Bike vs. Run

Apples and Oranges.

Biking and running are two very different athletic activities. And other than biking, one is not superior to the other.

I used to run. But not much anymore. I’ve probably ran 50 miles in the last 10 years. 45 of them within the last 2 months. 13 of them on Saturday. I’m still not exactly sure what motivated me to try the SLC Half Marathon, but here are a couple of things: Work paid the entry fee. And a few guys at work goaded me into it. When the trash talk* starts flyin’ I tend to do stupid things. Like become a vegan (more on that tomorrow), or a half marathon. And so I “trained”. If running now and again can be considered anything remotley near training. However, I was confident I could fake my way through the 13 miles . I mean, how hard could it be?

Not very. Actually.

At least, not at the pace I ran. Oh, I could see how something like that could be very difficult. The running pain cave might be a little darker than the mountain biking pain cave. For me, it is. Maybe that has something to do with 12 years of bike racing experience vs. 1 day of running races. Although, on Saturday, I just plodded along at a nice pace. Not too fast, not too slow. I finished a little faster than I anticipated: 1:44:12. Not exactly fast, but the 4,000 people behind me were slower. Oh, and a couple 12 year old kids beat me. And so did a lot of girls. But thanks to Lynda, K.C. and several others, I’m used to getting chicked.

You read that right. 4,444 people finished the half marathon. I was 484th. Former blogger, Aaron finished 2 minutes ahead of me (dammit!) and was the 400th overall finisher. 83 people crossed the line in those 2 minutes. Which is to say… a lot of people run. Why?

*I did win lunch from a coworker, who was just sure he would beat me.

Bike vs. Run

Running Pros:

1. Cheap. A pair of decent running shoes can cost $30. Really nice ones are not that much more.

2. Available. One can run just about anywhere, year-round.

3. Easy to take on the road. Pack an extra pair of shoes and shorts, and voila!

4. No equipment. Shoes. And… well that’s pretty much it. Anything else is technically optional.

5. No learning curve. No singletrack or peloton skills needed.

6. Lots of companions. Everyone runs, apparently. 8,000 people did the SLC half/full marathon.

7. Short shorts are not only acceptable, but encouraged.

Running Cons

1. It can be terribly boring, especially on the pavement.

2. No coasting.

3. Slow.

4. Everyone runs. I finished a half marathon. Big deal. So did 4,500 other people—at the same event.

5. Stiff legs. Oh my. The legs… so stiff.

6. The culture borders dangerously close to the triathlon weirdness.

7. Short shorts are not only acceptable, but encouraged.

I’ve (almost) enjoyed getting back into running. I might stick with it, a little. But on the trail. Running on pavement is worse than biking on pavement. But the weather is breaking, and the trails are starting to dry out. At least, the lower elevation trails. The White Rim TT is Friday, and after that, well, after that, it’s bike racin’ season. Nevertheless,  I could be talked into a few trail running excursions. Maybe.

Bike Pros:

1. Fast. 50 miles on a mountain bike doesn’t take 15 hours.

2. Riding down hill is not just has hard as riding uphill.

3. Coasting.

4. Thrill. Is anything better than flying down winding singletrack?

5. Very little impact. Did I mention how sore my legs are today?

6. Not dominated by mom-cliques. (No offense moms!)

7. Bike shorts are not short. Tight, yes. But not short.

Bike Cons:

1. Hahah! Bike cons?

2. OK, OK. So maybe there a few…

3. Expensive entry. (That’s what she said. Oh snap!)

4. Lots of other gear to buy: shoes, helmet, repair/maintenance tools, chamois, jersey, etc.

5. Skills need to be learned for mountain biking or road racing.

6. Repairs may need a mechanic.

7. Lance Armstrong.

The biggest bike (numbers) race I’ve ridden in? Maybe LOTOJA? About 1,000 racers? Most mountain bike races have a few hundred participants. Why is running so gigantic? Is it the low cost? I can understand that, but riding a bike is so much more sustainable. No runner’s knee. No shin splints. No cracked heels. No… all the other maladies that plague runners. There are two kinds of runners: those who are injured, and those will get injured. I won’t say that riding a bike is more fun. It is. But I won’t say that, because we all have our own version of fun. But still.

I learned two things on Saturday:

1. It’s impossible to look stupid at a running race. I tried to dress up like a dork—Really short shorts, head band, wrist bands—I looked just like everyone else.

2. Everybody looked like they wanted to die.

Will I run another half-marathon?

Yeah. Maybe. On a trail. It’s like Aaron said afterward, “I think we made our point.” And what was that point?

I’m not really sure.