% running.
And honestly, those long rides gave me a lot of cardio. I am running 15K easily, and performing well during the first 10K of those 15K, even closing the final kilometer as the fastest one.
What surprised me the most is that the limiting factor is not really my cardio. The long rides built a solid aerobic base. What still needs adaptation are my legs, joints, and the muscles used specifically for running.
I am not an elite sportsman, but at 52 years old, even being able to run more than 5K is great.