shoes, pedals, and foot pain/cramp
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shoes, pedals, and foot pain/cramp
so i'm out for my first ride of the season yesterday, just a little 10mi jaunt to clear the cobwebs and during the course of the ride I am feeling pain in my arches, kind of like a cramp but also kinda like I'd been standing all day. I've noticed it in the past, but yesterday seemed particularly bad I'm sure because in part it was the first ride of the season. I'm not convinced its my shoes, but it could be, but I think it might be more my form/technique than anything. I believe (and I don't have any data/evidence to back this up) that I am pointing my toes down during a harder effort. possible my seat is a few mm to high?
reaching here for possible causes/remedies.
shoes: Mavic Peloton (which are bordering on narrow for me in the toe box, the heel and bridge areas seem fine)
pedals Shimano 5700
anybody got a few pointers of things to start with short of a professional fit and new shoes that I can't afford?
reaching here for possible causes/remedies.
shoes: Mavic Peloton (which are bordering on narrow for me in the toe box, the heel and bridge areas seem fine)
pedals Shimano 5700
anybody got a few pointers of things to start with short of a professional fit and new shoes that I can't afford?
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I've been fighting cramps in my legs and feet for the past year or so. For me, if I take potassium and magnesium supplements, it really helps it. Can't help with the cause. Sorry.
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hmm, interesting, I noticed he made a specific point about us bigfoot like folks, i wear a 13. I'll take a closer look at the cleat placement when I get home.
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I don't think this feels muscle cramp related (I've never had cramp problems), more like a stretched/sore tendon or ligament in the front part of the arch of my foot, I think its more fit/technique related than anything else.
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based on the picture shown in this link, my pain seems to be in the area where the dark green meets the gray area, mostly toward the center/inside of the foot
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Yeah, shoes may be too tight. But is with this "first ride of the season?" If you haven't been doing anything and then you do something, sure 'n begorrah there can be problems. Solution is don't stop riding. If you have a broken shoulder or something, go to the gym and work your lower body. Get on a stair and do one-legged calf raises until you can't anymore. Squat until your quads give out. Do something. It's true that some things are cycling specific. A set of rollers or trainer fixes that.
And it could also be that you don't drop your heel/relax your ankle when you pedal. Don't hold your ankle rigid and don't push down with your toes (ankling), either. Relax your lower leg and let it happen by itself. In fact, relax your whole leg. Make it happen, but think about your legs being relaxed even when pedaling hard. Your muscles will contract all by themselves.
You can tell if your saddle is at approximately the correct height: put the heel of your bike shoe on the pedal and rotate down. You should barely be able to touch the pedal when your knee is locked out without rotating your hips.
Do you run? It could also be an overuse injury from running or a microfracture.
And it could also be that you don't drop your heel/relax your ankle when you pedal. Don't hold your ankle rigid and don't push down with your toes (ankling), either. Relax your lower leg and let it happen by itself. In fact, relax your whole leg. Make it happen, but think about your legs being relaxed even when pedaling hard. Your muscles will contract all by themselves.
You can tell if your saddle is at approximately the correct height: put the heel of your bike shoe on the pedal and rotate down. You should barely be able to touch the pedal when your knee is locked out without rotating your hips.
Do you run? It could also be an overuse injury from running or a microfracture.
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I've felt this before at the end of last season, just not as pronounced, I'll loosen the straps on the shoes a bit and see if that helps a little. I'm not a runner any more, and I don't disagree that I may need to just push thru it and HTFU a little given that it was first ride this season. with my big ass hooves I'm gonna revisit cleat placement and adjust shoe strap tension, see if that helps. thx
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Yup. Tight shoes are no fun at all.
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