Originally Posted by
cubewheels
You probably skied in aero position!
When I first rode in a race/pro geometry on easy rides, my neck hurt. On higher intensity training rides, the lungs, lower back, abdomen, and shoulders started hurting - in that order of intensity. I'm already slim and fit when I first got into race geometry. The lungs hurting the most and I experienced sharp, stabbing pain in the chest 24 hrs per day for two weeks! It felt like angina but a lot worse! Then abdominal pain which lasted a week which felt like being punched in that region. Lower back pain only during training and the pain is sufficient enough for me to back down on my intervals. Shoulder pain also lasted for a week during and post-rides but not an issue for the most part. My training continued uninterrupted despite the intense pain.
I think it might have been prudent to take a trip to the hospital just to be sure. But I didn't. Can't afford hospital bills, lol! Luckily, none of the intense pain I experienced were serious. I did not cough blood nor got ill at any point.
After a month, all the pain is gone. It took even longer to regain my aerobic capacity and power output riding in racing posture in and out of the saddle. Eventually, after 2 months after I went race geometry, I'm now completely comfortable and relaxed in race posture in and out of the saddle, including the Mark Cavendish sprint posture.
I trained for downhill but only raced one. Long time ago. I could put my knees in my armpits. Just now tried that. I'm about 2" away from getting them solidly in there - I'm too fat. Sit on a chair, spread your legs, reach down between your legs, put your fingers under your heels and pull down. One should be able to pull ones shoulders down between one's knees.
My guess us that your early pain was cramping. Doesn't take much to reach overuse if one hasn't been doing something similar. My wife an I joined a gym in 1979 and have done weight and aerobic training consistently since then. Weight training is fabulous for flexibility if one does everything full range of motion. Plus I did skilled manual work until I retired 10 years ago. I had to work out at the gym just to be able to do what I had to do. After I started riding again at 50, I'd work until 5, then hit the rollers for an hour, then go to the gym for another hour. I don't recover fast enough now to be able to do that most days.