Good pain vs. bad pain?

I know this is kind of tricky to answer, but I'm having trouble differentiating between the normal burn caused from cycling and training vs a sign that I'm negatively hurting myself on the bike. I'm following a training plan for my first century and by the end of my long ride every week the tops and insides of one or both knees will really be aching and sometimes tingling a bit too as I make the last climbs.

This pain has occured in the past, particularly during the early season when I'm ramping things up. I've had IT band problems, but was able to resolve them, so I know it's not that. The guys I ride with tell me to push myself more on the hills, but I know that my time is limited until I feel this aching, so I try to ride up hills very conservatively. Other people tell me that it's just a matter of training enough so that my body gets used to the exertion. When I was having IT band problems last year, I had a professional bike fit done. Any thoughts/reactions? When the pros are wincing up the epic climbs, is this the kind of pain they're feeling??

Lactic acid burn and/or general, all-over muscle soreness = good

Localized, acute pain = bad

Thanks, Andrea. Any suggestions? Get another bike fit? Make sure I don't increase the amount I ride too drastically? PT?

You are making sure that you are spinning and not mashing the pedals (both on the hills and the flats), right?

Does the pain go away once off the bike? How long after riding does it continue to hurt? Does taking a day or two off between rides help? Have you talked to a doc about the pain?

Have you changed anything since your bike fit? (saddle, shoes, cleats, bars, etc) If not, then it's probably fine.

Is the pain that you're feeling similar to your IT band pain (location, severity, "type" of pain)?

The area that you're talking about (above the knee) is usually the first muscle that's going to burn/hurt when you're pushing yourself. If it aches while you're going uphill but then seems to be back to normal by the time you coast a bit and get down the other side, then it's more than likely just normal lactic acid burning. If that's the case, then follow your friend's advice and push through it if you can, because that type of pain gets better with improved fitness. (Actually, that pain remains the same, but as you get more trained, you'll just be going faster when you feel it- hence the quote, "It never gets any easier, you only get faster" ;))

If it's pain that's like your IT band injury- like something that gets worse as you ride whether you're really exerting yourself or just riding on flat ground- then it's a sign that you may have an actual injury, which is a sign that you should see a doc.

Thanks for the advice!

I haven't changed anything on my bike. And, yes, the pain appears 9 times out of 10 when I'm trucking it up a long hill. It subsides when the terrain levels (but is still a little sore), and will even tingle like pins and needles at times if I'm doing a lot of climbing. Normal, yes? The only time it really hurts when I'm off the bike is when I'm climbing stairs, which is a similar motion.

Anything I can do to strengthen/stretch/ help these muscles recover (just above the knee and also on the spot on the inside of the knee directly across from where the lower IT band attaches)?

A muscle needs 48 hours rest between workouts to rebuild (ie, lifting weights). If you are still sore after 48 hours, it may be more serious. You can try ibuprofen and ice to aid in recovery.