I didn't know where to post - Re: Bruised Butt

[climbingbiker]

I rode in my first organized long ride this weekend - the Seattle to Portland Classic. I've never ridden a century, let along 204 miles in a weekend. I rode 128 miles on Saturday and 76 miles on Sunday. I am a relatively new rider. Though I officially started riding in 2001, I never rode more than 30 miles in any given outing until this year.

I admit that I didn't train as much as I should have and my butt told me so. So much that I have some brusing near my sitz bones. Is that normal? I did train some, and I don't think I had this problem when I was increasing my mileage and getting my butt used to being in the saddle.

Thoughts?

[mimitabby]

sounds like you rode exactly the same route i did on STP.
Your butt will heal. Mine was a little sore too, even though i had my brooks saddle. But you sat on that thing for how many hours?

It is to be expected.. and you will heal.

[vj_pdx]

Wow!! Good for you!

If it's bruised, I'd ice it, ice-bath it if you can stand it, and put arnica cream on it (or really any lotion, the act of massaging it helps, but arnica is the stuff). But yeah, you spent a long time in the saddle--it's not surprising it's sore. It just needs time.

[pooks]

Just curious -- are you talking about visible bruising? Blue and purple bruises?

[climbingbiker]

I believe my riding time was around 14 hours over the two days.

My husband didn't see the brusing until last night, and the color looks like the tail end my usual bruising cycle - that brown/purple color. It's faint, but noticeable. What's weird to me is that I would have expected the bruise to be more purple at this point of my recovery, so maybe that means it's only slight brusing?

[pooks]

That really does sound like a major "ouch!"

So for those of you who have already responded -- were you talking about soreness or actual bruising? (I'm just trying to learn what I may expect in the future if I go on long rides -- and what is considered normal and what might not be.)

[RoadRaven]

I get this on rides when I am over two hours in the saddle... I don't stop and eat as I ride, so I think it is a matter of your glutes getting squished between your bones and the saddle and that, combined with the 'extra' compresion factor of bumps in the road surface, and you get bruising.

If it feels bad, I take arnica (a few drops in water) and the next day things feel ok again.
I don't use arnica cream in that area cause it shouldn't go on broken skin, and one never can tell - I can't see my own butt!

[SouthernBelle]

I don't use arnica cream in that area cause it shouldn't go on broken skin, and one never can tell - I can't see my own butt!

YOU CAN'T? Not limber, huh.

[RoadRaven]

nup...

slack huh?

Think i need some yoga lessons