mdrew9

I'm a pretty new rider, I've got about 600 miles on the bike from last year to this year. Last year I did the Pan Mass Challenge (192 miles across MA) and I am training for it again this year. My issue is in the limited miles I have this year I have hit them pretty hard and have some inflamation at the top of my left calf on the tendon. I need to continue to ride, is there anyway to get rid of this or stop it from getting worse without stoping training?

mdrew9

No one?

ericm979

"the tendon" is vague... which one is it?

Sometimes when the back of the knee hurts its because the seat is too high.

A sudden increase in training can cause aches and pains too. The fix is to not increase training so fast. If you are going to do so anyhow, try icing the problem area and use NSAIDs. And make sure your bike fits correctly. Get a fitting if you are unsure how to set up your position.

P51

I'm prone to tendonitis because my brain won't accept that it's not 25 years old anymore and I go too hard too soon. One time I joined a gym and did a couple of sets on a tricep machine that gave me tendonitis in both elbows. That sucked. Rest it, ice it and go slower. Not much else you can do.

rmr1923

^this

i ramped up the intensity too quickly when i started cycling a couple months ago and i've had some nagging tendonitis and IT band issues since (although it's gotten MUCH better the last month). i stretch regularly (2-3 times a day) and on days i don't ride i'll do a short workout consisting of some body-weight squats, lunges, one-legged deadlifts, etc and the pain has all but gone away.

not sure why, but some mornings i wake up with pain in my right knee and it lingers all day, when i get home for work i stretch a bit and get on the bike and within 10-15 minutes the pain is gone.

Richard Cranium

What's your point? Quit doing things that cause pain. Or only ride a little bit at a time while "new."

Your Mother or Father may be able to help. Ask them these kinds of questions.

sakonnetclip

Make sure you're bike fit is correctly and perhaps see a trainer or doctor. Either your fit or routine is not in agreement with your body...and neither is good. If you're young and just pounding on the bike you could easily cause long-term injury to your joints doing what you're doing...

mdrew9

Not sure the point your post... I certainly know how to stop tendonitis but I have committed myself to this cause my team and I have raised a lot of money and we are going to continue to support it by riding and recruiting others support. The children we are riding for don't get the option of quiting cancer, why should I get the option to quit supporting them when I get a little pain in my leg. Maybe you misunderstood my post.

late

Not really, everybody here has been where you are.

If you don't let it heal, it will get worse, and it can get worse pretty quickly.

I'd suggest you warm the legs, stretch them out, and then ice them down for 3 days.

After that you need volume, not intensity. You need to rack up some miles.

You also might want to find a sub in case things don't go well. Find the time,
or find somebody else.

mdrew9

Thank you for the advice I plan on rechecking my seat set up in the short term. Focusing on volume rather than intensity then getting a bike fit.

rmr1923

i'd reverse those two (get a bike fit before putting in more miles)... more miles with an improper fit will only lead to more problems and an increased chance that you won't be able to do this ride at all

mdrew9

I'm on vacation should I stop entirely I thought my seat position was good but went down and checked it with a makeshift plumb bob (fishing line and bank sinker) I had to pull my seat back considerably. So currently I pulled the seat back and lowered it a little. Do you think I should stop for the week?

rmr1923

not necessarily... if you think the fit is close, then i'd keep riding but maybe dial it back a bit (don't ride as hard). if you feel pain while riding at an easy pace, then i'd think about stopping until i could get in for a proper fitting.