Wtf!
03-16-14, 11:08 PM
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Wtf!
I've got about 120 miles under my belt, increased my miles every ride (longest ride so far is 25 miles) and all has been great but the last two rides my calf's are cramping up about 4 miles into the ride, should I take a break? ride on and muscle pass this? I've made sure my hydration is good (my urine is light) I've been working on my cadence and pedal technic and since the cramping has started any thoughts or suggestions?
Last edited by vandutch; 03-16-14 at 11:32 PM. Reason: added
03-16-14, 11:17 PM
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Try stretching. I'll admit that I don't always stretch but it is always best to do so before any athletic activity to avoid injuries, or in your case, cramps.
03-16-14, 11:20 PM
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Cramping at 4 miles is puzzling. That's WAY too soon to cramp. Maybe do some easy spinning for the first 4 or 5 miles until you're fully warmed up.
03-16-14, 11:26 PM
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Not it sure where you've heard that but if you notice in just about every sport, athletes stretch and warm up prior to their events. You don't want to work out cold/stiff muscles.
I hate to be contrarian, but pre-activity stretching has be frowned upon for quite some time now. Post-activity stretching is a different story--do that.
Cramping at 4 miles is puzzling. That's WAY too soon to cramp. Maybe do some easy spinning for the first 4 or 5 miles until you're fully warmed up.
Cramping at 4 miles is puzzling. That's WAY too soon to cramp. Maybe do some easy spinning for the first 4 or 5 miles until you're fully warmed up.
03-16-14, 11:27 PM
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I hate to be contrarian, but pre-activity stretching has be frowned upon for quite some time now. Post-activity stretching is a different story--do that.
Cramping at 4 miles is puzzling. That's WAY too soon to cramp. Maybe do some easy spinning for the first 4 or 5 miles until you're fully warmed up.
Cramping at 4 miles is puzzling. That's WAY too soon to cramp. Maybe do some easy spinning for the first 4 or 5 miles until you're fully warmed up.
4mi in is strange. i'd agree that you might have been going too hard out of the gate. back off a bit to start and maybe eat a banana beforehand
03-16-14, 11:30 PM
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welcome to the modern world.
03-16-14, 11:33 PM
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Pre-activity warmup is helpful to prevent injury. Take a few minutes to get the muscles loose and warm before increasing the intensity. On most rides I'll JRA a little bit to get the blood moving. 15-20 minutes should be enough.
03-16-14, 11:39 PM
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Thanks! I'm guilty about jumping on the bike and riding and its up a long hill right from the start I will try warming up first.
03-17-14, 04:36 AM
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Cramps within 4 miles probably means you are going all out from the start. The obvious first suggestion would be to do a warm up. Treat the first 2-4 miles as a warmup to get ready for the rest of the ride. See how you go from there.
03-17-14, 05:21 AM
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Dang those warm ups. They play havoc with the average moving speed.
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03-17-14, 05:42 AM
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Pretty much, if you see a sports team doing static stretching before an event, you can rest assured that their coach hasn't kept up with science or training for quite a while.
dynamic warmups are important, static stretching is nearly useless.
03-17-14, 07:11 AM
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03-17-14, 07:36 AM
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03-17-14, 08:16 AM
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03-17-14, 08:20 AM
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Dehydration can cause cramps, especially in extremities. Maybe you're not drinking enough before you go.
03-17-14, 08:42 AM
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03-17-14, 09:02 AM
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03-17-14, 09:36 AM
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03-17-14, 09:49 AM
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I've been using it for years. But that's on endurance days.
Overwhelming odds are that OP is just trying to do too much too fast and he has no problem that will prevent him from finding speed or distance later. Or even on the same ride for that matter.
Overwhelming odds are that OP is just trying to do too much too fast and he has no problem that will prevent him from finding speed or distance later. Or even on the same ride for that matter.
03-17-14, 09:50 AM
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The data on what causes cramping is pretty limited. There's not good data to support either dehydration or electrolyte depletion as cuases.
Best theory is your working your muscles beyond what they're trained for. 4 miles in does seem often early. But if you're pushing hard from the gun with no warm up that could be the explanation.
So try warminig up. And if you do cramp early into a ride, back off your pace, recover, and gradually increase your effort after the cramps go away.
Best theory is your working your muscles beyond what they're trained for. 4 miles in does seem often early. But if you're pushing hard from the gun with no warm up that could be the explanation.
So try warminig up. And if you do cramp early into a ride, back off your pace, recover, and gradually increase your effort after the cramps go away.
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03-17-14, 09:55 AM
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https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/0...ype=blogs&_r=0
Pretty much consensus now is warm up, don't stretch pre activity.
Stretch post activity, but even there the data is mixed on how useful stretching is.
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You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.