running substitutes?

Spinning is cycling but it's different than a regular stationary bike. It's pretty much a stationary road racing bike. You may want to ask the instructor if it's ok for you to take the class, like Scrapdog said, those classes are serious workouts.

 

http://www.spinning.com/default.asp

This will give you some idea of what spinning is.

 

I would say rowing

 

I agree. If you think running is tough try 5x500m intervals rowing with a min between each... pain.

 

I tore a medial ligament and split my kneecap a couple of years ago. Swimming is definately the best option as it will build your strength too without putting too much of a strain on your leg. For me the issue wasnt weight on my leg it was making sure there was little or no impact.

There's a machine which has the same mechanism as an excercise bike but it has handles rather than pedles and you can use that as cardio and a fat burner for your upper body.

I wasnt able to skip/run for a while but I'd suggest speaking to your GP about when you can start skipping again because that will be a big help!

 

on a side note, what do you guys think about replacing running with jump rope - at 10 minutes of rope per mile?

I can jump rope fine, but running really tears my body up. I don't mind sore muscles, breathing hard, or getting tired. My back is absolutely shot right now from running 2 miles yesterday. I can't really keep this up and it interferes with my training regimen. Matthew Saaid Mohammed jumped rope for about 20 minutes a workout and had some of the best late round stamina for his era.

whaddya think? or am i just going to he|| w/out roadwork?
ps- i love swimming too; i can swim for 40 minutes easy.

 

You're still stressing ligaments jumping rope. As you've seen in this thread, are lots of ways to promote cardio. Back and particularly knee strain was and is a concern for me. Strictly tabatas now (sprints) and only on grass or an earthy path.

Were ya running on pavement?

 

treadmill, with the slight incline to simulate real running
the heat here makes it hard to run outdoors.

i jump rope at least 3 times a week at 10 minutes a clip, so i know for sure it doesn't cause the exact same wear and tear - much more manageable.
I was thinking about doing tabatas with the rope.

 

tell us how it goes