LGHT

I'm not "training" for anything specific just trying to get back into shape and lose a few pounds. I used to ride 2-3 times a week and got sore just about every ride and figured it was just because I'm a newbie. Well 3 months later and my thighs still seem to get horribly sore every time I ride. I've gradually moved up from 3 miles on my first ride to now riding between 30-40 miles per ride.

Since the time change I'm only riding once a week so I do try and get in as much of a workout as possible and really push hard to get the most out of the ride. The last 4 rides in Jan where between 32 and 37 miles with typically around 1000' or less of incline.

I logged my 43rd ride on Saturday morning which was 33 miles and just under 1000' incline and I'm still horribly sore as a result.

I've read several websites showing how to recover fast from soreness, by eating certain foods before, after, and drinking certain things during and after. I stretch, I do 5 minutes of high spinning cool down after the ride, I do hot, cold water treatments, massage the muscle, stretch, swim, sit in a jacuzzi, ben gay, extra protein, creatine, and just about everything else I could find with little to no improvement.

I just thought the soreness would be over by now, but I'm not sure if it's normal since I'm still technically a new rider.

zonatandem

S-H-I-F-T ! ! !
You've got gears . . . use 'em.

vesteroid

what cadence do you average on that route (30 miles 1000 feet)?

I am guessing your going to say high 60s, low 70s. Also whats an average speed?

LGHT

I don't have a cadence device, but I actually wasn't pushing it this time due to being sick and having a horrible headache during the ride.

My average speed according the strava was 13.0mi/h. moving time says 2:28:41 and elevation is 995ft. Power says 112w and energy output is 996kJ.

Jed19

Does your bike fit? The kind of soreness you described can sometimes be normal after hard rides, but the duration makes me suspect your fit might not be great. As an example, I use to get really sore thighs when I was using zero set-back seatpost, but since I switched to 15mm set-back seatpost, the soreness is no longer an issue.

LGHT

Great question and I actually thought about this a couple of weeks ago and got a "pro fit" from a local shop that is well known for bike fits. I didn't opt for the more expensive "retul" fit that was doubled the cost, but I did get the advanced fit and the fitter spent roughly 2 hours making sure everything was just perfect. Ironically the ride I went on this weekend was the first long ride after the fit yet my thighs are just as sore as ever.

Jed19

Well, you'll need to do more than one ride to really ascertain that your fit session was successful. I say give it two more rides or so and see what happens then. Of course, I am also assuming you are on top of the issues raised in post #2 and 3, that you are shifting as needed and turning appropriate cadence.

valygrl

Try riding shorter distances more often. Once a week isn't really enough to adapt.

LGHT

Ok I'll give it a few more rides, I just found it odd that I was just as sore before and after the fit and in the exact same places. I think you may be right about #2 and #3 , but without a cadence tool it's really hard to know for sure. Hopefully I can pick up one on ebay shortly as I'm tired of being sore for 3 days after every ride.

Machka 

+1

To the OP ...

Ride 4 or 5 times a week.

And start counting your cadence.

Machka 

Do you have a watch or computer on the your bicycle that shows the time?

Can you count?

Then you've got a "cadence tool".

Carbonfiberboy 

Well, let's see. You used to get sore after 5 miles. Now you get sore after 30 or 40. Whether 5 miles or 30, you pushed as hard as you could. Is there a pattern here? Plus now you're down to only one ride/week. It only takes 3 days to start to detrain. My advice is to ride a little almost every day and to cut back the effort so that you experience only a little leg soreness the next morning which is gone by evening. That's how you'll know you're doing it right.

Now you are riding 30 miles/week. It's weekly mileage that counts. So if you were to ride 5 days a week, you could ride 6 miles each day and get virtually the same training effect. Probably better, really. So that's what I'd advise. Ride more often and easier and see how that goes. If that feels better, try gradually increasing your weekly mileage by about 10%/week. After you do a few weeks in a row of 60 miles or so, try riding hard on one day. See how that goes.

As others have said, you may be pushing too hard on the pedals by riding too low a cadence. Buy a computer with cadence. A Cateye Astrale is only about $30. When I ride, I only watch heart rate and cadence. You probably don't have a heart rate monitor, so then you only have to watch cadence. Pedal at ~80 going up hill and about 90 on the flat and pedal easily enough that your legs don't "load up" and you don't breathe really hard.

denvertrout

I can relate. My legs have been sore for 4 years now, every day, every night, regardless of my workout. Soreness can fluctuate a bit after lifting, but then back to baseline. I have tried everything I can think of to no effect. I think in your case, give yourself some more time for your body to settle into the demands of cycling.

Carbonfiberboy 

Try taking 30g-40g of a sustained release protein like Phase8 in water, immediately before bed.

