And then one of my friend encouraged me to start jogging with the aim of completing a marathon some time in my life, possibly in two years time. I started my jog on the treadmill and barely reach 1 km before I ran out of breath... Subsequently with the help of my friends and some search online on how to optimize a jog, I could jog a good 5km in about an hour for a good workout. Yeah, I know 5 km/h is like walking, but that's about as fast as I could jog...
Then I found cycling and voila!!! I've talked about my 1st ride of 6 km back home in my previous post. My next ride was then a 10 km ride to port Klang followed by a 20 km ride to Botanic and around Bukit Tinggi and Pandamaran with Jinq and Yin. Cutting the long story short, I just completed 120 km Kayuhan Hari Sukan Negara (113 km according to MapMyRide) last week.
So here's why I think cycling is better than jogging
1.) The distance
You can cover a far longer distance cycling than jogging. For the record, I have cycled 113 km in 5 hours with 3 stops in between... And I do enjoy exploring Klang and surrounding on my saddle. I could do a quick 20km with bah kut teh or the infamous Chong Kok coffee for breakfast before getting to work. We have seen many cyclist exploring the world on a bicycle, but I have only seen one guy doing it by running, and that's Forrest Gump.
2.) Gourmet experience
With the distance that I could cover, I can enjoy many more food with my ride. Usually places that are difficult to find parking will have ample space for a bicycle. And that's my inspiration in starting this blog as I have found many great food on my saddle that is easily within the reach of a bike. Most of the time, a great ride is always a ride planned around good food. You know, we are Malaysian right?
3.) You put in half the effort and gravity will take care of the rest
All cyclist will know what I meant. Remember the breeze we enjoy on the descent? That's the most enjoyable moment of a ride. While cycling uphill is a test of endurance, stamina and strength, you will be rewarded by the joy of free rolling on descent. However if you are on your foot, whenever your pace stop, you stop. Moreover, your knees and back will have to absorb extra pressure while you are running downhill.
4.) Cyclist are fun
No offence, it doesn't mean that joggers are boring people, but how often do you see 2 joggers having conversation while jogging? Cyclist do it all the time, especially on a long ride. I get to know a few cyclist whenever I participate in a cycling event, and we talked and joked during the ride. In the following week, we will ask each other out for a ride and have good time. It's also easy to find the cyclist that cycle at your pace...
5.) Cycling is also for fatty
Look at this!!! They have a category specifically for the oversize people like me. Any running event do this? Besides martial art and weightlifting, I can't think of any other competition that have a heavyweight category.
6.) It's a mode of transportation too!
Since I got my bike, whenever my mom ask me to buy her lunch or a trip down the grocery store, I would cycle there. I could even buy her favorite coffee some 8km away from house and return with a warm coffee. Again, I have yet to see people jog to tapau chicken rice... These are in addition to the call of cities for it's residents to cycle to work.
7.) Cycling is less harmful to your body than running!
I didn't say this, I was just googling cycling vs running and that's the conclusion I draw from the 1st page results. Don't believe me? Google it yourself! Below are some quotes:
- Long-distance running causes more damage than cycling, even when both sports are done at the same intensity, according to a new study published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity
- Cycling Vs Running - Men's Health
- A new study shows that cycling is better exercise than running.
In conclusion of the above articles, while running do burns more fat and provide a better total body workout, cycling is less harmful to joints and less prone to injury
So, get your bike and let's start cycling for a greener environment and most importantly, a healthier and fitter body.
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