Four Things That Helped My Pain: How a Cyclist Learned to Run

I got rid of my knee and back pain, I feel less fatigued when running, and muscle soreness is now manageable.

I'll be honest, the title isn't entirely accurate. My learning process isn't finished, Quite the opposite, it's only just begun. However, the benefits of improved running technique have already been so significant that I want to share this new experience.

It took very little to get rid of the issues that had always bothered me. Thanks to that, I wasn't afraid to pack my running shoes instead of a bike for my trip to Croatia. I had already tested at home that I could now run longer distances with less effort.

Not Running Is a Sin

Why should we even bother with running, and what can it offer regular cyclists? I've already written about the health benefits; personally, I grew fond of running, especially during the winter months.

For me, it's an activity that isn't as dependent on good weather as cycling.

Moreover, after changes in my family situation, running is ideal for me because it requires very little time. I can get ready quickly, recover quickly after a run, and an hour is usually enough for the activity itself.

It is essential to master at least the basics of running technique.

Everything mentioned so far sounds perfect, but in my case, until recently, it came at a high price. While running, I suffered more than I would have liked. And that brings us to the common problems cyclists face when they start running—and, more importantly, how to solve them.

Why Cyclists Don't Enjoy Running

Running hurts. But for that pain to be the good kind (not the kind that eventually develops into health problems) it is essential to master at least the basics of running technique. Cyclists, who have devoted their time and energy to a different sport, should pay particular attention to this.

I am a typical example: with a self-taught approach, I made several mistakes that led to recurring knee pain, while my back bothered me even more.

At first, I thought I could eliminate the pain by buying better gear. I tried the softest training shoes available, but without any significant improvement. This is also related to the fact that asphalt becomes even harder in winter due to the cold. It never occurred to me that factors like this could make such a difference.

Perhaps my lack of technique wouldn't have become so apparent if I didn't weigh nearly 90 kg. Yet another sport I voluntarily chose in which my height and weight are hardly an advantage. 🙂

All in all, even short distances left me exhausted, I often suffered from severe muscle soreness, and despite the effort, I could only maintain an average pace. That's more than enough to discourage a more sensitive person from running.

Fortunately, I only needed to change four things, and thanks to them, I now feel motivated to keep running even throughout the summer season.

What saved my back?

Three months passed, and I experienced firsthand that simply tucking the pelvis can help relieve back pain. Now, I'm very careful not to stick my butt out.

Head position also plays an important role in maintaining proper posture. Tucking my chin in helped straighten my posture even more, and now I look ahead instead of down at my feet. That pays off in two ways: my lower back no longer hurts, and I can finally see where I'm running. 🙂

I constantly monitor my posture while running, whether by catching my reflection in shop windows or occasionally recording a video to check my form. There are also exercises that can help with proper pelvic positioning, but I haven't started doing them yet.

How can you tell if this issue affects you? Simply lie on the floor and check whether your lower back rests flat against the ground or whether there's a significant gap underneath it.

What helped relieve my knee pain?

Cadence is a familiar concept to cyclists, but I never paid attention to my step rate while running. That was a mistake. The principle is very similar to cycling: the load is easier to handle when it is distributed across smaller movements and repeated more frequently.

Even with proper technique, overuse injuries should never be underestimated.

In running, this means shortening your stride, which reduces impact forces and places less stress on your joints, bones, muscles, and tendons. A new metric has appeared on my watch, and I'm now trying to increase my cadence from lower values toward 170 steps per minute, and even higher during interval sessions.

So far, my progress has been moderate, but I can already feel the benefits.

What helped reduce the fatigue?

I'm managing to increase my cadence mainly because I changed my foot strike. For years, I was placing my feet too far out in front of my body, which only slowed me down, and I was also landing on my heels. Not a good combination.

Now I try to push off in a way that keeps my feet from extending beyond my center of mass. To make the feeling more obvious, I even exaggerate the movement and focus on driving my feet behind me. It's easy to work on this when running on a treadmill.

All three of the changes I've mentioned—posture, cadence, and foot strike—have made a huge difference in reducing my fatigue and pain while running. I'm also finally becoming comfortable with landing on my forefoot. I always admired other runners who did that and never understood how they managed it.

What Helped Increase Pace

Of all the shortcomings in my running, speed is the least important. I do the vast majority of my training at an easy pace, but interval workouts are beneficial even for those who don't have any running races marked on their calendar.

I explain why in more detail in my article about bone thinning.

Of all the issues I've mentioned, speed is the least important. I do the vast majority of my training at an easy pace, but interval workouts are beneficial even for people who don't have any running races on their calendar. I explain why in more detail in my article about bone thinning.

To improve average pace, it helps to focus on vertical oscillation—the technical term for how much you bounce while running. I apologise to experienced runners for the oversimplified explanation, but a beginner's perspective may be easier for other beginners to understand. 🙂

Simply put, the energy from each push-off should be directed where you want to go: forward. If a runner is bouncing excessively, some of that energy is being wasted. This is often most noticeable in the movement of the head.

More advanced watches or chest straps can measure this metric, allowing you to track it with centimeter-level precision. They record the flight phase, and the difference can be substantial—for example, 6 cm versus 12 cm. Lower is generally better.

And what helps keep you closer to the ground? The same things I've already mentioned: a higher cadence and a proper foot strike. It all comes full circle.

So It Doesn't Catch Up With Me Later

These four small improvements have opened up a whole new world for me; now I just need to make sure I don't overdo it. It's clear that I'm really enjoying running now, but even with proper technique, overuse injuries should never be underestimated. After all, I hear about cyclists who are essentially just injured runners far too often. 🙂

Still, I'll keep running as my Monday "spin-down". Surprisingly, it feels good on my legs, provides a welcome change of pace, and, most importantly, saves me some time to spend with my family.