Question about quad burning, etc

Okay....need your help, ladies! (beware.. a little deep??)

I'm 37 and have never had skin-kids (if this means anything with the problem). I'm wondering if some of my issues could have anything to do with premenopause.

I have been active through the winter, but not riding near as much as I did in the better weather. But HELLO...when Spring FORWARD came along early, we started riding a lot more - all the sudden. I also had just gotten a PowerTap and was throwing a lot into training. When I first started feeling the burning pain in my quads, I assumed I was overtraining and slowed down.

I slowly ramped up again and even did my LT test (on the road - no needles, thanks!). I didn't give myself a lot of recovery, but rode 3 more times (endurance pace mostly) in the next 4 days. The last day I rode was LAST Wednesday. In the meantime, the weather turned cold with snow, rain and just gross. My mood turned and I hibernated all last weekend. It persisted through part of Tuesday. I just kinda felt a malaise and didn't feel like myself. All through this, I have been feeling a burning feeling in my quads again.

Now...if this is lactate from riding too hard/much or whatever, that should have dissipated by now, correct? I haven't done ANYTHING but take it easy and hibernate. Well, okay.. I've done some stretching..but nothing aerobic.

Today was weird too.. I always look forward to Wednesdays because its our cycling club's main group ride... a spirited hilly ride. Today I just couldn't get psyched up for it even though the sun came out. About 3, I felt my mood lightening, but then the weather turned nasty again and I stopped myself from going. (gotta love Oklahoma weather)

Here're the questions... this mood stuff, the malaise..the "not really with it" feeling, low energy crapola... this isn't usual- even for pre-menses. Could I be starting the premenopause junk? I thought maybe it was b/c of the weather, April 15 stress (I'm a private tax accountant), and maybe my period on the way. I just don't ever recall this occuring before.. And the burning quadriceps pain...is it related at all?

Any thoughts, oh wise ladies of TE??

Thanks in advance!

P.S. If it DOES sound like perimenopause....I don't get it still b/c I'm already on hormones (bc). Confused in Tulsa!!!!

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Originally Posted by BabyBlueNTulsa

I slowly ramped up again and even did my LT test (on the road - no needles, thanks!). I didn't give myself a lot of recovery, but rode 3 more times (endurance pace mostly) in the next 4 days. The last day I rode was LAST Wednesday....I hibernated all last weekend. It persisted through part of Tuesday... All through this, I have been feeling a burning feeling in my quads again.

Now...if this is lactate from riding too hard/much or whatever, that should have dissipated by now, correct? I haven't done ANYTHING but take it easy and hibernate. Well, okay.. I've done some stretching..but nothing aerobic.

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This will be your muscles saying;

" please give us a light ride. Work us gently. You thrashed us then did 3 endurance rides... we needed a recovery ride after this four day workout to disperse the lactate properly...
"... and now, well, you asked us to step up our strength by the demands last week, and we have, and we are ready so take us on a bike and spin us round... you'll be surprised, if you give us a light workout yoday, how much power we will have tomorrow...."

Remember, BabyBlue that recovery rides are an important part of getting fitter.
The general malaise was probably general tiredness if this is not what you usually do in four days... plus it coincided with yucky weather.

BTW... am envious of your power tap...

I kinda doubt the perimenopause, unless your mom/grandma/aunt started with the same "symptoms" at the same age.

I've got night sweats and hot flashes and I'm 39. My mom and g'ma started the night sweats and hot flashes at 38, so I'm right on track (damm, this is not my idea of a good time!)

Second what RoadRaven said.

Thank you gals!!

I was getting to where I wondered if I was sick or something! I don't think that my mom started early...but I've kinda heard that women who don't have children may go into it earlier than others. I don't know if that's really true or not. Other than the quads, all the other malaise and low energy, blahs... it was just weird.. and I'm downright getting a couple of days of real edginess the week before my period the last few months.. Being a woman is sooo delightful at times, isn't it?

Knot...night sweats... doesn't sound like too much fun.. ack!

Oh...and just so I'm clear about "endurance pace"... for me, that is an average of only about 129 watts right now. And those rides after my LT test were only for about 90 minutes or so with 15 min before and after that being easy spinning for warm up/cool down.
That 129W seemed minor - really minor if you think about Landis (okay, an elite pro) able to pull 400+ for 40 minutes. But.. okay.. I am SO not Landis. :P

Raven - I got the Tap to help me get stronger...and PLUS... I'm a numbers-freak. I love gathering quantitative data about what I'm doing. I love spreadsheets.. LOL It is a really cool toy... almost as cool as getting a new bike! You know..you have to pretty much get a new back wheel for the PT, so I went ahead (apart from many male counterparts here) and got a matching front hub/wheel. It looks so cool... Annnyway.. I guess I've gotten a little ahead of myself on training. Ouchie quads...

