Leg Pain

[Philk]

Well pretty eventfull weekend,

on Saturday did a 31mile ride, I found once i got over the initial leg (lactic acid feeling) pain i settled into a nice rhythm.After teh ride legs felt pretty good.

well today went on a 15 mile ride, well i just couldnt get past the leg pain,and am sore.

I have a horrid feeling the answer is to do longer rides.

any suggestions on getting past the pain and on recovery?

 

[cyberknight]

Without knowing where it hurts on the leg it is hard to say.

Are you stretching?

Are you getting pain just in 1 leg etc?

What sort of pace do you cycle at/ sort of route ?

What recovery time do you allow ?

I read that milk and oats are classed as super-foods for long term energy release and milk aids in muscle recovery.

If you suddenly upped your mileage then maybe you need a recovery day or so if you over did it.

 

[Davidc]

I find that if I do a ride which is longer than I'm used to I need to recover before doing another. I used to need a day off, but now it takes two. Not sure if it's age or the effects of taking statins, but if I don't allow that time I get what you've had.

If I do more long rides then the distance threshold for needing rest days goes up (as I'd expect).

 

[amnesia]

I assume your bike is set up properly ? Correct saddle height is particularly important to reduce pain in knees / legs.

Just a thought... or maybe you just over-did it the day before ?

 

[Philk]

I think its because im very unfit and its taking a long time to get any form of fitness.

Are you stretching? - no

Are you getting pain just in 1 leg etc? i get pain in both legs, in the upper front of the leg (Vastus Lateralis), it feels like lactic acid build up, but i can work through it.

What sort of pace do you cycle at/ sort of route ? im currently averaging 13mph over 15 miles and 11.8 over 31 miles, rides are a mix of hills/flat, the hills are a rel killer, legs feel like theyre on fire.

What recovery time do you allow ? usually 1 day between the 2 rides, then 2-3 days for a mid week ride

Bike is set up for me and very comfortable


I wondered if this is common and what you all did to recover.

 

[ASC1951]

I think its because I'm very unfit and its taking a long time to get any form of fitness.

If you are starting from a low base, I'm afraid it does take a long time to get fit. 'Little and often' is the answer at this stage, rather than going out for 100 milers. You need to get your body used to regular hard work and the muscles developed for that type of work. It depends how much time you have available, but I have a target of 10 miles a day and try to go out at least three times a week.

I wondered if this is common and what you all did to recover.

I don't do anything. I'm now so old and my body is so used to it that I can do 100 miles one day and still get on my bike next day, although I often prefer to do a session in the pool instead. Certainly I haven't needed to 'recover' from anything like 20 or 30 miles since I started cycling 45 years ago. That's not because I'm Superman, it's because I have always done half an hour at least of sweaty exercise every day.

[I might need to recover if I was a serious racer, of course. But you're a social rider and so am I.]

 

[Kablinsky]

Sounds like you could be turning too high a gear. Maybe a lower gear and higher cadence is the answer.

 

[e-rider]

Sounds to me like you're just quite unfit and need to shape-up a little.

But it could be more serious!

The distances you are riding are short and your average speeds are low. If you don't think that you're an unfit person compared to the population as a whole, then it might be worth getting checked out by a Dr. However, if you know that you're in poor shape then it's clearly just a need to get fit.

Frequent cyclists in their 20s, 30s or 40s will be riding 40 miles at 15mph quite easily; unless it's very hilly.