Quote Originally Posted by Catrin View Post
Good, and direct, points...and well taken. I've been quite resistant to taking time off because walking has caused just as much discomfort as biking - and even hiking difficult terrain no longer raises my heart rate above 95. So I figured if walking has the same effect as biking, then why stay off the bike
.I do agree with you on this! There are other things, though. When I'm on an off day, I ride my cruiser at an easy pace - different riding position, and I'm not inclined to go fast or push myself at all. Being on that bike reminds me not to. Do you have access to a pool - how about trying some swimming or water exercises? You could try different strokes to see which doesn't hurt your hammering, or even just use a buoy and do arm pulls (if you aren't a swimmer, this is a great workout!)
The main thing really is to not aggravate the hamstring. As an athlete, I know how frustrating rest and healing can be - I've also suffered LOTS of injuries; some that jagged me for far longer than they needed to because I didn't let them heal, and others as a result of me favoring the injured limb and hurting something else in the process! And my performance was far less than optimal, so it's not like working through the pain helped me at all! Even now, as an adult I'm still stubborn and have to remind myself of these things - I hadn't been on my bike for two weeks due to a cheat cold and sinus infection. I have a "rule" that I never go more than three days off the bike, but I was S-I-C-K! No matter how much I wanted to ride, I stayed off so I could get well. It's only taken me 15 years and numerous visits to the urgent care after coughing up blood to "figure out" that I can't push the envelope when it comes to injury or illness! Went for a brisk 30 miles yesterday and felt great!