LGHT

I did look back at my ride history and even when I was riding 2-3 times a week with a lot less distance I was riding around 30-40 miles a week which is where I'm at now. Even then I still got sore so not sure if that will help or not. Sadly riding more isn't an option right now and why I'm only riding once a week. I'll work on picking up a cadence tool so I can at least figure out if my cadence is off or not. If not I guess rule #5 applies.

RomansFiveEight

I'm new to the world of cycling but when I first started 'getting fit' I started with running (cheap and easy). I did the same thing. Had this idea in my head that the harder you train, the more you advance. So push push push until I was sore and I would end up running 2-3 times a week MAX, and be sore all the time. Then I started doing some research; learned that our muscles improve when we rest; not when we train (training just begins the process); and it's more important that we consistently do lots of short workouts. So I started running 7 days a week. 20-30 minutes a day, with 3x a week (or so) where I spend about an hour in the gym, which includes treadmill running and weight lifting (I personally prefer low-resistance, high-reps to improve endurance), core workouts, etc. Now I'm never sore; and actually I feel GREAT. I also started HIIT training, and that's made tons of improvement in very little time. (About once a week I do a steady pace on the treadmill and each week I'm a little faster, and can go a little farther. Now that's addictive!)

So if these guys are telling you to spread it out throughout the week and take it a little easier; then I'd take their advice. Made a world of difference for me with my running.

Even if you can't ride 30 miles every day; surely if you've got time to post here you've got time to go for a quick spin for 10 minutes just to get your heart rate up and move your muscles? A 15 minute HIIT workout on the bike could potentially have as much benefit for you as a much longer steady paced ride. And if you can do that every day; I'd be willing to bet you'd improve at a much faster pace than one long ride a week (which is sort of a two-steps forward, one-step back approach. As opposed to baby-steps forward each day that ends up with you moving faster in the long run)

rumrunn6

show us a picture of you on your bike from the side

LGHT

I actually read a whole bunch of articles a couple of weeks after reading a post here about just what your talking about. Working out at a slower longer pace will improve overall speed and endurace. This is why I ride slower 13-15mph and do twice as much distance over twice the amount of time. Unfortunately I can't ride several times a week because of my newborn son. Anyone who has children will understand the commitment you make when they are a few months old. So it's not a matter of choice in that I only ride once a week it's my only option. Maybe when he's a little older and the time changes I can get a few rides in after work like I used to.

LGHT

I don't have a picture after the fitting, but this is a picture before.

Since the fitting the fitter moved the seat up about an inch and a half, and flipped the stem over because I was having upper shoulder pain. He said I need to get my core in shape because I'm essentially doing a really long push up because I typically ride in the drops often and I was using my shoulders to keep my upper body in place. He said after a few hundred miles I can switch the stem back over and see if my core has gotten strong enough to ride a more aggressive posture.

OldTryGuy

Nice bike. Congrats regarding your newborn.

Fan + towel on floor + trainer on towel + bike mounted to trainer then ride between tending baby but not too hard. Put in the time.

Worked for me many years ago for winter riding before moving to Florida.

LGHT

I agree. Didn't want to invest into a trainer, because weather is almost always good enough to ride in So-Cal, but I'm realizing I just can't get out like I used to and if I want to get in shape I need to just find the time by other means.

hueyhoolihan

regardless of fit, good, bad or indifferent, if you push too hard, you will be sore. if you continue to push too hard you will continue to be sore.

RonH

When I do too much mashing my thighs are a little sore when I get home so I keep an eye on my cadence when my legs start feeling it.

You have two NICE bikes yet you haven't sprung for a wireless computer with cadence?

vesteroid

I have to throw in something, and its really more of a general statement than directed at you. I have never understood the I have a new "x" job, baby, dog etc statement as to why someone cant get in 4-6 hours a week of training. My wife and I simply made up a schedule and switched out with the kid, so the other could do some solo things they enjoyed each week.

Another way to look at it, is your health as their caregiver for the next 18 years has to be a priority.

GeorgeBMac

Yep, everything else comes second -- just ask him!

Have you thought about a trainer that you can mount your bike on? They run from $70 up to $350 or so but I can't comment on the differences. But that should get you some daily exercise. Just make sure your son cannot get to those shiny, fancy, spinning wheels on your bike as you ride -- its a good way to lose some fingers -- but you'll probably be investing in some baby gates pretty soon anyway...

BTW, congratulations on your commitment and on your great progress...

added: Ooops, I just saw your comment on the trainer... But the advantage is that it lets you be with your son -- maybe while he naps or do whatever it is that they do -- and still get in 15, 30, 60 minutes of exercise each day...