jppe

Sometimes I guess I just gotta stick my finger in the boiling water to see if it's hot.......

JT's advice was to avoid hammering for a bit with the "back pain" I picked up last Saturday. However, it got a lot better in a couple days. I was even able to play golf Monday and Tuesday. I did the Time Trial Wednesday night and while it was a little stiff I managed. Today we did the ride below and I was probably the lead anchor in a group of 8. I had to really work to stay with the group. About 20 miles into the ride I could feel the "twinge" in the lower back again.

However too far into the ride to make any adjustments so I just "hammered away"-including a time trial up the first 6 mile climb, and then pushing through two 17% stretches on the second climb.

I was amazed at how much time I spent in my upper HR zones. Max heart rate was 190+......I'm pretty trashed tonight!! Not to mention the stiff lower back!





Edit: One of the guys that rode with us is 65 or 66 and is an incredibly strong rider. He did the 10 mile TT Wednesday night 2 minutes faster than me and averaged 27 mph versus my 25 mph. I was working pretty good to get up the hills on the route above using my 50/34-12/27. He was running a 53/39 with a 12/25 cassette. He struggled a little on the 17% section but breezed right along on everything else. Just incredible in my book.

vtc12ip

Lower back pain will always come back to haunt you. Err... hurt you.

maddmaxx 

One of my exercises (I was down for a month in 1980) is to lay on my back on the floor with my legs elevated to a sitting position (viewed from the side as if you were in a chair but laying on your back). An old round hassock works well for this. The leg elevation straightens out your spine and takes all the pressure off of the muscles that support the back. As long as the floor is firm and not cold, the back will get a good rest this way. Sometimes when your back is tired, 30min to a hour is great.

Resting the muscles helps to do away with the spasms and pain. The pain is from tired muscles that are working at the command of your brain to straighten you spine. Your brain knows that the nerves in the spine are being pinched and works the muscles to make the pinch go away.

Old School

I'll bet you didn't listen to your mother's sage advice either!

Hermes

Great ride as always. Good luck with your back. i am sure it will be better in the future.

stapfam

Reckon you must have been mad to do a ride like this so soon after a back injury so hopefully you are paying for it now.

Me saying that and whenever I have the back problem- I find it comfortable riding the bike.

I have tried Ibuprufen and it affects me and I do not suit it- Tried Various linaments and all it does is give me distance from others due to the smell of it. Heat does not seem to help either- but a bag of Frozen peas works wonders. I was passed on this tip many years ago and if it heat does not help in pain relief- then try cold.

Luckily- our freezer is full of frozen vegetables from the Garden from last year- so I guess I had better get the peas in this weekend. All I had last week were Corn on the cob and Tomatoes. Didn't have the same pain relieving qualities.