What winter running taught me: twelve takeaways

As some readers may know, I’m conducting an experiment this year. Instead of cycling indoors, I’m taking a different approach this winter: running. My goal is the Rotterdam Marathon on April 13. I started training on October 1. In this article, I share my preliminary experiences after nearly five months of running.

1. Running saves time in many ways

It’s no secret that running takes less time than cycling. But what I didn’t realize beforehand is that this applies not only to the workout itself. Getting dressed, undressed, maintaining equipment, and preparing nutrition all take significantly less time. As a result, running is more than twice as efficient.

2. You need very little gear

Even if you run all year round, you don’t need much gear. Two pairs of pants and shirts (short and long), a couple of thermal layers, and a pair of gloves, and you’re set. Plus, of course, one or two pairs of good running shoes. This makes running an excellent sport for business trips or city breaks. And not unimportantly: it’s much cheaper than cycling.

3. Training is not that different from cycling

To avoid overuse injuries and to be well-prepared for the marathon, I hired a coach. I was curious about the types of training I would be doing. Looking back, it’s not that different from what we cyclists do. I currently run four times a week. One of these is a longer endurance run (runners like to call this the 'long run'). Then there’s a shorter endurance session of about an hour. At the beginning of the week, I often do an interval workout, with block durations varying from a few minutes to half an hour. On Sundays, I usually do a recovery run. In short, it closely resembles cycling: a lot of varied training with a strong focus on endurance.

4. Runners are far behind when it comes to nutrition

Over the past two years, cyclists—even at the amateur level—have started eating much more on the bike. I’ve embraced this as well, and the effects are noticeable, even at my modest level. I’ve come to the conclusion that runners are seriously lagging in this area. I haven’t met a single runner who knows how many carbohydrates they consume per hour during a long training session or race. Several runners have told me that you don’t need to eat anything during a 90-minute run ‘because you’re only burning fat.’ Most of them just go with the flow. There’s still a lot of progress to be made here.

5. Runners provoke less aggression than cyclists

In at least half of my bike rides, I get some kind of insult thrown at me (yes, I follow traffic rules). Usually something like ‘idiot,’ ‘jerk,’ or worse. However, during dozens of running sessions, this has never happened to me. On the other hand, I found that runners are slightly less social with each other compared to cyclists—there’s less greeting among runners.

6. I don’t find running boring, but sometimes cycling is

You often hear cyclists who try running complain that it’s boring. I was a bit worried about this beforehand, but it turned out to be unfounded. Especially trail runs in the forest have been particularly enjoyable. I never once went out for a run reluctantly. During my running experiment, I continued cycling—on average once a week, sometimes twice. However, I noticed that I got used to running sessions of 40 to 90 minutes. As a result, I actually started finding bike rides a bit dull, especially in bad weather.

7. Running in bad weather is much better than cycling in bad weather

Cycling in the rain is nobody’s hobby—certainly not mine. Running in the rain is less enjoyable than in dry weather, but it’s perfectly doable. You don’t really need much extra clothing either. That makes running an ideal sport for autumn and winter.

8. Recovery from running workouts is short

If I cycle two or three days in a row, I feel it. My legs get tired, and I have to put in noticeable effort. Due to the shorter duration of running workouts, I experienced this much less. After a run, I rarely had tired legs, and running multiple days in a row was no problem at all.

9. Optical heart rate monitors are almost as good as chest straps

When I started running, I had to invest in a watch. I chose an Apple iWatch Series 9, opting for the 4G version so I could leave my phone at home. In an emergency, I could even make calls with it, which I have had to do once. The iWatch uses optical heart rate measurement, though you can pair it with a chest strap if you want. I don’t see why you would, as optical measurement works perfectly fine in 2025. For an amateur, there’s really no reason to use an annoying chest strap anymore. I’m very happy with the iWatch—so no, you don’t necessarily need a Garmin as a runner.

10. Running is injury-prone, but...

Everyone knows running is more injury-prone than cycling. After exactly 38 training sessions, I ran into a minor knee injury. However, injuries are relatively easy to prevent. Having a coach helps tremendously. My first ten training sessions mostly consisted of walking with short running intervals. The workload was gradually increased. If I had been my own coach, I would have certainly ended up injured at home within two weeks. So, to some extent, you have control over it.

11. Trail running is a different game

I'm lucky to live surrounded by forests. I quickly discovered that trail running is not only fun but also more challenging. It requires trail shoes, which are less comfortable on asphalt, and the pace is lower than on roads. Interval training turned out to be a bad idea, as dodging roots and uneven terrain increases the risk of injury. My only injury actually happened in the forest. Since then, I’ve stuck to endurance and recovery runs there.

12. The combination of cycling and running... too early to tell

The biggest question is probably how running affects my cycling performance. Looking at the bike rides I still do, my power values are about 10-20 watts lower than usual. However, it’s too early to draw conclusions. After the marathon, I’ll prioritize cycling again. Ask me again in a few weeks. One thing is certain—experts agree that the combination of running and cycling is much better than previously thought.