I'm gonna have to smack my Carmicheal (sp?)-trained Cat 4 racer pal who's been coming up with workouts for me and kinda coaching me along. :eek:

Also...Can someone please remind the weather guy that it is SPRING? brrrrrr

Thank you again!!!

Yup... the "pretty-much-getta-new-back-wheel" is why none of us in this house have power taps... with four of us drooling for one it is a pretty expensive dream - especially as we really need one each as it is almost a bike fit just to fit one to a bike.

No worries about being Landis - did you know some blokes in intense sprints will output approx 800 watts for those few seconds to the line???

I have somewhere what elite women can output - I'll hunt it out if you don't already have it. Nowhere near men of course, but still a great aim to have.

When I did my last LT test in a science lab (last year) my power output maxed at 325watts... but of course, there was no way I could maintain that - and that was the mashing you do near the end of a LT test ... LOL, I'm no sprinter!

LOL as to Spring - its Autumn here and we've just had the first hint of winter these last few days - polar fleece on in the house and 2-3 extra blankets on the beds!!! Sure Spring will be your way real soon - it's sure not here!

Yeah, the expense kept me from it for a while. But after I paid off my bike and Spring drew closer, I thought...."aw heck, why not?" I use the rationalization - "Its for my health! Its an investment..." hee hee
(I haven't figured out how to put pics where I want em yet, so they ended up at the bottom) This is one fun road unit! :P

Now...if we could have someone please turn off the rain spicket (sp?) so I can go play? LOL We had about 5-6weeks of really lovely weather before this cold/snow/rain junk came back for a "don't forget us" visit! Spring is supposed to be right now. Ugh.

I did my light ride yesterday, but screwed it up! I was supposed to do "recovery" which according to my LT test was around 89 avg watts. Umm... Ooops. I got that confused with my recovery cadence of 100. I did 100W instead. Duh... Okay.. I'm still learning.

I do have a book "Racing/Training with a Power Meter" by Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggin. It says the FT of a world class female is 5.69W per kg. I'll estimate an athlete like that weighs around 125lb/56.8kg (being generous b/c of muscle weight)...that would translate to a functional threshold of about 323.3 watts. My 20min suffer-fest test revealed a FT of 172. (I maxed out at 318). I've got a ways to go....not that I'm shooting for world class, mind you. LOL!!

Oh yeah.. I'm amazed at the watts those sprinters can achieve! My "coach" has gotten over 1000 on a sprint. I can't even imagine that kind of power.

P.S. Raven.. where is "Middle Earth"? ;) I could guess, but I hope you'll save me the embarrassment! :P

Nice pics, babyBlue
Way to make me drool...

Middle Earth is a Lord of the Rings reference

I live in New Zealand where the three movies were filmed...

Just west of Mt Doom, and north of Rivendell ;)

I just love the 12mos same as cash arrangement at my LBS.... :) :) :)
(can't beat free financing!)

I thought it might be a LOTR thing, but I'm not "hip" enough on the subject to know where the films were made. hee hee

I'm a member of an online cocker spaniel club too and we actually have a member IN New Zealand! He posts videos all the time of his American Cockers in agility trials there. He also recently posted video of his vacation somewhere there ( I forgot! oops) at a really nice looking beach!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymAbBz8Y9tc

Love the NZ accent! Is it always windy in NZ? In almost all of his outside videos, you can tell its really windy.. I can just imagine the fun you have cycling there! :)

P.S. Besides cycling..I'm nutty about my Amer.Cocker Spaniels. I have four!
I haven't made any new videos lately, but here's a decent one with all four in it though...(p.s. bark alert!!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAluziPJotQ
They really aren't vicious...

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Originally Posted by BabyBlueNTulsa

P.S. Besides cycling..I'm nutty about my Amer.Cocker Spaniels. I have four!
I haven't made any new videos lately, but here's a decent one with all four in it though...(p.s. bark alert!!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAluziPJotQ
They really aren't vicious...

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Your dogs are great! Love the video. I've got two cockers now, and used to do cocker rescue. One of mine used to play like yours in the video, but unfortunately his playmate died last October, and the other one would rather lie around and chew on his kong than play with his brother. Makes me want to adopt another one, but I think I'll stick to two for now...