when are my legs going to quit hurting?

[mimitabby]

I do some stretches 3x a week. I COULD do more; you're right.

[yellow]

Mimi, my legs are my limiting factor. Always have been, always will be. I have good days and bad days. Some days I feel like I need to Gu in order to get up the stairs in my house!

I got to the point where I was overstretching and aggravating all kinds of stuff, so there is a fine line. I am now working on changing how I pedal in order to take some of the work off of my calves and quads. I wish someone had given me pointers about all this stuff years ago. I have some pretty significant muscle imbalance going on, which affects my running as well.

So it could be strength, it could be imbalance, it could be that you just need your new bike. Be as strong as you can be, keep up the gentle stretching, and make sure you are getting adequate recovery (the latter is my biggest failing). If I rode 62 followed by 25 followed by 5 commuting days of 8-12 days a piece I'd need a little recovery!

[mimitabby]

So it could be strength, it could be imbalance, it could be that you just need your new bike. Be as strong as you can be, keep up the gentle stretching, and make sure you are getting adequate recovery (the latter is my biggest failing). If I rode 62 followed by 25 followed by 5 commuting days of 8-12 days a piece I'd need a little recovery!

I didn't ride at all Saturday, or today; what is "a little recovery?"

[yellow]

I didn't ride at all Saturday, or today; what is "a little recovery?"

You said you felt it on every hill, so I assume that means that you were feeling it during that 7 day stretch where you didn't take a day off. So I guess I meant recovery during that week.

I place a lot of stock in recovery food/drink as well. Are you paying close attention to that as well? I really notice a difference if I don't eat properly for the level/type of activity I'm doing.

Sounds like you're recovering now!

[mimitabby]

I eat really well. I don't think that's a problem.

I just wonder how people do it..
Like Fredwina for example: Not only does she ride every day; she rides hard fast rides.
In a perfect world, I would ride my bike every day to work all year long (not going to happen) so.. would I always be hurting?

My legs look so immensely better than they used to, and I can ride so much longer without "running out of gas" but I do feel pain in those muscles the quads. I found it interesting what you said about balance, because recently I knocked my sacroliac out and have managed to get it back to closer to where it should be by doing some exercises prescribed by Knott (I actually felt/heard a click; one day the left side and 2 days later the right)

but that is different (I think) from the sore muscles in my legs...

[indysteel]

My muscle soreness is funny. I'll finish a hard weekend on the bike and feel relatively fine--until I get to yoga on Monday night. OMG. All of a sudden, my quads are screaming, and I have absolutely no power in my glutes. Ow, ow, and more ow.

I do find that doing a short, gentle recovery ride on Mondays (instead of the aforementioned yoga) helps me feel a bit better. I'm also a big believer in drinking a post-ride recovery drink consisting of both carbs and protein. There are various schools of thought on the ideal ratio, but the essential thinking is that the carbs replenish your glycogen stores, while the protein helps rebuild muscle tissue. I've experimented with various products but am currently using plain ol' chocolate milk. Seems to be working pretty well. And it tastes really good after a ride. I fill a thermos with the stuff and keep it in my car for after the ride.

[Fredwina]

[QUOTE=mimitabby;203727]I eat really well. I don't think that's a problem.

I just wonder how people do it..
Like Fredwina for example: Not only does she ride every day; she rides hard fast rides.
In a perfect world, I would ride my bike every day to work all year long (not going to happen) so.. would I always be hurting?

[\QUOTE]
"It's doesn't get any easier - you just go faster" - G. LeMond
Funny, I dodn't think I'm that fast and I haven't ridden since Saturday(had a sinus infection)
Seriusly, I think I still have muscle soreness, espically after doing some hard efforts, and I've been at this for 15 years.
Taking breaks (yes , I do take them) and cross training I think helps me.

[Thorn]

As a wise woman once said...."I can sit on my couch and hurt or I can ride, be active and hurt. I'll take the latter"

While there might be something more to the aches and pains (and only you can decide that), as you push and get better, you're bound to have days when you ache. But, at my age, I assume there always be some. At least when I'm riding I can say it is because I did something to make me healthier.